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CVEM and the South African Reality: Taking Cybersecurity Beyond Box-Ticking

  • 4 days ago
  • 2 min read

In South Africa, cyber threats are not just a global concern—they're a pressing local issue. Recent data indicates that South Africa accounts for 22% of all cyberattacks in Africa, making it the most targeted country on the continent .


From ransomware crippling municipalities to phishing attacks targeting SMEs, it's evident that reactive security measures are no longer sufficient.


What’s needed is a continuous, risk-based approach to managing vulnerabilities. That’s where Continuous Vulnerability and Exposure Management (CVEM) comes into play.




What is CVEM—and Why Should South African Businesses Care?

CVEM stands for Continuous Vulnerability and Exposure Management. Unlike traditional scanning tools that perform periodic sweeps, CVEM maintains a constant pulse on your environment—identifying risks, prioritizing them based on business impact, and enabling IT teams to respond swiftly.


In a market like South Africa—where many businesses operate with lean IT teams, limited cybersecurity budgets, and increasing regulatory pressure—CVEM offers a way to do more with less while genuinely reducing risk.


Core Benefits of CVEM in the Local Context.

  1. Always-On Asset Discovery:

    With CVEM, you gain real-time visibility into your network, essential for identifying shadow IT, unmanaged endpoints, and rogue access points—common blind spots in local environments.


  2. Continuous Risk Monitoring:

    CVEM solutions detect vulnerabilities and misconfigurations as they emerge, ensuring timely identification and remediation of risks.


  3. Prioritization That Makes Sense:

    Given that 69% of South African firms experienced ransomware attacks in the past year, with 76% resulting in data encryption , CVEM helps prioritize vulnerabilities based on exploitability and asset criticality, enabling efficient resource allocation.


  4. Integrated Fixing, Not Just Finding:

    Detection without remediation is insufficient. CVEM integrates patching and configuration management, streamlining the process and reducing reliance on multiple tools.


  5. Easing the Compliance Burden:

    Compliance with regulations like POPIA, which mandates data breach notifications and imposes fines up to R10 million , is facilitated by CVEM's real-time, audit-friendly reporting capabilities.


New Capabilities That Actually Matter.

Modern CVEM platforms now include role-based patch approval workflows, aligning remediation actions with internal governance and compliance requirements.


Why South African Organizations Can’t Ignore CVEM.

  • Proactive is cheaper than reactive. The average cost of a ransomware attack in 2023 was $5.13 million, a 13% increase over 2022 .

  • Local threat actors are getting smarter. Cybercriminals are increasingly targeting South African organizations, with 40% of ransomware attacks and 35% of infostealer incidents on the continent occurring in South Africa .

  • Regulation is tightening. The enactment of laws like the Cybercrimes Act (2021) and POPIA (2021) underscores the need for robust cybersecurity measures .


Final Thoughts.

In South Africa’s resource-constrained yet threat-rich environment, CVEM is not a luxury—it’s a necessity. It enables organizations to move beyond tick-box exercises to real, continuous protection. For local businesses ready to take cybersecurity seriously, adopting a CVEM approach could be the smartest move you make this year.


Ready to take the first step toward continuous protection?


Let’s talk about how CVEM can strengthen your cybersecurity posture, streamline compliance with POPIA, and help you stay ahead of threats in the South African landscape.


📩 Contact us today for a tailored vulnerability and exposure management strategy that fits your business needs.




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