Businesses must take a proactive stance and invest in smarter tools and external support like managed detection and response, says Pieter Nel, sales director – SADC at Sophos.
Ransomware continues to dominate headlines – and for good reason. The cost of these attacks is growing, both in terms of financial loss and operational disruption. In South Africa, organisations are feeling the full force of this threat, with new data from Sophos ’report showing an alarming increase in ransom payments, lower reliance on backups and a worrying trend towards post-incident panic rather than proactive defence.
In just one year, the median ransom demand in South Africa jumped from R2.8 million to R17.5 million . Even more concerning is that, compared to only 43% the year before. Yet, fewer companies are prepared to recover independently – justto recover encrypted data, down from 72% in 2024. This represents a fundamental shift in how companies are handling ransomware incidents, and not in a good way.
The solution doesn’t lie in simply hiring more people. Instead, businesses must invest in smarter tools and external support like managed detection and response . This model gives organisations access to 24/7 monitoring and rapid response capabilities without needing to scale internal teams beyond what’s realistic.
Additionally, prevention must be front and centre. Cyber security frameworks need to include better access controls, strong credential management, regular vulnerability patching and well-tested backup strategies. Organisations also need to revisit incident response plans frequently – not after an attack, but before.
Ransomware isn’t going away. But by transitioning from a reactive to a proactive posture, South African organisations can mitigate the damage, reduce the likelihood of paying a ransom and recover faster and smarter.
Ransomware Pieter Nel Managed Detection And Response MDR State Of Ransomware In South Africa 2025
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