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INVESTIGATIONS FARM WATCH ESCORTING SECURITY CONSULTING
*SUCCESS REPORT:* *Conviction* • Theft of infrastructure (Transnet Railway line) • Possession of stolen property (belonging to Transnet) *OPERATIONAL TEAMS* • Magma Security & Investigations • Camperdown SAPS • DPCI Pietermaritzburg • DPP Durban (Adv Zondi) On 2022/01/12 at ±04:30 information was received by the Magma investigators of 3 vehicles that were travelling from Richmond area to Durban via Umlaas Road. Information indicated that these vehicles were carrying suspected stolen property (railway tracks). Magma Security members immediately responded and spotted the 3 vehicles approaching the Umlaas Road intersection. The members managed to stop 2 vehicles. There were 2 occupants in each vehicle. In both vehicles members spotted cut up railway tracks, ±2m lengths each. The suspects were immediately detained. The third vehicle which disappeared on the N3 towards Durban was intercepted a few minutes later by Magma Security members. This vehicle was also loaded with cut up pieces of railway tracks,gas bottles and a cutting torch. There were 3 suspects arrested in this vehicle. Members immediately phoned Camperdown SAPS, PMB DPCI and Transnet investigators. All 7 suspects and 3 vehicles were handed over to SAPS. The members further assisted SAPS to escort the suspects to Camperdown SAPS where they were detained. Members submitted their statements and handed over to the Investigating Officer. *RECOVERIES:* • NUR 33189 Ford bakkie • NJ 98533 Toyota bakkie • JV 21JG GP Mahindra bakkie • 8 cellphones • 4 gas bottles and a blowtorch VALUE OF REPLACEMENT RAILWAY TRACKS: ±R1million *CONVICTION* All 7 accused were convicted on both counts. Magma Security investigation officers testified in court after the DPP requested the officers submit a photo album which they obtained during the arrest of the accused. The photographs were handed in as and exhibit to assist the court in having a look at the stolen property. On 2022/06/13 all seven accused were found guilty and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment of which 3 years were suspended for 5 years. Theveguckes seized during the arrest will now be dealt with by the Asset Forfeiture Unit, SAPS
OFFICE: 031 785 1166/7/8 • Cell: 082 946 3888 sales@magmasecurity.co.za https://magmasecurity.co.za/
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Inside
this issue
Tel: 087 943 2418 Cell: 078 685 3894 Designed by Design Space designspace1983@gmail.com
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Artificial Intelligence
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How to keep safe during load shedding
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Gender based violence
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One year since the riots
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WHAT AI CAN (AND CAN’T) DO FOR ORGANISATIONS’ CYBER RESILIENCE BY BRIAN PINNOCK, CYBERSECURITY EXPERT AT MIMECAST
Technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, the Internet of Things and quantum computing are expected to unlock unprecedented levels of computing power.
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hese so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies will power the future economy and bring new levels of efficiency and automation to businesses and consumers. AI in particular holds enormous promise for organisations battling a scourge of cyberattacks. Over the past few years cyberattacks have been growing in volume and sophistication. The latest data from Mimecast’s State of Email Security 2022 report found that 94% of South African organisations were targeted by emailborne phishing attacks in the past year, and six out of every ten fell victim to a ransomware attack. COMPANIES SEEING POTENTIAL OF AI To protect against such attacks, companies are increasingly looking to unlock the benefits of new technologies. The market for AI tools for cybersecurity alone is expected to grow by $19-billion between 2021 and 2025. Locally, adoption of AI as a cyber resilience tool is also growing. Nearly a third (32%) of South African respondents in Mimecast’s latest State of Email Security 2022 report were already using AI or machine learning - or both - in their cyber resilience strategies. Only 9% said they have no plans at the moment to use AI. But is AI a silver bullet for cybersecurity professionals looking for support with protecting their organisations? WHERE AI SHINES - AND WHERE IT DOESN’T AI should be an essential component of any organisation’s cybersecurity strategy. But it’s not an answer to every cybersecurity challenge - at least not yet. The same efficiency and automation gains that organisations can get from AI are available to threat actors too. AI is a double-edged sword that can aid organisations and the criminals attempting to breach their defences. Used well, however, AI is a game-changer for cybersecurity. With the correct support from security teams, AI tools can be trained to help identify sophisticated phishing and social engineering attacks, and defend against the emerging threat of deepfake technology. In recent times, AI has made significant advances in analysing video and audio to identify irregularities more quickly than humans are able to. For example, AI could help combat the rise in deepfake threats by quickly comparing a video or audio message against existing known original footage Page 6
