{"id":70023,"date":"2022-05-13T17:34:24","date_gmt":"2022-05-13T15:34:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/?p=70023"},"modified":"2026-01-29T14:21:02","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T12:21:02","slug":"effective-data-security-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/effective-data-security-strategy\/","title":{"rendered":"How to create an effective data security strategy for your business \u2013 starting with 2FA"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--generic\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/category\/technology-innovation\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Technology &amp; Innovation<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tHow to create an effective data security strategy for your business \u2013 starting with 2FA\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \">Published <time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2022-05-13T17:34:24+02:00\">May 13, 2022<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"How to create an effective data security strategy for your business \u2013 starting with 2FA\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/effective-data-security-strategy\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/header>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/author\/marksamuels\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/03\/Mark-Samuels.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" height=\"40\" width=\"40\" fetchpriority=\"high\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Mark Samuels<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are under constant threat from cyberattacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The good news is that businesses can take relatively simple steps that will help stop most threats. And implementing two-factor authentication (2FA) is a great way to get started on an effective data security strategy for your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here&#8217;s what we cover:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#authentication\">What is two-factor authentication?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#cyberattacks\">Why are SMEs more vulnerable to cyberattacks than larger businesses?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#security\">Why does my business need tighter security policies?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#2FA\">What are the costs of not using 2FA?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#defences\">Why should I update my business&#8217;s defences and policies?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"#gate-eeb2123f-283a-4926-85b9-fd6ef55c19fa\">Download your free guide, 7 ways to take control of your business, and take steps now to master your business admin <\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"authentication\">What is two-factor authentication?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two-factor authentication (2FA) is an electronic authentication method&nbsp;that keeps the bad actors out and lets the right users in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When 2FA is applied to a website, service, or application, an individual will only be granted access once they have provided two forms \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.investopedia.com\/terms\/t\/twofactor-authentication-2fa.asp\">or factors<\/a> \u2013 of verification. 2FA provides an additional layer of security for users, businesses, and the potentially sensitive information they hold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, when you add 2FA to your email account, anyone trying to access that account will need two forms of verification.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These fall into three categories:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Something you <strong>know<\/strong>, such as a PIN or password,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Something you <strong>have<\/strong>, such as a mobile phone or secure USB key, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Something you <strong>are<\/strong>, such as your fingerprint or facial recognition.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some SMEs may be concerned that adding required authentication factors will add to the burden on their company and its users. However, as we&#8217;ll see below, 2FA is a minor change that could save your company from major problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"cyberattacks\">Why are SMEs more vulnerable to cyberattacks than larger businesses?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">SMEs are attractive targets because they&#8217;re easier to hack than larger organisations. This is because SMEs face the same threat landscape as larger organisations, but most have fewer resources to detect and respond to threats. What&#8217;s more, large businesses have been aware of the potential of cyber risk for a long time and may even have been the target of a cyberattack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In most cases, enterprise IT leaders match a greater understanding of cyber risk with a corresponding increase in security investment. South African corporations are investing more resources in security because they are acutely aware of the risks posed by cybercriminals exploiting the changing work environment. In fact, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.co.za\/south-african-companies-over-budget-on-cybersecurity-and-worried-about-lost-laptops-2022-5\">research<\/a> found that 41% of South African businesses reported spending more on cybersecurity than the industry average in the wake of COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Smaller firms are now adopting a range of security measures for the first time, partly due to the need to support increased levels of remote working.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.analysysmason.com\/research\/content\/articles\/smb-cyber-security-spending-ren04\/\">SMEs globally will spend $90bn (R1.4 trillion) on cybersecurity in 2025<\/a>, up from $57 billion in 2020, representing a 10% year-on-year increase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"security\">Why does my business need tighter security policies?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">SMEs need to implement a range of IT security controls to ensure their people and data are safe in a hybrid working world, which many businesses believe will become the norm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Understandably, the shift to remote working has made small business owners nervous. Modern businesses rely heavily on a growing number of applications across devices. When employees leave the confines of the enterprise firewall, it can be more challenging to ensure they are working securely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In fact, more than&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/press.avast.com\/the-larger-the-smb-the-stronger-the-headaches-around-security-concerns-due-to-remote-working\">three-quarters (76%) of IT decision-makers in SMEs<\/a>&nbsp;say their security concerns have increased since the start of the pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Simply put, applying 2FA will make your business more secure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"2FA\">What are the costs of not using 2FA?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Microsoft has estimated that&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.zdnet.com\/article\/microsoft-99-9-of-compromised-accounts-did-not-use-multi-factor-authentication\/\">as many as 99.9% of the compromised accounts<\/a> don&#8217;t use two-factor authentication.