The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has launched an interactive portal aimed at creating a safer Internet in Kenya.
The micro-site, cop.ke-cirt.go.ke, was developed in collaboration with local telecommunication providers including Safaricom, Airtel, Telkom Kenya, Jamii Telecommunication and the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSMA). It will provide online safety tips for children and guardians.
“The portal also has a gaming component that enables both the young and the young at heart to measure their level of awareness on online risks such as cyber bullying, identity theft and online sexual harassment,” said Mercy Wanjau, Ag. Director General of the Communications Authority of Kenya.
The launch comes against a backdrop of increased cyber-threats recorded in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has created a new frontier for cyber criminals.
According to the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) statistics for the quarter ending December 2020, the National Computer Incident Response Team Coordination Centre (KE-CIRT/CC) detected more than 56 million cyber threats in the country
A majority of the threats were malware attacks at 46 million, followed by web application attacks at 7.8 million while 2.2 million Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) threats were detected during the same period.
Cabinet Secretary for ICT, Joe Mucheru, expressed fears on possible increase in the volume of cyber crime in the country in the lead up to the upcoming BBI referendum and the 2022 general elections. He further urged the CA to boost its detection and monitoring capacity to mitigate the risk.
Speaking at the official opening of national Safe Internet Day celebrations, Mr. Mucheru lauded CA for working with other stakeholders to create a safer online environment.
“Abuse and exploitation of children is unacceptable and should generally not be protected even by free speech principles. In the Internet world, further protections are also needed to shield children from predators, who may contact them through deceptive enticements in online forums,” the ICT Cabinet Secretary said.
Safer Internet Day began as an initiative of the European Union Safe Borders project in 2004, and is today celebrated in close to 130 countries around the world.