ICTs:

Cyber-criminality rampant in SW

By Ajongakou Santos in Buea

Over three hundred participants from the Educational, financial, civil society and security sectors in Buea have wrapped up a three day public awareness seminar organised by the National Agency for Information and Communication Technologies, known by its french acronym ANTIC.

Holding at the Buea Council Chambers from 7 October to 9 October 2015, the seminar had as theme “Stop cyber criminality, together lets bar the way”.

                According to the authorities of ANTIC, the seminar is aimed to create awareness on cyber criminality and practices, curb cyber malpractice, promote internet culture, as well as introduce new measures to fight cyber criminality.

                It brought together top officials of the SW region including the likes of the Attorney General of the South West Court of Appeal, SW Governor, Buea Council Mayor, Security officials among others.

                According to South West Governor, Bernard OkaliaBilai, the seminar on cyber security was timely given the growing rate of cyber criminality in Buea in particular. To that effect, he appreciated the Director of the National Agency for Information and Communication Technologies for choosing Buea as venue for the seminar.

                In recent years hackers have successfully tempered with private emails and bank accounts of personalities. The seminar therefore provided the bases to bar the way to such malpractice, reason why the governor called on all and sundry to be keen and ensure they don’t fail to ask questions in areas that needed the least clarifications. Adding that the effects of Cyber criminality could be enormous, governor Okalia challenged participants to make use of the seminar so as to know how to protect their personal accounts as well as that of their companies.

                On his part, the Director General of ANTIC, Dr. EbotEbotEnow noted that the rapid development of ICTs has over the years been a suitable ground for many cybercrimes.

                Hear him: “Information and Communication Technology has transformed and will continue to transform our working environment in a way; the advent and speedy development of ICTs has paved the way for the emergence of new forms of vulnerabilities, known as cybercrimes. ICTs are therefore not absolutely free,” he said

                Dr. Ebot added that as a result of the new form of crimes that are rampant on the Cyberspaces, such a seminar is organised with the objective to secure the cyberspace.

                In a bid to address the increase in cybercrime, government has taken a series of measures aimed at securing our cyberspaces. This includes among others; the putting in place of a Computer Incidence Response Team which monitors critical internet resources in our cyberspace, with the view to detecting security flaws and vulnerabilities inherent in an information system and taking corrective measures to address these traits before they get exploited by cyber criminals to carryout cyber-attacks.