&nbsp;And just 11% of businesses globally have 2FA enabled to help protect sensitive information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But what is the worst that could happen if a user&#8217;s account is compromised? Is it really important if an outsider accesses someone&#8217;s email or another business service? The simple answer is yes, and the consequences could be disastrous. Services such as corporate email are often the gateway to a much bigger prize, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.verizon.com\/business\/resources\/reports\/dbir\/\">user credentials<\/a>, contract details, and customer information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once an unauthorised individual gains access to one system, they will find it much easier to use the information they obtain to gain access to other systems \u2014 and the costs to your company can be significant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/htxt.co.za\/2022\/03\/94-of-sa-companies-targeted-in-phishing-attacks-over-the-last-year\/\">Mimecast State of Email Security 2022<\/a> report found that 94% of South African companies have been targeted by an email-related phishing attack in the past year, with nearly two-thirds citing an increase in such attacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Building your business&#8217;s reputation takes years of work that can be undone in minutes by a cyberattack. Some estimates suggest&nbsp;that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.timeslive.co.za\/news\/south-africa\/2022-02-08-up-your-game-against-cyber-attacks-insurer-warns-sa-businesses\/\">60% of small companies go out of business<\/a>&nbsp;within six months of falling victim to a data breach or cyberattack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then there are the financial ramifications of an attack. Small businesses that fail to protect their data may face significant and potentially insurmountable costs, ranging from business disruption costs to legal fees and regulatory fines. Even if a company survives, the costs of damage control will be incurred immediately following an incident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Correcting those issues after the event will almost certainly be much more expensive than a preventative solution as simple to implement as 2FA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"#gate-eeb2123f-283a-4926-85b9-fd6ef55c19fa\">Download your free guide, 7 ways to take control of your business, and take steps now to master your business admin <\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"defences\">Why should I update my business defences and policies?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cybersecurity is a constant and evolving area of risk for businesses.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to Cisco, <a href=\"https:\/\/newsroom.cisco.com\/press-release-content?type=webcontent&amp;articleId=2216914\">90% of professionals now consider privacy a business imperative<\/a>, and more than 60% of professionals believe they get significant business value from investing in IT security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">2FA is a straightforward tactic that stops most unauthorised access. When something so simple can have such a significant impact, can you really afford not to put the right processes and policies in place?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Consider applying 2FA as part of a three-step security approach:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><br><h3><strong>Assess your options<\/strong><\/h3><br><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most leading software tools now include built-in options for 2FA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">SMEs that want to create a holistic security solution including 2FA should consider a layered approach that provides policies, capabilities, and dashboards to monitor and assess authentication to services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"2\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><br><h3><strong>Train your employees<\/strong><\/h3><br><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It&#8217;s pointless going to the trouble of implementing 2FA if some people aren&#8217;t using it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Your security is only as strong as the weakest link in the chain, so make sure 2FA is the business-standard. Every employee should be registered, and any login to a system containing sensitive data should require two-factor authentication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"3\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><br><h3><strong>Review your tactics<\/strong><\/h3><br><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Implementing effective cybersecurity is an evolving process. Whatever tactics you employ, the people trying to hack your systems will find new ways to put your data at risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Any IT security policy \u2013 including using 2FA \u2013 must be subject to a regular review to ensure data is protected. Create a plan for incidents and test worst-case scenarios.&nbsp;A business that prepares is one that&#8217;s most likely to deal with, and recover from, a crisis successfully.\n<div class=\"single-cta gated-content\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner on-scroll-highlight__target\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">7 ways to take control of your business <\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Want to know how you can take control of your business? Read this guide for top tips to help you master your business admin.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-eeb2123f-283a-4926-85b9-fd6ef55c19fa\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Download your free guide<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1313439810-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1313439810-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner on-scroll-highlight__target\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Subscribe to the Sage Advice enewsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Get a roundup of our best business advice in your inbox every month.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-84fe79b5-668d-41f8-a0cc-6229018c4ac9\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Subscribe<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1181404518-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1181404518-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<section class=\"more-topics alignfull has-grey-light-background-color wp-block-sage-post-topics\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-4\">\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"more-topics__title h2\">Browse more topics from this article<\/h3>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-8\">\n\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"post-tags__list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/tag\/business-continuity\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBusiness continuity\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/tag\/cloud\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCloud\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/tag\/payment-security\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tpayment security\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<div class=\"alignfull wp-block-sage-related-posts\">\n\t<section class=\"related-posts card-grid has-dark-background-color\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--featured h1\">Explore more wisdom<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-0 post-75952 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters category-trends-insights tag-artificial-intelligence tag-audit tag-bookkeeping tag-business-continuity tag-business-intelligence tag-business-management tag-business-strategy tag-staying-competitive tag-tax tag-trending-topics business_type-small-business business_type-medium-business business_type-accountants card-post--is-clickable\"\n>\n\t<div class=\"card-post__media-wrapper\">\n\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1215\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1314879006-1215x810.