Cyber-attacks, IT failures, natural disasters, pandemics or the loss of skilled staff are only some of the business disruptions that can have an impact on organisations of any size and in any location.

ISO 17025 is recognised as the standard for Testing and Calibration laboratories. ISO 17025 enables laboratories to demonstrate competence and the generation of valid results. This standard is beneficial to any organisation that performs testing, sampling, or calibration and requires consistent results. This includes all types of laboratories, regardless of whether they are owned and operated by the government, industry, or any other organisation.

Last month saw Transnet was hit by a cyber-attack halting normal processes, damaging equipment, and resulting in a force majeure at the ports’ container terminals in Cape Town, Durban, Ngqura and Gqeberha. The South African rail, port and pipeline company have commented that it was a “cyberattack, security intrusion and sabotage”.

Due to a rising number of incidents where personal information is stolen or taken from a system without authorisation most organisations are thoroughly establishing and implementing new strategies to prevent and protect data from exposure or possible leakage. 

The destructive riots in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng have highlighted the importance of putting measures in place to ensure business operations can be maintained as far as possible.

The POPI Act is significant because it safeguards data subjects against harm such as theft and discrimination. Non-compliance risks include reputational harm, fines and imprisonment, and the payment of damages claims to data subjects. Businesses are required by the POPI Act to regulate how information is organised, stored, secured, and discarded.

The digital age is characterised by the creation, storage, managing, and sharing of electronic information about everything and...

Each day thousands of lives are lost due to work-related accidents and critical diseases. ISO 45001:2018 is the world’s first international standard for occupational health and safety issues to protect employees and visitors from work-related accidents and diseases.