"Approximately 5% of South African businesses are cyber-prepared as artificial intelligence boosts the threat environment, according to Cisco"
South African businesses are rapidly adopting AI for threat detection and response, with 92% of local organisations using AI for threat understanding and 89% for detection, according to the Cisco 2025 Cybersecurity Readiness Index. However, the report highlights some critical challenges in fully embracing AI-powered cybersecurity.
One of the main challenges is the trust and comfort gap in adopting full automation. Despite the widespread use of AI, organisations primarily rely on partial automation due to concerns around trust in fully automated systems. This challenge is compounded by the complexity of detecting anomalies and responding to a broad range of cyberattack vectors, which requires behaviour and process changes across systems.
A framework approach combining automation and managed services is necessary to improve intrusion and attack detection effectively. The report suggests using AI to analyse vast data from devices and processes to detect unusual behaviour and suspicious traffic, enabling timely responses. Additionally, increasing automation in security systems and protocols is crucial to manage cyber threats effectively, while balancing trust and usability to move from partial to full automation.
Employing managed security services and behavioural changes alongside AI technology is also recommended to build stronger defence layers against attackers. The report also emphasises the importance of leveraging integrated security platforms, such as Cisco Security Cloud Control, which provide centralised AI-driven insights, policy automation, and unified security management across on-premises and cloud environments to simplify operations and enhance proactive threat prevention.
South Africa faces a high volume of threat events, with around 230 million expected in 2024 alone, averaging 577 malware attacks per hour. This critical need for layered defences is further highlighted by the fact that only 5% of organisations in South Africa are fully prepared to defend against modern attacks.
Another challenge is the shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals, with 78% of respondents identifying this as a major issue. Gaps in awareness, oversight of GenAI use, and underinvestment in cybersecurity are leaving businesses in South Africa dangerously exposed.
Accelerating AI threats are leaving most South African businesses vulnerable to attacks. In fact, 87% of local organisations experienced AI-related security incidents in the past year, and 80% of organisations use AI for response and recovery. However, 40% of IT teams are unaware of employee interactions with GenAI.
Fady Younes, Managing Director of Cybersecurity for Cisco Middle East & Africa, stated that the speed at which AI is being weaponized by threat actors is outpacing traditional security approaches. He emphasises that anything less than integrated, AI-native strategies is no longer sustainable.
In conclusion, the critical challenges for AI-powered cybersecurity in South Africa revolve around trust in full AI automation and complex multidimensional threat vectors. Solutions focus on partial automation, AI-based behavioural analytics, managed security services, and centralised intelligent security platforms designed to scale and simplify operations for South African organisations.
- South African businesses are employing AI for threat detection and response, with 92% using it for threat understanding and 89% for detection, as cited in the Cisco 2025 Cybersecurity Readiness Index.
- One of the critical challenges in fully embracing AI-powered cybersecurity is the trust and comfort gap in adopting full automation, which has led organizations to primarily rely on partial automation due to concerns around trust in fully automated systems.
- The report suggests a framework approach combining automation and managed services to improve intrusion and attack detection, recommending the use of AI to analyze vast data from devices and processes to detect unusual behavior and suspicious traffic.
- South Africa faces a high volume of threat events, with around 230 million expected in 2024, making it crucial for businesses to employ layered defenses, managed security services, and behavioral changes alongside AI technology.
- Fady Younes, Managing Director of Cybersecurity for Cisco Middle East & Africa, stressed that the speed at which AI is being weaponized by threat actors is outpacing traditional security approaches, advocating for integrated, AI-native strategies to adequately address these challenges.
