South Africa to observe Cybersecurity Awareness Month in October

South Africa will observe Cybersecurity Awareness Month in October to promote digital safety and resilience, according to a Cabinet statement published by the Government Communication and Information System.

The Cabinet statement encourages the public to remain vigilant, act responsibly online and strengthen digital literacy. Separately, a government notice published on 7 October says Gauteng’s Department of e-Government, Research and Development and Microsoft planned a cybersecurity summit for 9 October.

Cabinet calls for safer online behaviour

Cabinet said the October observance is intended to raise awareness and promote digital safety and resilience. Its statement urges people to protect themselves, their personal information and their devices from cyber threats by staying alert, behaving responsibly online and building digital literacy.

The Cabinet statement does not specify a particular event date for the national observance. It describes the observance as taking place during October.

Gauteng summit planned for 9 October

A South African Government notice published on 7 October says Gauteng’s Department of e-Government, Research and Development and Microsoft planned a cybersecurity summit for 9 October. The notice lists sessions on threats, incident response, resilience and awareness.

The summit notice gives a concrete example of cybersecurity awareness and incident response being addressed in a Gauteng event. It is separate from the Cabinet’s announcement of the national October observance.