Investigating the cybersecurity threat landscape for Botswana

Movement restrictions introduced by the coronavirus pandemic have incentivized

the rollout of online services globally. Additionally, more employees were

telecommuting throughout the pandemic and remote work has become the new

normal. This has provided nefarious actors with lucrative opportunities. Hence there

has been an increase in online criminal and terrorism activities. The weaponization

of the cyberspace is also a concerning trend in the ongoing geopolitical tensions.

This is because states see the cyberspace as a tool for engaging in asymmetrical

warfare. In Botswana, government services are being transitioned to online services

through the digital transformation strategy. As a result, the cyber-attack surface

area in Botswana has also increased. Botswana has establishments for mitigating

the impact of cyber-attacks such as the Computer Incidents Response Team

(CIRT) and the Digital Forensic Lab. However, there is a lack of publicly available

empirical datasets on the occurrence of cyber threats in the country. Such a dataset

is important for organizations, and individuals to benefit from the knowledge shared

by the broader community on threats and their mitigations. This study therefore

investigated the cybersecurity threat landscape for Botswana by analysing the

threats, countermeasures and cybercrime legislation. Data triangulation and

exploratory data analytics were the methods used for data collection and analysis

in this study. The data sources were a United Kingdom (UK) cybersecurity incidents

dataset, a questionnaire, online articles, and government documents and

speeches. Findings in Botswana were also compared to South Africa and the UK.

This dissertation concluded that the cyber threats in Botswana are similar to those

identified in developed countries and regional countries. As such strengthening

already existing cooperative measures with cybersecurity stakeholders will help

improve the cybersecurity posture of Botswana. Other cybersecurity measures that

have potential for growth are organizational and technical measures.