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1314879006-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1314879006-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1314879006-1215x810.jpg 1215w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"card-post__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__label\">Recommended<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-03-06T13:07:12+02:00\">March 6, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">15 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__title-link\"\n\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/budget-sme-actions\/\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tSouth Africa Budget 2026: 5 actions all SMEs must take now\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"card-post__description\">\n\t\t\t\tSouth Africa&#8217;s 2026 Budget scraps R20bn in tax hikes and raises the VAT threshold to R2.3m. Here are 5 steps to protect and grow your business profit\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__non-featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--more h4\">More on this Topic<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-1 post-75087 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-technology-innovation category-trends-insights tag-artificial-intelligence tag-cloud-technology tag-employing-people-for-the-first-time tag-news-insights tag-payment-security tag-trending-topics business_type-small-business business_type-medium-business business_type-accountants\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/turn-your-employees-into-cyber-security-champions\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1450789015-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1450789015-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1450789015-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1450789015-1215x810.jpg 1215w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-02-12T17:38:22+02:00\">February 12, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">6 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tTurn your employees into cyber security champions\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-2 post-75157 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-technology-innovation category-trends-insights tag-business-intelligence tag-business-management tag-news-insights tag-payment-security tag-trending-topics business_type-small-business business_type-medium-business business_type-accountants\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/phishing-why-trusting-your-gut-matters\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1035512574-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1035512574-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1035512574-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1035512574-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-02-12T17:35:15+02:00\">February 12, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">7 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tPhishing: Why trusting your gut matters\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-3 post-75158 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-technology-innovation category-trends-insights tag-business-intelligence tag-news-insights tag-payment-security tag-staying-competitive tag-trending-topics business_type-small-business business_type-medium-business business_type-accountants\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/get-savvy-social-engineering\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1450969748-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1450969748-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1450969748-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1450969748-1215x810.jpg 1215w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-01-21T12:50:23+02:00\">January 21, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">6 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tWhy you should get savvy about social engineering\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-4 post-73643 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-technology-innovation category-trends-insights tag-artificial-intelligence tag-business-intelligence tag-cloud-technology tag-payment-security tag-staying-competitive business_type-small-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/ai-in-cybersecurity\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1408517180-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1408517180-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1408517180-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1408517180-1215x810.jpg 1215w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2025-05-30T17:00:49+02:00\">May 30, 2025<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">5 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tAI in cybersecurity: How businesses can navigate cyber challenges\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Businesses face a growing cyber threat but many aren&#8217;t taking steps to protect their data. Here&#8217;s how multi-factor authentication can help.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1351,"featured_media":69811,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_schema_page_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_schema_article_type":"","_sage_video":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"28","post_featured_image_hide":false,"sage_hide_published_date":false,"sage_hide_read_time":false,"sage_hide_share_buttons":false,"_pwl_sage_podcast_buzzsprout_src":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[28,44],"tags":[350,318,200],"business_type":[2],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[],"persona":[15,16],"imagine_tag":[85,86],"coauthors":[453],"class_list":["post-70023","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology-innovation","category-todays-tech","tag-business-continuity","tag-cloud","tag-payment-security","business_type-small-business"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-za","author_name":"Mark Samuels","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-594827587.jpg","imagine_tags":{"85":"Small business","86":"Start up business"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice South Africa","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70023","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/1351"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=70023"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70023\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/69811"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=70023"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=70023"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=70023"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=70023"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=70023"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=70023"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=70023"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=70023"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=70023"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=70023"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}