Why every employee laptop could be placing your company at risk

You receive an email from the company’s IT department about a software upgrade that’s being implemented throughout the organisation. Every employee, the email reads, must install this new software within 24 hours. Those who fail to comply risk losing all the saved information on their computer and the company’s cloud server.

Despite the fact that you don’t recognise the name of this particular IT person, the email address contains the company name and has a branded signature. Without thinking twice, you click on the email link, fill in your login details as prompted, download the file, and continue with your  workday.

The cost of cybercrime

Phishing attacks is a common cybercrime tactic that most people are familiar. These spam-like emails used to contain numerous grammar and spelling errors, arrived from very suspicious email addresses, and promised exuberant amounts of money from competitions one never entered or inheritances from unknown family members.

Unfortunately, cybercrime attacks today aren’t nearly as easy to detect as a few years ago. Advancements in technology, such as AI and automation, the increased reliance on the internet, a lack of cybercrime infrastructure, and the evolving cybercrime landscape have resulted in more sophisticated, severe, and untraceable attacks. Globally, data breaches cost businesses an average of $4.88 million in 2024. This year, experts predict that cybercrime will cost organisations a total of $9.5 trillion.

South African organisations face the same digital threat. In a recent Accenture study on cybercrime, South Africa was identified as “as the sixth most targeted nation worldwide for cyberattacks, inflicting an estimated annual cost of R2.2bn on the economy.” Research also identified that South Africa now ranks number one in Africa for ransomware and infostealer attacks (Source: ESET bi-annual Threat Report).

Despite such a hefty price tag and the consistent rise in cybersecurity incidents, 70% of South African organisations lack even basic cybersecurity awareness.

The ever-present online threat

One of the problems is that cybercrime takes on various forms and formats. This results in numerous potential entry points that leave companies vulnerable for a cyberattack. Often, cybercriminals will take advantage of weak cybersecurity protocols or lack of employee awareness to gain access to the company’s digital infrastructure. These cybersecurity risks range from insider threats, malware, phishing, denial-of-service attacks, ransomware, SQL injections, and domain hijacking.

With such a long list of potential cybercrime attacks, IT departments may overlook one important vulnerability that lurks on every employee’s desk: their laptop or desktop. As a cybersecurity risk, older and more outdated computers are especially vulnerable.

Older computer models lack in more ways than one when compared to their newer counterparts. Apart from access to the latest technology, faster processors, better manufacturer support, and improved functionality, new hardware also provides improved cybersecurity.

By adding physical barriers, such as hardware-based encryption, built-in security controllers, and secure boot processors, companies can use a two-pronged cybersecurity approach when it comes to a computer’s hardware and software. The reason why many companies only focus on the software aspect is because it becomes very expensive to constantly replace and upgrade IT hardware to the latest technology.

Unless your company understands that purchasing IT software is a thing of the past.

A more secure future
RentWorks Africa has been providing tailored IT asset rental finance solutions to South African companies for over 20 years. Due to increasing demand, companies based in Namibia have also started switching to rental asset solutions for its flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and access to the latest technology.

Businesses not only benefit from the improved cybersecurity due to better hardware models and more advanced technology, but can finally stop investing money into depreciating IT assets and start investing that cash into future growth.

Speak to a RentWorks specialist today a future-focused IT asset rental finance solution. Simply visit the RentWorks website for more information or give us a call on +27 11 549 9000 (South Africa) or +264 61 229 226 (Namibia).