By Odwa Mkentane
The Gauteng Provincial Government is urging residents to download and use its e-Panic Button as part of efforts to improve public safety and emergency response. The digital platform is designed to connect residents to emergency assistance quickly during crises, with the government stressing that cybersecurity remains a key priority.
The Department recently identified an attempted security breach involving the e-Panic Button environment. The matter was swiftly identified and addressed, and the Department has established that no citizens’ personal information was compromised as a result of the incident.
MEC for e-Government, Research and Development, Bonginkosi Dhlamini, said the Department’s technical teams acted decisively to address the identified vulnerabilities and strengthen the platform’s security controls.
“The security of our systems and the protection of residents’ personal information are non-negotiable. The vulnerability was identified, and our technical team implemented corrective measures promptly. This is not an ordinary incident that can simply be replicated by an average IT practitioner. We have gone further by requesting additional testing and verification to ensure that all identified security requirements have been addressed and that our systems remain resilient. Cybersecurity is not a once-off exercise. It requires continuous testing, monitoring, strengthening and improvement,” said Dhlamini.
Photo: Pixabay
