Experts warn Ugandans on cybersecurity threats

9 October 2023, 2:22 pm

By Byamukama Alozious

Uganda is among the countries with rapidly growing digital advancement of internet, cloud computing, and other digital innovations which has affected the way people live, work and communicate.

While launching the October cybersecurity awareness month at Nation ICT Innovation Hub in Kampala under the theme securing the interconnected world, Mr. Emmanuel Chagara, Milima security, Chief Executive Officer said there are merging threats from hackers targeting financial, health and agricultural institutions to steal money or duplicate online work and also steal data.

Mr. Chagara said during this month, there must be quick actions to secure the interconnected world before it unravels the beneath the weight of malicious intentions.

Milima security group is working in collaboration with government and other agencies to promote cybersecurity. This is done through training professionals and nonprofessionals, students and local communities on cybersecurity and threats.

‘’The main cause of cybersecurity crimes are human causes such as use of weak passwords, saving email passwords on phones and computers which makes it easy for a hacker to penetrate and use your data or steal the information,’’ Mr. Chagara said

Statistics indicate that only 9% women are cybersecurity professionals on African continent and at least only 1% in leadership positions which needs quick attentions to have more women trained to combat the threats.

Babra Nannono, sale, marketing and CEX manager, Liquid Intelligent technologies says the have embarked on training locals especially women on how protect the citizen’s data.

‘’We are training people how hackers emails look like and we are also supporting agencies NITA and National ICT Innovation Hub in their campaigns.’’

The government has put some laws in place but the threats on computers usage still challenge Ugandans. Such laws include Electronic Transaction Act 2011, Data Protection Act which needs localization for citizens to know and seek defense by them.

Albert Gitta, Chief Information Officer, MTN Mobile money says there are many cybersecurity threats where the hackers get their customers details and call them in the names of company and steal their money.  Gitta says MTN is currently running a campaign beera steady [Be steady] where the customers are advised to not share their passwords, emails and Nationals Identity and Sim cards to the people they do not trust.