Startup Story

Adv. Lufuno T Khorommbi is a Cyber Law Specialist, a former public servant, and an award-winning thought leader who founded Orizur Consulting Enterprise in South Africa. She is a highly skilled knowledge worker with nearly two decades of experience working in a multi-disciplinary Cyber Law space. In her current role as a Cybersecurity Governance Specialist, she has pioneered unique solutions that creatively bring together cyber security governance, ICT procurement, and contract management. These regulatory compatible solutions give clients the ability to reduce cybersecurity and financial risks, whilst achieving cybersecurity regulatory compliance.

LoA chatted to Lufuno this month to learn more about the challenges of cyber security for women entrepreneurs and their businesses.

“It is my vision to influence the implementation of digital era policies; whilst promoting a cyber secure culture.”

What does your company do?

Orizur is an online consultancy that provides cyber law services with specialization in cyber security and contract management. Orizur creatively assists clients to achieve a compliant cyber-secure environment, whilst reducing financial risks through our unique products: the Seven-Phase Contract Management Framework and the Quad Governance Lifecycle Technique. Thus, easing clients' cyber compliance requirements by creating the simplicity of cyber law; which results in an efficient, a cost-effective, and a transformed cyber compliant environment.

Our all-encompassing unique Cyber Law solutions bring together contract management, ICT procurement, and cyber security. The Seven-phase Contract Management Framework and the Quad Governance Lifecyle Technique, provide our clients with the ability to:

assess their environment and checklist compliance.
reduce financial risks; whilst increasing cost-effectiveness.
comprehend effective contract management; whilst achieving cyber security compliance.
reduce efforts and costs of procurement; and mitigate for cyber security risks.
reduce anxiety from cyber threats and cybersecurity risks.

What inspired you to start your company?

During my tenure as a public servant, I realized that there is a scarcity of cyberlaw skills in this fundamental field of ICT. I then aspired to be a top leader and an authority in the cyberlaw space to provide thought leadership to international organisations such as the African Union. Noting that the African Union Agenda 2063 aspires that African women and youth will play an important role as drivers of change, I was even more motivated to work towards pursuing my aspirations. The digital era and technological innovations have increased the legal compliance requirements for personal data protection. In response to the market gap, I saw this as an opportunity to start my Consultancy.

Why should anyone use your service or product?

Our cyberlaw solutions are:

Compatible: Informed by existing legal prescripts, easing clients’ compliance
Unique: Innovatively assist clients to achieve a compliant cyber secure environment
First to Market: Bring together contract management, procurement, and cyber security
Authentic: Provide clients with a compliant, all-encompassing Cyber Law solution.

“Orizur creatively assists clients to achieve a compliant cyber-secure environment, whilst reducing financial risks.”

Tell us a little about your team

Adv. Lufuno T Khorommbi is a Cyber Law Specialist, a former public servant, and an award-winning thought leader who founded Orizur Consulting Enterprise. She is a highly skilled knowledge worker with nearly two decades of experience working in a multi-disciplinary Cyber Law space, delivering thought leadership in IT related matters including cyber law, cybersecurity governance, ICT procurement, contract management and policy development. In her current role as the Cybersecurity Governance Specialist, she has pioneered unique solutions that creatively bring together cyber security governance, ICT procurement, and contract management. These regulatory compatible solutions give clients the ability to reduce cybersecurity and financial risks, whilst achieving cybersecurity regulatory compliance. She holds a Master of Laws Degree with specialization in Information Technology Law.

Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?

The journey has not been easy; however, it has been a fulfilling one. Though there are not many women leading in the sector, I have enjoyed support from industry leaders, both individuals and establishments, such as Cyber in Africa and Lionesses of Africa. However, as much as the journey has been fulfilling, there have been factors that have made the journey strenuous. Some of the main factors include:

The fact that cybersecurity as a sector is still developing, policy certainty, and lack of support of local content; all of which creates an uneven landscape for entrepreneurs to compete fairly.
Scarcity of skilled women in cybersecurity. It is undeniable that there is a scarcity of skilled women in the ICT industry in general, and cybersecurity sector is not an exception. The status quo means that there are fewer women mentors in the cybersecurity space. Without role modelling, the journey becomes more of self-discovery.
Lack of cyber security culture. Though cyber-attacks are on the rise, it is very demoralizing that cyber security remains an afterthought for many organisations.

In terms of my background, growing up in a village, my parents were entrepreneurs who sold different merchandise to the villagers for our upkeep and school fees. My late grandmother, who was also my best friend, brewed traditional beer in addition to different merchandise she sold to the villagers. Sometimes I would assist my mom, particularly with her salon business; find customers for my dad’s umbrella business; and help my late grandmother with the brewing of the beer and selling to customers.

I admired their outlook towards life because they didn’t wait to be employed and created employment for themselves and sometimes for others. Their resilience as informal traders motivated me to aspire to run my own professional and successful business someday.

Post-university, I was recruited into an internship programme to train as a specialist in the ICT regulatory environment. In the over 15 years that I was a public servant who worked in various portfolios; from navigating the regulatory environment to supply chain and procurement to contract management; I determined that a cyberlaw consultancy would be the way to go. My professional background is in cyberlaw, public sector ICT regulations, particularly when it relates to personal data protection, ICT governance, cybersecurity governance, ICT procurement, and contract management.

“The digital era and technological innovations have increased the legal compliance requirements for personal data protection. In response to the market gap, I saw this as an opportunity to start my Consultancy.”

What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?

It is my vision to influence the implementation of digital era policies; whilst promoting a cyber secure culture. I want to grow my cyberlaw consultancy to reach a stage where it is considered a trusted authority and service provider in the area of cyberlaw in the region of Africa and to become the specialist advisor in cybersecurity governance for the African Union Commission.

What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?

Being a recognised solution provider in the area of cyberlaw and the fact that I am making a difference in the cybersecurity space makes every effort worth it.

What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?

It is important to know the WHY you are starting the business, because that reason will keep you afloat during turbulent times, like the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Thus, the WHY must be bigger than yourself. If the purpose is just to put food on the table, maybe getting employment would be a good option, because entrepreneurship is a taxing journey.

Contect or follow Orizur Consulting Enterprise

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | EMAIL lufuno@orizur.co.za

Why LoA loves it….

Increasingly, women entrepreneurs are understanding the importance of maintaining their brand presence in the wider marketplace, whist at the same time, being conscious of doing business online in a compliance cyber secure way. But ensuring that compliance requires specialist assistance and advice, and that’s where Lufuno T Khorommbi and her company come to the rescue. Lufuno has both in-depth knowledge and understanding of what is important to business owners, and can provide both high level strategic advice, and operational management advice around online security issues. Lufuno’s regular blog articles for Lionesses of Africa also provide a great insight into this complex subject area. — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo, Lionesses of Africa