Cyber criminals can be stopped, says an expert

CYBER crimes remain a serious problem in Tanzania, targeting mostly financial transactions through financial institutions and mobile money transfers in addition to intrusion of privacy. The Managing Editor of Tanzania Standards (Newspapers) Limited (TSN), Dr Jim Yonazi, said in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday this week that, there was need for more public awareness campaigns to educate the public against misuse of technology. “The government made a good move to enact the Cyber Crime Act; however there is still a need to create awareness on advantages of technology,” Dr Yonazi who is an ICT expert said when officiating at a workshop aimed at demonstrating cyber security and forensic tools organized by the University of Dodoma (UDOM). The varsity has conducted a research on Tanzania’s cyber realm and developed a forensic tool which is able to detect digital information which has been doctored such as photos, videos and speech. Dr Yonazi explained further that apart from usual cyber crimes, there are as well cyber warfare between countries and big corporations worldwide. “There is thus a need to train our people to acquire required skills to mitigate effects arising from the offences committed through technology,” he emphasized. Dr Yonazi said the TSN was ready and interested to partner with UDOM to conduct public awareness through articles to be published in the company’s newspapers. The TSN publishes Daily News, Sunday News, HabariLeo and SpotiLeo. In a briefing to journalists, the Dean of School of Informatics and Virtual Education at UDOM, Prof Leonard Mselle, said the institution had been developing the forensic device. “The devised technology will assist to protect the country against cyber threats arising from within or outside the boarders,” the don explained. Adding; “This is why we have included at our workshop participants from the police force, the army and the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB), among others. ” The innovation by UDOM College was inspired by the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) which three years ago called on experts to make efforts which will help to boost the Information and Communication Technology (ICT).