/ MEDIA STATEMENT / The content on this page is not written by Polity.org.za, but is supplied by third parties. This content does not constitute news reporting by Polity.org.za.

Cybercrime is one of South Africa’s pressing concerns, as meteoric rises in the number of incidents have severe consequences on the country’s economy as well as its people, including financial losses, reputational damage, and even physical harm. However, police continue to face significant challenges in implementing and investigating cybercrimes, pointing to the need for greater support and resources.

Pointing to the depths of the problem, ICT company WonderNet estimates that the number of South Africans who fall victim to cybercrimes has risen from six per hour in 2001, to as many as 97 per hour in 2021. Additionally, cybersecurity company Surfshark reports that South Africa ranks sixth among the countries with the highest levels of cybercrime, emphasising the threat to our country’s international reputation, our economy, and to the lives of local households.

However, there is a limited capacity for investigating cybercrime within the specialised investigation units of the South African Police Service (SAPS). Furthermore, cyber elements have become a common feature of traditional crime investigations, placing an additional burden on cybercrime experts. Finally, it is important to recognise that the nature of cybercrime is continuously changing as cybercriminals adapt and advance as fast as technology evolves, further challenging cybersecurity defences.

Together, these highlight that South Africa must develop a more comprehensive strategy to address the issue of cybercrime, including investing in technology, enacting more vital legislation, and building partnerships to enhance cooperation and information sharing among law enforcement agencies.

Some of the key areas which demand greater focus in order to effectively combat cybercrime are:

Resources

Advanced technologies and protective measures can play a significant role in aiding the criminal justice system in catching and prosecuting cybercriminals. But South African police require far more resources and training to deal with cybercrime, including an investment towards providing the latest technological tools and equipment.

Police must in turn embrace new technologies and implement protective measures to mitigate the risks of cybercrime. The implementation of new technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data analytics could all play a key part in detecting and forecasting cybercrime patterns, and ultimately fighting crime.

Police departments must also be provided with vital tools such as digital forensic kits, and the basic software and hardware needed to conduct investigations effectively. However, this must be done alongside upskilling police officers who need to be trained in cybercrime prevention, investigation, prosecution, and sentencing. This can easily be achieved through targeted training programmes, workshops, and conferences focusing on the latest cybersecurity trends and techniques.

Collaboration

The challenges police face in combatting cybercrime are diverse, which often require co-operation among various stakeholders to resolve. For example, private companies and organisations are often the first to become aware of emerging cybercrime threats, and are best placed to protect themselves and inform the public of such attacks.

However, information-sharing arrangements between these companies and the police must be more robust. While privacy, commercial and national security concerns are legitimate reasons for specific barriers to information sharing, these must be balanced against the need to support collective efforts to successfully fight and prevent cybercrime.

Ultimately, combatting cybercrime requires a collaborative effort from crucial security players, including the government, banks, private businesses, academics, the military, and the public. We must therefore invest in adequate infrastructure for information-sharing, and ensure both national and international co-operation to share best practices for responding to cybercrime.

Police must also work in partnership with cybersecurity and information and communications technology (ICT) security experts to assess the needs and vulnerabilities of individuals and businesses.

Policy implementation

The Cybercrimes Act, signed into law in 2021, represents a significant step in addressing cybercrime. However, the effective implementation of this law remains a challenge. And one of the primary obstacles to implementing effective cybercrime policy is the need for enhanced training of law enforcement personnel tasked with investigating and prosecuting cybercrime.

All police must be trained and equipped with the necessary information technology skills to ensure the Act is efficiently implemented. The law’s success therefore hinges on government's political will to allocate adequate financial resources towards acquiring these skills. These resources are essential if is to avoid becoming a paper tiger, failing to deliver the desired results.

The Act also presents a significant challenge as it decentralises cyber-related responsibilities to various government departments. This can create a silo-based approach, hindering the coordination and collaboration required to combat cybercrime effectively. It also risks a lack of clarity regarding roles and responsibilities, making it challenging to develop and implement effective strategies to combat this crime.

To address this challenge, we must create a framework that promotes collaboration, information sharing, and a clear delineation of roles and responsibilities. By doing so, police can be more effective in developing strategies that guide their activities and effective policy implementation.

The increasing prevalence and sophistication of cybercrime require urgent measures. Strengthening resources, improving collaboration among law enforcement agencies, and implementing cybercrime policy are all essential ingredients needed to combat cybercrime effectively.

Policymakers and law enforcement agencies must work together to create viable solutions, and to protect local households and businesses from a looming crisis.

Issued by Zizamele Cebekhulu-Makhaza, President of Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union