Sylvia Beamish, Cyber4Dev Communications Expert
The developing world is working hard to provide universally accessible broadband. That’s why we need cyber security awareness campaigns
In 2000, 99% of Africans were still offline. Today the continent has 400 million internet users, more than anywhere in the world but China. Africa is working hard to provide universally accessible and affordable broadband across the continent. As it does so, the numbers of internet users will rise even further.
Digital technologies are resulting in productivity gains across the continent that will soon be worth hundreds of billions of dollars per annum, according to some estimates. They are one of the most powerful tools for implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. That is because the digital transformation presents important opportunities: better access to a competitive job market, more opportunities for innovative digital companies, market information and consumer choice, better public services through e-governance, online education or research collaboration.
But as more and more people move online, so too do criminal attacks, resulting in growing amounts of cyber fraud and theft. The lack of basic technical knowledge of many Africans make them tempting targets. And it is not just individuals, but also businesses, critical infrastructure and providers of basic services that are targeted.
Similar problems are evident throughout the rest of the world also.
Particularly in the developing world, there is an urgent need for awareness campaigns to help people of all ages and backgrounds understand the need to adopt safe online behaviour.
Increasingly, wherever we are in the world, our lives intersect with cyber in so many ways, all the more since COVID forced so many to work and study remotely.
As we do so, our phones and laptops are connected to the internet. These work and school devices often store a lot of very personal data: financial records, health records, school records, secrets shared with us by friends, photos. Connected to the same wifi, often with the same weak password, or even just a default password, might be a whole range of gadgets. For example, a smart TV, a child’s gaming device, our children’s phones – even the phones and devices of our friends or neighbours.
Any one of these could have a vulnerability that could let a hacker in.
A hacker that gains access to your personal data could apply for a driving licence or credit card or mortgage using your ID. They could also use the data in your phone to try scamming your friends, in your name.
Personal data can also be misused to promote disinformation and hate, in a way that is harmful to human rights and democracy. In a growing number of countries, data about us, our likes, our dislikes, has been harvested and used very effectively to manipulate voters around hot button election issues, or to create outrage and discord.
Particularly in the developed countries, digital competence – include cyber security – is gaining ever increasing prominence in school curricula. However, it will take time for new generations of digitally savvy young people to occupy a world that treats cyber security as an integral part of how they operate.
Until that happens there is an urgent need of awareness campaigns to help the rest of use learn how to protect our data and privacy. We all need to learn to use some basic cyber hygiene, such as multi factor authentication, privacy settings, regular software updates, strong passwords and encrypted wifi. It will be important too to learn to manage our digital identity and digital footprint, to recognise signs of manipulation, to protect our privacy and to recognize a suspicious email or message and act appropriately.
Awareness campaigns are urgently needed to help us catch up to where we stand with our use of digital technologies.