to detect whether the message was generated by combining and manipulating a number of splicedtogether clips. AI may be susceptible to subversion by attackers, a drawback of the technology that security professionals need to remain vigilant to. Since AI systems are designed to automatically ‘learn’ and adapt to changes in an organisation’s threat landscape, attackers may employ novel tactics to manipulate the algorithm, which can undermine its ability to help protect against attack. SHIELDING USERS FROM TRACKING BY THREAT ACTORS A standout use of AI is its ability to shield users against location and activity tracking. Trackers are usually adopted by marketers to refine how they target their customers. But unfortunately threat actors also use them for nefarious purposes. They employ trackers that are embedded in emails or other software and reveal the user’s IP address, location, and engagement levels with email content, as well as the device’s operating system and the version of the browser they are using. By combining this data with user data gained from data breaches - for example a data breach at a credit union or government department where personal information about the user was leaked - threat actors can develop hugely convincing attacks that could trick even the most cyber aware users. Tools such as Mimecast’s newly released CyberGraph can protect users by limiting threat actors’ intelligence gathering. The tool replaces trackers with proxies that shield a user’s location and engagement levels. This keeps attackers from understanding whether they are targeting the correct user, and limits their ability to gather essential information that is later used in complex social engineering attacks. For example, a criminal may want to break through the cyber defences of a financial institution. They send out an initial random email to an employee with no content, simply to confirm that they’re targeting the correct person and what their location is. The user doesn’t think much of it and deletes the email. However, if that person is traveling for work for example, the cybercriminal would see their destination and could then adapt their attack by mentioning the location to create the impression of authenticity. Similar attacks could target hybrid workers, since many employees these days spend a lot
of time away from the office. If a criminal can glean information from the trackers they deploy, they could develop highly convincing social engineering attacks that could trick employees into unsafe actions. AI tools provide much-needed defence against this form of exploitation. EMPOWERING END-USERS Despite AI’s power and potential, it is still vitally important that every employee within the organisation is trained to identify and avoid potential cyber risks. Nine out of every ten successful breaches involve some form of human error. More than 80% of respondents in the latest State of Email Security 2022 report also believe their company is at risk from inadvertent data leaks by careless or negligent employees. AI solutions can guide users by warning them of email addresses that could potentially be suspicious, based on factors like whether anyone in the organisation has ever engaged with the sender or if the domain is newly created. This helps employees make an informed decision on whether to act on an email. But because it relies on data and is not completely fool proof, regular, effective cyber awareness training is needed to empower employees with knowledge and insight into common attack types, helping them identify potential threats, avoid risky behaviour and report suspicious messages to prevent other end-users from falling victim to similar attacks. However, less than a third of SA companies provide ongoing cyber awareness training, and one in five only provide such training once a year or less often. To ensure AI - and every other cybersecurity tool - delivers on its promise to increase the organisation’s cyber resilience, companies should prioritise regular and ongoing cyber awareness training.
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KING PRICE’S FELIX PLATFORM SCOOPS PRESTIGIOUS SAAMA AWARD King Price Insurance has walked away with the coveted Value Achievement Award at the annual Southern African Asset Management Association (SAAMA) awards for an automated claims management platform that’s changed the way South African community schemes claims are managed. The insurer’s Felix platform, which was created in partnership with asset management specialist Pragma, brings brokers, managing agents, service providers, and trustees and homeowners in community schemes like sectional title developments, estates and retirement villages, together with King Price’s community insurance claims and underwriting department, in one place. Felix is more than capable of managing all claims for the 75,000 assets that King Price community insurance covers. It fast-tracks claims for things like geysers and broken glass, which account for up to 70% of all claims received daily. With Felix, these claims are logged electronically, authorised instantly, and scheduled for immediate repair by an approved service provider– with no human interaction. This means that a plumber or electrician can be with the client within 90 minutes of logging an incident.
