Cybersecurity-as-a-Service for South African Businesses
Why South African SMEs Outsource Cybersecurity to Wired IT
A capable in-house security function needs at least three full-time specialists — a SOC analyst, a vulnerability engineer, and a compliance lead. For most South African SMEs that maths doesn't work. Cybersecurity-as-a-Service gives you the same coverage at a predictable monthly cost, with documented response times and reporting your board can read.
- Predictable cost vs unpredictable breach. A managed retainer is a fraction of the cost of a single ransomware incident, and far less than a 24/7 in-house SOC.
- Coverage outside business hours. Most ransomware attacks land overnight, on long weekends, or during public holidays. We monitor 24/7 so your team doesn't have to.
- POPIA and Cybercrimes Act accountability. Section 19 of POPIA holds you responsible for security safeguards. We document them, test them, and prove them.
- Faster response with shared muscle memory. Our engineers handle incidents across many clients each month. Most internal teams handle one or two per year.
- Independent of your IT supplier. If your MSP is also your security provider, there's no second pair of eyes when something goes wrong. We can sit alongside any incumbent IT provider.
Cybersecurity-as-a-Service can be added to an existing Managed IT engagement or run as a standalone security layer alongside your existing IT provider.
Our Cybersecurity Services Framework
WiredAssure: Managed Cybersecurity Compliance
Ongoing cybersecurity management and compliance oversight, including audits, hardening, and policy implementation.
- Continuous compliance alignment (POPIA, GDPR, ISO 27001)
- Device and user security audits with monthly reporting
- Firewall and endpoint hardening strategies
- Policy and security framework implementation
WiredScan: Vulnerability & Risk Assessment
Find and prioritise vulnerabilities before attackers do.
- Internal/external vulnerability scanning
- Pen testing and remediation guidance
- Executive risk scoring dashboards
- Monthly or quarterly cycles
WiredDetect: Threat Detection & Security Operations
Real-time monitoring and rapid response to contain threats early.
- 24/7 Security Operations monitoring
- MDR with EDR integration (SentinelOne)
- Firewall/log monitoring + incident response support
WiredGuard: Endpoint & Perimeter Protection
Your first line of defence across devices and networks.
- SentinelOne EDR + patch automation per device
- Real-time monitoring via RMM and firewall alerts
- Reduced exposure to ransomware and zero-day threats
Compliance Frameworks We Align To
Our cybersecurity services map directly to the frameworks South African businesses are most often measured against:
- POPIA (Protection of Personal Information Act, Act 4 of 2013) — Section 19 security safeguards, breach notification readiness, Information Officer support.
- Cybercrimes Act 19 of 2020 — incident logging, evidence preservation, reporting workflows.
- ISO 27001:2022 — Annex A controls mapped to our policies, hardening, and monitoring outputs.
- King IV — IT governance reporting that ties cybersecurity controls to board-level oversight.
- PCI DSS v4.0 (for clients processing card data) — scoping, segmentation guidance, and quarterly vulnerability scans.
- GDPR (for clients with EU customers or staff) — cross-border data flow controls and breach reporting alignment.
We don't certify your business against these frameworks — that's the auditor's role. We give you the evidence, controls, and reporting that make the audit short.
Trusted Cybersecurity Stack
Our cybersecurity services are built on enterprise-grade tooling, deployed and tuned to SA business realities:
- SentinelOne — managed EDR for endpoints and servers
- Fortinet — perimeter firewalling and SD-WAN
- ESET — endpoint protection for cost-sensitive environments
- Solarwinds N-Able — RMM and patch automation
- Microsoft Defender for Business — bundled with M365 licences where appropriate
Industries We Protect
Wired IT supports cybersecurity programmes across the verticals most exposed to compliance and ransomware risk in South Africa:
- Financial services and FSPs — POPIA, FAIS, and FSCA-aligned controls; SARB cybersecurity directive readiness for regulated entities.
- Professional services (legal, accounting, advisory) — client data confidentiality, secure email, and matter-record protection.
- Healthcare and medical practices — patient data confidentiality under POPIA and the National Health Act; secure remote access for practitioners.
- Manufacturing and logistics — OT/IT segmentation, ransomware resilience for production environments, and supplier-portal protection.
- Retail and e-commerce — PCI DSS scoping, customer data protection, and storefront fraud monitoring.
- NPOs and education — donor and learner data protection on lean budgets, with right-sized controls.
Cloud security is included; for cloud-first organisations we coordinate this with our Cloud Solutions and Consulting practice.
If your sector isn't listed, ask. The controls are the same — what changes is the regulatory framing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "Cybersecurity-as-a-Service" mean in practice?
Cybersecurity-as-a-Service (CSaaS) is a managed service in which your security operations — monitoring, detection, response, and compliance reporting — are delivered on a recurring basis by an external specialist team.
Instead of hiring a SOC analyst, a vulnerability engineer, and a compliance lead, you subscribe to the capability. For most South African SMEs this is the only economically viable way to maintain 24/7 cyber coverage.
Are Wired IT's cybersecurity services aligned to POPIA?
Yes. Every cybersecurity service we provide is mapped to Section 19 of POPIA (the security safeguards section). We help you document the controls, test them, and produce the evidence an Information Regulator inquiry or breach notification would require.
We also support your Information Officer with monthly reporting that's structured for board and audit-committee visibility.
What is the difference between an audit, a vulnerability scan, and penetration testing?
An audit measures your controls against a framework like POPIA or ISO 27001 — it answers "are you doing the right things".
A vulnerability scan is an automated check for known weaknesses across your devices and network — it answers "where are the gaps right now".
A penetration test is a guided simulation in which a skilled attacker tries to exploit those gaps — it answers "what would happen if someone actually tried".
Wired IT delivers all three through the WiredAssure, WiredScan, and WiredDetect components of CSaaS.
How do you respond to a ransomware incident?
Our incident response is built around containment first, then eradication, then recovery. The SentinelOne EDR layer isolates the affected endpoints within minutes, our SOC team confirms the scope, and we co-ordinate with your IT lead on safe recovery from validated backups.
We document the incident in a format suitable for the Information Regulator (under POPIA breach notification rules) and the South African Police Service (under the Cybercrimes Act).
For organisations needing structured ransomware-resilience and a full continuity plan, our Business Continuity Service layers on top of CSaaS.
Can you work alongside our existing IT provider?
Yes — and we often do. Cybersecurity is most effective when there's separation between the team running your IT and the team watching it for compromise.
We're happy to sit alongside any incumbent MSP, in-house IT manager, or co-managed arrangement. The contract and scope are with you, not your IT provider.