Public Urged to Be Vigilant as Digital Insecurity Intensifies in AI Era
A joint group photo comrpising the Digital Expert, Organizers and the particpants after the training on Wednesday. Photo by Matata Benzamin
Members of the public in the West Nile region have been urged to remain vigilant against growing digital security threats, as hackers increasingly exploit vulnerabilities in the digital space, worst in this Artificial Intelligence (AI) Era.
Digital security experts warn that phones, computers and other connected devices are increasingly being used to spread malicious links, malware and phishing messages designed to gain unauthorized access to people’s accounts and personal information.
Once accessed, such information can be used to steal money, impersonate victims, harass them or compromise sensitive data.
The call was made during a two-day digital security training for civil society organizations and media practitioners in Arua City, which concluded on Wednesday, organized by MEMPROW under the Bridging Feminist Voices project.
The Data Protection and Privacy Act, 2019 provides a legal framework for protecting personal information and regulating how personal data is collected, processed, held and disclosed.
Experts therefore say public awareness, responsible use of digital devices and stronger cyber security practices are essential to protect individuals, organizations and the media from increasingly sophisticated online threats.
Happy Ayionrwoth, a digital security consultant from Lokren Digital Insight, called for greater vigilance and stronger responses to digital threats.
“We live in an era where our personal life, our family life, and almost everything around us dwells right around the digital platform. So it means that someone has to go to the bank, needs to access their documents, and there is a digital connection in there.” Happy said.
She cautioned the public against being easily lured by offers of free money, gifts or other attractive deals sent through mobile phones, saying such messages are often used by hackers to trick unsuspecting users into clicking malicious links or sharing sensitive information.
“So, when we look at this, we also realize that there are some guys out there who also know that the trend of digitalization is going high. They also come in to find loopholes where they can actually take advantage of people, and so it is very important the community needs to understand that as we are using these platforms and the tools, we need to know how best we can take care of them.”
The increasing use of sophisticated tools such as spyware and phishing has made digital security a growing concern for journalists and civil society organizations, whose work often involves protecting confidential sources, sensitive information and vulnerable communities.
Kayom Sunday, the project coordinator at The Mentoring and Empowerment Programme for Young Women (MEMPROW), said the training was intended to address weaknesses in the digital space that have left many people vulnerable to hacking and other forms of online abuse.
“The world has gone digitized, and we need to be knowledgeable on how we can support ourselves, on how we can be safe while doing our work on electronic gadgets.” Sunday noted.
She said the training would also help strengthen efforts to combat cyberbullying and online sexual harassment, particularly against women and girls.
“And most of the young women have been vulnerable, and they have fallen victim of cyberbullying, harassment, doxxing, among others. And this is the right time to give them the right information. We believe when they know what to do, they’ll be protected online and avoid violence.”
Meanwhile, Yakani Charles Isaac, a participant from RED-NET, a refugee-led organization in Arua City, said the training has come at the right time, given the increasing digital security threats facing communities.
“I am also one of the victims who is a businessman, but there is still a bigger gap in the communities concerning Digital security. We have learned a lot from the session.” He testified.
Yakani pledged to integrate digital security into their programming and share the knowledge gained with both refugee and host communities to promote safer use of digital platforms.
“We are going to adopt it into our programming as RED-NET, so that the community that we engage in, all the people that we always work with, are more informed. We are especially going to create more awareness on digital security and educate the community members, refugees, and the host communities on how to protect themselves from cyber stalking and many other related things that are in regard to scamming.”
The Computer Misuse Act, which provides for the safety and security of electronic transactions and information systems, criminalizes unauthorized access to computer systems and data, electronic fraud, cyber harassment and other forms of computer misuse.