As a result, body corporates and managing agents are seeing more effective claims cost control, and shorter claims cycles and incident reporting lag times. Felix allows agents and brokers to request quotes, view their clients’ policies, submit claims and follow the claims progress on a single integrated platform, 24/7, said King Price’s community insurance partner, Ria Furriel. “The Felix platform has resulted in profound changes in how we operate and interact with the value chain. Multiple stakeholders – owners, trustees, brokers, managing agents and suppliers – can all connect to a central system, interact with one another, and create and exchange value. Everybody is on the same page, all the time,” says Furriel. Felix integrates the best practices of the insurance industry with the best practices of asset management, said Pragma MD Dirk Janse van Rensburg. “This gives King Price a more detailed view of the assets insured and creates the opportunity to streamline processes and activities around those assets. The result is better service delivery and increased client satisfaction. Human intervention is minimised when handling claims, allowing a smooth and user-friendly experience for asset owners,
contractors, agents, brokers and King Price support teams,” he said. Furriel says one of the bugbears of sectional title insurance is a lack of updated information and transparency around the insured assets. The use of central management systems like Felix allows for the collection of this data throughout the lifetime of new developments and existing builds, giving King Price the ability to scientifically underwrite risks accordingly to the exposure we carry. “Felix is a critical part of our strategy to offer best-in-class cover to community schemes,” says Furriel. “Over and above the quick and easy claims and repair or replacement process, another massive benefit for clients who log geyser claims via Felix, is that there’s no excess applicable to their claim, and no limit for electric geysers. King Price always says that if we can’t do things differently, then we won’t do them at all. In the case of Felix, we’re not only different, but we’re also raising the bar in the community schemes insurance arena.”
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HOW TO KEEP SAFE DURING LOAD SHEDDING IN SOUTH AFRICA If you have ever had so much work to do and deadlines to meet and then a load shed happened, you can agree that a business can be affected greatly. Even losing customers on top of that. But what can we do in these types of situations? Here we are going to look at some of the things we can do to ensure our business is up and running and we are never under the threat of losing customers during a load shed
BACK-UP OPTIONS DURING A LOAD SHED 1. Back-Up Generators. Diesel generator sets are a popular type of commercial backup power that turns on when the power goes out. This is a good choice for those power outages that occur in areas that can’t afford to be without electricity, such as hospitals, conference centers, and major retail outlets. However, before relying on a diesel backup generator, the device should be checked with the building’s total load to ensure that it can handle the maximum electricity load. If the gensets are unable to handle the entire load of the house, an “emergency” situation should be checked, in which only the vital systems are backed up.When the power goes out, an Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS) will be needed to start the diesel generators. Using backup diesel generators, depending on the load size of the house, is likely to be very costly under Eskom’s current load shedding trajectory. Diesel is significantly more costly per kWh than standard Eskom tariffs, and even more so when compared to solar PV costs per kWh. Before setting up generators there is a need to communicate with your technical or electrical team to discuss maintenance issues, diesel (as you’ll need to know the liters that will be needed for it to be running), you also need to look into how many hours your genset will have to run; those things are some of the things you’ll need to look into. 2. Solar Photovoltaic (PV) System Many commercial buildings in South Africa – hospitals, shopping centers, distribution centers, and so on – have gridconnected solar PV systems that provide power from the sun during the day. These relatively simple systems are connected to the grid, but they do not meet the entire energy demand of the off-taker, but rather supplement it. Unfortunately, gridconnected solar PV systems do not always avoid load shedding in a house. Since solar produce Direct Current (DC) energy, it must be converted to Alternating Current (AC) before it can be used in buildings. A solar inverter is needed for a solar system to generate usable electricity. Solar inverters, on the other hand, are built to shut down during a power outage. Page 10
