South African organisations should take steps to minimise network outages, Kaspersky advises

Network outages remain a major source of disruption for organisations worldwide, significantly impacting productivity, revenue streams, and customer trust.

For South African organisations, potential network outages and subsequent interruptions are compounded by local complexities, such as frequent power outages and undersea cable breaks, heightening the challenge of maintaining organisational resilience.

According to recent research by global cybersecurity company, Kaspersky, 60% of South African geo-distributed organisations experience network problems related to their multi-site structure at least once a month.

Network failures or outages emerged as the leading issue, affecting 58% of local respondents.

Additionally, loss of connectivity (56%), poor performance of services and applications (42%), inadequate connection capacity (38%), and complete or partial network shutdowns (36%) further highlight the scale and complexity of the issue.

Network downtime can have severe implications.

Kaspersky has found that globally, 71% of organisations need between one and five hours to restore operations following an outage, while 12% may require a full workday or longer.

Closer to home, where network reliability can already be compromised by external factors, such disruptions exacerbate financial and reputational damage significantly.

Why the disruption?

Several factors contribute to network outages.

Malware, hardware failure due to ageing equipment, insufficient maintenance practices, or unexpected power surges are among the most frequent causes.

In South Africa, the return of load shedding, albeit sporadically, poses a continuous threat, frequently causing equipment failures or unexpected shutdowns that interrupt business continuity.

Similarly, unanticipated undersea cable breaks – such as those that recently affected the West African Cable System (WACS) – can cause widespread, extended periods of connectivity loss, disrupting operations, particularly for organisations that rely heavily on international connectivity.

Software glitches also play a notable role.

Bugs within systems and inadequate patch and update management processes frequently result in unexpected downtime.

Furthermore, human error, ranging from simple misconfigurations to accidental data deletions, compounds the issue, with these errors accounting for a significant proportion of outages.

Cyber threats, such as Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks and malware infections including widespread ransomware attacks, also remain ever-present risks that can compromise critical network infrastructure.

Taking the initiative

Kaspersky recommends being prepared for possible outages by having a plan in place that details procedures for data backup, cybersecurity set up, and employee education.

Given the country’s vulnerability to power and connectivity issues, preparedness and a comprehensive recovery plan can significantly mitigate risks associated with prolonged downtime.

Implementing robust systems and reliable backups ensures business continuity even during significant outages.

Maintaining updated hardware is equally crucial.

Kaspersky has found that nearly a third of organisations around the world lack a formal replacement schedule for essential networking equipment.

Regular updates and scheduled replacements ensure that equipment remains reliable and secure.

While hardware requires proper set up and support, software needs to also be updated in a timely manner.

Using centralised and automated cybersecurity solutions such as Kaspersky Next XDR Expert help to protect all company assets and processes.

By aggregating and correlating data from multiple sources in one place and using machine learning technologies, this solution provides effective threat detection and fast automated response.

The issue of outages can be especially acute for geo-distributed businesses, where all the branches need to work together without interruptions.

Specialised solutions like Kaspersky SD-WAN, help to build reliable networks, maintain, and connect new branches with a zero-touch experience.

It manages the entire corporate network from a single console, and converges separate communication channels and network functions of companies.

Regular monitoring and continued testing of network infrastructure are fundamental.

Organisations should establish ongoing performance monitoring protocols and conduct regular security assessments.

These proactive measures help identify potential vulnerabilities early, enabling timely interventions before minor issues escalate into major outages.

Remediation

If an incident happens, identifying the cause of an outage is the primary goal.

This includes troubleshooting of both hardware and software components, examining recent system changes, and analysing detailed network logs.

Accurate identification expedites recovery and prevents recurring issues.

Clear and timely communication with all stakeholders, including employees, customers, and suppliers, is another critical step during an outage.

Proactive communication helps manage expectations and mitigate the reputational harm associated with extended network downtime.

Mitigate risk

By adopting these proactive recommendations and strategies, South African organisations can minimise the likelihood and impact of network outages and ensure the continuity of their operations.

Investing in robust infrastructure, regular staff training, comprehensive monitoring, and sophisticated recovery plans will enable organisations to maintain uninterrupted operations, safeguarding both their profitability and reputation in today’s digitally dependent economy.