Here’s a rewritten version with a more provocative tone:
“South Africa is on the brink of cyber chaos as the perfect storm of economic uncertainty and rising costs of living creates the perfect conditions for cyber thugs to exploit the vulnerable.
As cash-strapped citizens struggle to stay afloat, they’re forced to wade through a sea of social engineering and phishing scams. And Armand Kruger, head of cyber security at NEC XON, is sounding the alarm: “The traditional approach to cyber security is dead. We need a radical shift in mindset to anticipate and prevent attacks, not just respond to them after they’ve caused damage.”
Kruger is calling for a “depth charge” approach to cyber security, where the goal is to eliminate the opportunity for threats to even occur. “If a hacker doesn’t have a chance to hack, they can’t do any damage. It’s like removing oxygen from a fire – the flames may still be there, but the risk is contained and the damage is minimal.”
He’s aware that this new approach may be tough for the South African market to grasp, but he’s pushing for it because the stakes are too high to settle for anything less. “We’re at war. We need to be proactive, not just reactive. We need to take the battle to the bad guys and show them that we won’t be taken for a ride.”