Grid-tied inverters cannot run in off-grid conditions because they are built to meet international safety requirements that require this feature. As a result, when Eskom goes down, so do most solar systems. However, this does not mean there is no as it does not rule out the possibility of load shedding in large buildings with solar PV systems. It is possible to create one’s own “microgrid” by simulating a fake gridtied scenario to “trick” the solar inverters into staying on. A generator or battery, as well as specialized control equipment, are needed. Two important steps must be taken to retrofit a grid-tied solar system to work during load shedding. To begin, the system must be disconnected from the grid to prevent any power exportation that could jeopardize the safety of maintenance staff. Second, a voltage forming source is needed to provide the solar inverter with a reference voltage and frequency. As a result, the following is needed to prevent a grid-tied solar PV system from going out during a power outage: Hardware that can disconnect the building’s or facility’s key supply from the grid, essentially isolating it from the grid. A diesel generator or battery bank can provide backup power for the entire facility while also providing the solar inverters with the appropriate voltage and frequency reference. To handle the change-over, the dispatching of generators/batteries, and the synchronization of the solar inverters, these two points necessitate diligent engineering and a proper control system. It must also oversee grid resynchronization once the grid is operational again. This is something that can be done and shouldn’t need any human input. Furthermore, the device will need to be properly sized to avoid tripping under different loading scenarios. Owing to the machine needing to turn itself on and switch to off-grid mode after an unforeseen grid failure, there will be a brief downtime with these two mechanisms in place. However, once turned on, the
solar-powered electricity produced can be spread across the structure. It is possible to either disconnect from the grid before an anticipated outage or provide an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) capable of supplying constant, uninterrupted power during an outage to completely prevent an outage. 3. Off-grid power Supply Another option, which is somewhat much more expensive, the choice is to take a commercial building completely off the grid. When solar PV systems are combined with energy storage, excess solar power generated during the day can be stored and distributed later when required. Solar PV is now one of the most affordable sources of electricity, and its distributed nature makes it ideal for use at the point of use. The cost of batteries and the advanced engineering of microgrid systems, on the other hand, must be weighed against the building’s requirements. Perhaps a commercial or retail building owner is willing to pay a higher price for reliable, clean electricity. (Microgrids are also useful for providing power in weak-grid situations, such as in Cedar Mill Mall, where the grid’s 250 kVA is supplemented with an additional 250 kVA.) If your commercial or industrial building’s diesel generators are used about 30% of the time, the business case for a solar PV and battery integrated microgrid would likely look viable. Power outages last about 7 hours a day in a typical stage 4 load shedding situation. Given that the energy load in the building is constant during the day and those diesel generators are used to provide power when the grid goes down, this will account for about 30% of overall electricity usage, making it a worthwhile investigation. There are options for commercial and industrial buildings in South Africa to avoid the harm that load shedding can do, whether it’s installing a backup generator, installing a solar PV system with a backup generator or battery, or going completely off-grid.
GENDER BASED VIOLENCE How does the LAW protect you?
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was asked to do an article on this sensitive issue so that the community can see a simple version of quite a complex Act. It is definitely a very emotional issue as violence from a spouse or loved one is often the cause of the unpleasantness. In my career I attended more than enough of these incidents to know that they are very complicated and the Police are sometimes called upon to resolve an issue that has been brewing and smouldering for years. What then is a domestic relationship? Not easy to define. A domestic relationship doesn’t just mean spouses or courting couples, it could be parents and children, grand-children, even siblings. There is no statute of limitations regarding time limits of the relationship and the cessation of that relationship. Technically, if a person you dated five years ago for two weeks swears at you or threatens you, it falls under the Domestic Violence Act. (See how easy it is to abuse?) The easiest way to explain how the system works is to walk you through it as an exercise. There are going to be some jargon-like numbers thrown around, like SAP508, but each will be explained and referred to as such. Note, to report the incident you can have a vehicle come to your home or work or you can go to the SAPS station in the area in which the incident happened. If the “location” is cyber, like a threatening SMS or email, report the matter to the Station where you live. (Conveying threats via telephone or email opens the suspect up to a host of other charges on top of Domestic Violence.) At the first meeting of the complainant and Police, the official will conduct an interview, in private if necessary, to determine what type of assistance is necessary. The official will note injuries, severity of violence, if necessary make arrangements for medical assistance, shelter, place of safety, counselling (SafetyNet) and if a threat of firearm use is suspected or imminent.
