Exploring the Human Dimension in the Beneficiary Institutions of the SANReN Network

One of the factors that play a major role in information security is people. People are the drivers of most processes and procedures in information security. However, many researchers agree that human aspects are not given enough attention; more focus is given to the technical security. This is especially true in the security of the underlying network infrastructure which is often seen as a technical issue and not a human issue. It is senseless to have good solid technical security without considering humans because most security breaches are caused by human mistakes. Regardless of all the technical and physical controls implemented for network security, which underpins information security, there will always be human vulnerabilities to the security of the network. Therefore, attention should be given to the human factors as it is widely acknowledged as the biggest vulnerability in network security, which impacts on information security. In South Africa there is an important network infrastructure known as the South African National Research Network (SANReN) which provides vitally important Internet access to research and educational facilities throughout South Africa. The SANReN network has the potential to provide many opportunities and benefits to the people of South Africa. It is therefore extremely important that the SANReN network is highly secured at all times in order to ensure continued availability of the network. This paper will focus on human factors that could affect the security of the SANReN beneficiary networks. Policies governing the use of the SANReN network will be investigated in order to establish whether human factors, which could pose security risks to the SANReN network, have been addressed in the policies.