DEFENCEWEB
A study by a researcher at Stellenbosch University found that the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is vulnerable to cyberattacks and must increase cybersecurity awareness among military officers, offer appropriate training and buy the required technology.
“Military officers are vulnerable to being misled or even forced by nefarious online actors to share sensitive information about operational activities,” said Dr. Kyle Bester, a research psychologist and cybersecurity awareness training specialist who conducted the study for his thesis at Stellenbosch. “They could also create involuntary or voluntary points of access for malicious software through which these actors could enter the SANDF’s network.”
Bester interviewed senior officers enrolled for a professional military developmental course at the South African National Defence College. He also asked students at the South African Military Academy and the South African National War College to complete a questionnaire to collect their views on information sharing, security orientation, cybersecurity awareness and cyber culture.
Bester found that officers generally were aware of cyber threats that could harm the armed forces and adapted their off- and online security behavior appropriately. But respondents identified “information sharing practices” as an area of concern.
Participants called for additional cyber awareness education and training and a need for more efficient software and technological tools to deal with cybersecurity threats to the armed forces.
Maj. Gert PJ de Jager told an Electronic Warfare South Africa conference in Pretoria that the uncontrolled use of social media networks posed security risks to the SANDF and other military forces.
De Jager noted that offensive information collection is an important part of military operations and “a valuable input to determine the outcome of battles and victories.” Militaries and nonstate actors increasingly turn to social media to obtain intelligence. Militaries must train Soldiers to safely use mobile phones and social media.
“The SANDF may not be able to stop every member from participating online in social networks, but it should focus on ensuring every member is aware of the importance of information security during the use of social networks,” de Jager said.
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