Let’s list the different types of
The following forms will then be completed for EVERY abuse that fall within the complaint of domestic violence, whether a criminal case is desired or not. SAP508 A: A report of Domestic Violence. Domestic Violence Act:
• Physical abuse • Psychological abuse • Intimidation • Economical abuse • Verbal abuse • Sexual abuse • Harassment • Entering a premises without consent • Damage to property Any other controlling or abusive behaviour • Contravening an existing Protection Order • Stalking – in person, by phone, SMS, email or Internet Page 11
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n December 2021 I witnessed a hi-jacking taking place in Pinetown. Instinctively, I reacted by pulling my vehicle in behind the vehicle that had been jacked in order to prevent the hi-jackers from driving off. I thought that the hi-jackers would flee the vehicle but I was wrong.
The rear doors of the hi-jacked BMW opened and I was shot at by both passengers from the back seat of the BMW. I took a round through my passenger door. I immediately returned fire whilst at the same time, manoeuvring my vehicle so as to avoid taking more rounds. We continued to shoot at each other like the Wild West Pinetown has become. The BMW sped off. I gave chase but lost the BMW in traffic. The vehicle was later recovered. The law in SA is clear with regard to shooting. One may only shoot when one’s life or that of another is in imminent danger and when discharging your weapon is the only thing left for you to do. There are a number of complications even when you have engaged in a good (lawful) shoot, the most challenging being that your weapon will be taken into SAPS custody and sent away to be tested for ballistics to see if your weapon has been involved in any other shooting/crime, so consider this before pulling the trigger. Spend time of the range. Keep your weapon clean. Don’t carry old ammo and take care not to shoot innocent people whilst you are defending yourself or another. There is an old saying “Better to have a gun and not need it than need a gun and not have it”. However, I am not sure that the playing fields are equal in SA anymore. Some may see carrying a weapon these days as a liability. Please be careful out there.
Brad Nathanson Investigations www.bradnathanson.co.za Follow us on Facebook for all our latest crime news and updates: https://www.facebook.com/ BradNathansonPI/
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OPINION
The Riots One year on
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t’s really hard to believe that one year ago there was an attempted coup by the Zuma faction of the ANC with the help of criminal element. It’s a day we will always remember where we were and what we were doing when the news broke. Thankfully, mainly due to the effective use of private security companies by both the CPF and SACCW, and many brave residents the coup was averted. Yes the police and eventually the army got involved but by then the damage had been done.
150,000 people lost their jobs in an economy that was already struggling to provide employment for 34% of the population. We have an estimated 65 billion people in South Africa so the unemployed number about 22 billion. To put the unemployment rate in perspective the unemployed in South Africa numbers more that the combined population of Botswana Lesotho Zimbabwe and Swaziland!
Many of the businesses that were damaged and looted sadly have not reopened and there has been an increase in poverty and hardship. There was some good that came out of the riots communities banded together to provide each other with food and where necessary taking people who had lost everything into shelters.
The police started to recover the looted goods but up to day there have been little or no prosecutions certainly not with the instigators of the riot. To date there have been ZERO prosecutions Yes there are promises but no action and the NPA has 3 cases to proceed with. Yes only 3 cases. It’s as if the government does not want to prosecute the instigators for fear of another set of riots or a return to the Zuma faction of the ANC
There were 354 people dead about 50 billion rand in damages never mind the lost income and about
So where do we go from here? There are whispers of another attempted coup but this time the
suprise element has been lost. Businesses have upped their security and there are more armed private security companies on the streets now. The one thing we must not do is take the law into our own hands. We have seen what happened in Phoenix- Beke Cele put together a massive task force to track down the Phoenix residents who had defended themselves and their property. He did this instead of tracking down the instigators of the riot who were in plain site-with the net result of 1 case that the NPA has to prosecute. It is still to go to court. We are supposed to be a rainbow nation walking arm in arm but sadly we are not. Trust in the government has all but vanished but the trust in our community is what is keeping us going and hopefully this will provide solutions and prevent the riots from happening again. MARTYN SMITHERS
Picture Credit: https://specialprojects.news24.com/ Page 14
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