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Analysis of COVID-19 Effects on Cybersecurity in South African-Based Organizations
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted cybersecurity practices in South African organisations across various sectors, including financial services, healthcare, retail, and technology, with vulnerabilities arising from remote work, digital infrastructure, and financial strain. This study ap...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English English |
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Department of Information Systems
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613265258872832 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Daya, Mahima |
| author2 | Kyobe, Michael |
| author_browse | Daya, Mahima Kyobe, Michael |
| author_facet | Kyobe, Michael Daya, Mahima |
| author_sort | Daya, Mahima |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted cybersecurity practices in South African organisations across various sectors, including financial services, healthcare, retail, and technology, with vulnerabilities arising from remote work, digital infrastructure, and financial strain. This study applied Engström's Activity Theory Framework to explore the effects of the pandemic on cyber-threats, vulnerabilities, and organisational responses. The findings reveal that remote workers faced significant vulnerabilities during the pandemic, making them susceptible to phishing and social engineering attacks. The study highlights the importance of cybersecurity awareness training and education for employees in South African organisations. The economic instability of South Africa during the pandemic led to an increased appeal of cyber-threats, underscoring the need for enhanced cybersecurity strategies. The study's findings provide practical recommendations for enhancing cybersecurity strategies, including the adoption of secure remote work solutions and the development of incident response plans. The results underscore the importance of cybersecurity awareness training and education for employees. The study's methodology involved conducting 30 semi-structured interviews with South African organisations from the financial, healthcare, retail, and technology sectors, employing thematic analysis to delve into the realm of cybersecurity management practices during the pandemic. Despite its limitations, including a limited data sample and potential lack of generalisability to all South African organisations, this study contributes to the existing literature and provides valuable insights for policymakers, organisations, and cybersecurity professionals. The findings suggest that to mitigate risks, organisations should prioritise cybersecurity and invest in comprehensive cybersecurity solutions. Employee training is essential for enhancing cybersecurity awareness and preventing cyberattacks. Regulatory compliance is crucial for ensuring data privacy and security standards are met. Investments in digital infrastructure and cybersecurity education and training are also recommended to equip future professionals with the necessary skills to address emerging cyber threats. Future research should consider expanding data sources and conducting long-term analyses to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the cybersecurity challenges during and beyond the pandemic. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/41513 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | English eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:33:23.204Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Department of Information Systems |
| publisherStr | Department of Information Systems |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/41513 Analysis of COVID-19 Effects on Cybersecurity in South African-Based Organizations Daya, Mahima Kyobe, Michael COVID-19 Cybersecurity cybersecurity awareness training remote work South African organisations vulnerabilities The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted cybersecurity practices in South African organisations across various sectors, including financial services, healthcare, retail, and technology, with vulnerabilities arising from remote work, digital infrastructure, and financial strain. This study applied Engström's Activity Theory Framework to explore the effects of the pandemic on cyber-threats, vulnerabilities, and organisational responses. The findings reveal that remote workers faced significant vulnerabilities during the pandemic, making them susceptible to phishing and social engineering attacks. The study highlights the importance of cybersecurity awareness training and education for employees in South African organisations. The economic instability of South Africa during the pandemic led to an increased appeal of cyber-threats, underscoring the need for enhanced cybersecurity strategies. The study's findings provide practical recommendations for enhancing cybersecurity strategies, including the adoption of secure remote work solutions and the development of incident response plans. The results underscore the importance of cybersecurity awareness training and education for employees. The study's methodology involved conducting 30 semi-structured interviews with South African organisations from the financial, healthcare, retail, and technology sectors, employing thematic analysis to delve into the realm of cybersecurity management practices during the pandemic. Despite its limitations, including a limited data sample and potential lack of generalisability to all South African organisations, this study contributes to the existing literature and provides valuable insights for policymakers, organisations, and cybersecurity professionals. The findings suggest that to mitigate risks, organisations should prioritise cybersecurity and invest in comprehensive cybersecurity solutions. Employee training is essential for enhancing cybersecurity awareness and preventing cyberattacks. Regulatory compliance is crucial for ensuring data privacy and security standards are met. Investments in digital infrastructure and cybersecurity education and training are also recommended to equip future professionals with the necessary skills to address emerging cyber threats. Future research should consider expanding data sources and conducting long-term analyses to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the cybersecurity challenges during and beyond the pandemic. 2025-07-03T10:08:09Z 2025-07-03T10:08:09Z 2025 2025-07-03T10:01:14Z Thesis / Dissertation Masters MCom http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41513 en eng application/pdf Department of Information Systems Faculty of Commerce University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | COVID-19 Cybersecurity cybersecurity awareness training remote work South African organisations vulnerabilities Daya, Mahima Analysis of COVID-19 Effects on Cybersecurity in South African-Based Organizations |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | Analysis of COVID-19 Effects on Cybersecurity in South African-Based Organizations |
| title_full | Analysis of COVID-19 Effects on Cybersecurity in South African-Based Organizations |
| title_fullStr | Analysis of COVID-19 Effects on Cybersecurity in South African-Based Organizations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Analysis of COVID-19 Effects on Cybersecurity in South African-Based Organizations |
| title_short | Analysis of COVID-19 Effects on Cybersecurity in South African-Based Organizations |
| title_sort | analysis of covid 19 effects on cybersecurity in south african based organizations |
| topic | COVID-19 Cybersecurity cybersecurity awareness training remote work South African organisations vulnerabilities |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41513 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT dayamahima analysisofcovid19effectsoncybersecurityinsouthafricanbasedorganizations |