Fortinet

In 2023, Red Ribbon Communications partnered with Fortinet, a global cybersecurity leader, to bring its annual Cloud Security Report closer to home. While the global report, based on research by Cybersecurity Insiders, surveys over 750 international cybersecurity professionals, it lacked specific insights into South African enterprises.

Recognising this gap, we proposed recreating the global survey on a local level. Our strategy involved replicating the exact survey questions, targeting 500 Chief Technology Officers across various South African companies.

Our approach focused on highlighting both similarities and discrepancies between the South African and global results.

For instance, we found that cloud security concerns were universally high, and while the misconfiguration of cloud platforms was the top threat globally, it ranked fourth in South Africa.

The initiative proved to be a resounding success with local media, achieving high-level mainstream publicity in leading publications such as Business Tech. It also garnered significant coverage in tech-focused media, both online and in print, including IT Online and Hi-Tech Security Solutions.

Our strategic approach demonstrated that relevant local data holds more value for South African media than international findings. The longevity of the campaign was evident as journalists continued to reference our findings months after the initial release.