Having successfully hosted a hybrid cyber security webinar towards the end of the year 2022, the Discipline of Information Systems and Technology within the School of Management, Information Technology, and Governance (SMITG) intend to host a webinar series in collaboration with other disciplines this year.
‘We welcomed more than 300 participants from 24 countries and all walks of life. The Discipline will be offering a discussion series, which will include conversations on educational technology in education, and other current IT-related topics,’ said senior lecturer in the SMITG Dr UpasanaSingh.
The webinar which aimed to promote protection against digital attacks, also explored measures individuals and organisations can adopt to protect their data and electronic systems from malicious attacks.
Cyber security professionals, Professor Gurpreet Dhillon, Head of Information Systems and Supply Chain Management at the University of North Carolina; Dr Sheeba Armoogun, Senior lecturer in the Department of Information and Communication Technologies at the University of Mauritius; and Ms Venisha Nayagar, Chief Information Security officer of the Life Healthcare Group, discussed the tactics of online dating scams, strategies to build cyber resilient organisations and the human factors of cyberpsychology. The webinar was facilitated by SMITG academic Professor Manoj Maharaj.
Cybercrime is a global concern with online romance scams also becoming more common. Dhillon noted that his recent research found that women are losing significant sums of money through dating scams. ‘They have become more targeted in how they approach their victims and have started operating on reputable dating websites.’
According to Armoogun, statistics reveal an increase in cybercrime, with targeted organisations finding it more difficult to respond to and recover from scams. She recommended that businesses adopt cyber-resilient strategies to protect themselves: ‘It is impossible to have absolute security as we can never predict what happens in the future but organisations should establish systems for business continuity and to reduce financial loss and damage of business reputation.’
Nayagar said dependence on digital and online stations has impacted many individuals psychologically as a large amount of time spent in the virtual world made them targeted victims.
Highlighting the need for engagement on such issues, he said, ‘Cyber espionage is becoming more common and more serious. Individuals need to be educated about how to operate in cyberspace and it is necessary for organisations, employees, and the public to be educated about the dangers involved when going online.’
To watch the recorded webinar, you can click on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGznyzUTvzM
Words: Samukelisiwe Cele
Photograph: Supplied