Lesotho Communications Authority Launches National Cybersecurity Awareness Campaign

The Lesotho Communications Authority (LCA)  has launched a new cybersecurity awareness campaign through which the agency will be promoting behavioural change across the nation.

The campaign aims to get individuals, families and small- to medium-sized businesses to every day take action to protect themselves while online and when using connected devices.

When launching the program, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mr. Nizam Goolam said they are pleased to launch the LCA’s first-ever cybersecurity awareness campaign for October.

Mr. Goolam said this initiative marks a significant milestone for them as they align themselves with their international partners in addressing cybersecurity challenges, saying as the communication regulatory authority, they must safeguard the digital landscapes of Lesotho and empower the citizens with the knowledge and skills to navigate in this digital era.

He said this campaign is the result of collaborative efforts between the LCA, broadcasters, mobile network operators and various stakeholders, noting that the campaign will utilise every available channel to educate the public about the importance of cybersecurity thus the television, radio and social media platforms.

He added that they encourage everyone to adopt good cyber practices in their daily online activities to protect them against cybercrimes.

In conclusion, he said by working together and raising awareness can create a safer digital environment for all.

The acting Chief Technology Officer, Mr. Molupi Molupi said Like in other countries, Lesotho recognizes the initiative of Cybersecurity Awareness Month and feels it is right to educate citizens on digital security and empower them to protect their data from digital forms of crime.

Mr. Molupi said the campaign will go for 4 weeks whereby every week, a topic in cybersecurity will be discussed. The topics include the main theme of Cybersecurity saying it is everyone’s responsibility to recognize phishing attacks.

He urged people to use strong passwords as this will protect them, adding that people should be cyber hygienic.

Also speaking, LCA Engineer – IT (Cybersecurity Enthusiast), Mr. Tumane Mahloane said today’s world is digital and everything is connected to cybercrime and some of the cyber-attacks include malvertising, rogue software, phishing and malware.

Mr. Mahloane said in every 39 seconds, there is a hacker attack, saying in 2022, $6 trillion was used on damage caused by cybercrime and Lesotho is not an exception.

He said the practice of protecting computer systems networks, and digital data from theft damage or unauthorised access is important because it promotes cybersecurity.

October has been declared Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a dedicated month for the public and private sectors to work together to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity.