https://www.miningweekly.com

Vodacom, Accenture partner to provide cybersecurity solutions for small businesses

27th May 2022

By: Natasha Odendaal

Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

     

Font size: - +

Technology company Vodacom Business and global professional services company Accenture have teamed up to bring tailored cybersecurity solutions to small businesses.

Vodacom Managed Security Services offers cybersecurity-as-a-service to South African small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), covering assessment, protection, detection and response, the four pillars under which clients can invest in seven modular offerings.

“Essentially, this solution brings cybersecurity expertise to businesses that do not have the experience, time or financial resources to keep up with the rapidly evolving threat landscape,” says Accenture in Africa security lead Boland Lithebe, noting that a tailored approach, with the necessary solutions acquired on a modular basis, is needed for the businesses’ cybersecurity needs.

The solutions offered by Vodacom Managed Security Services, an extension of the existing smart service offering partnership between Vodacom Business and Accenture, are tailored for SMEs; however, they are scalable to large enterprises and initially focus on business needs to simplify cybersecurity and ransomware risk.

For Vodacom, this solution is an evolution of the managed cybersecurity strategy the company has been building over the last few years, and combining Vodacom Business’s expertise and insights with Accenture’s cybersecurity strategies, forensics and consulting services has resulted in a solution that will protect SMEs from cyberthreats.

“SMEs are crucial to our country’s economic growth and must be supported with simple and easy ways to deploy solutions to thrive in our increasingly digitalised society. Businesses have become increasingly vulnerable to cyberthreats that are growing in sophistication and require a smarter response to protect a company’s digital assets,” says Vodacom Business cloud, hosting and security managing executive Kabelo Makwane.

Clients investing in Vodacom Managed Security Services will have an opportunity to select a bespoke package of services and can add additional services or remove them based on their threat-analysis needs.

Vodacom Managed Security Services includes phishing awareness, which brings the human element into perspective in simulated email attacks targeting employees, followed by training on best security practices, and firewall management, which is about provisioning, managing and operating an SME’s firewall to protect its digital assets.

The detection and response pillars comprise a dedicated team of cybersecurity experts overseeing each client’s portfolio.

The managed detection and response delivers early-warning detection with 24/7, real-time monitoring, while the breach response and forensics offer rapid intervention from the team should a breach occur, with a forensic analysis conducted to proactively manage similar incidents in the future, the company outlines.

Meanwhile, businesses can benefit from cyber exposure diagnostics, penetration testing and a vulnerability assessment under the assessment pillar.

Cyber exposure diagnostics, analysing all cybersecurity aspects, provides SMEs with a roadmap of what security should be in place, from their technology and infrastructure to security hygiene.

Penetration testing is undertaken by a Vodacom Managed Security Services expert in a simulation of a real attack to expose areas of weakness, while the automated vulnerability assessment scans for easy-access points in a company’s existing technology and infrastructure.

“In a world where every touchpoint in a company’s digital footprint must be secured, Vodacom and Accenture are committed to doing so, supporting businesses by protecting their assets as they successfully navigate their digital journey and become future ready,” says Makwane.

Edited by Martin Zhuwakinyu
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

Comments

The content you are trying to access is only available to subscribers.

If you are already a subscriber, you can Login Here.

If you are not a subscriber, you can subscribe now, by selecting one of the below options.

For more information or assistance, please contact us at subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za.

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION