Cybersecurity has become the term that receives no follow-up questions, 80% of the time I mention it. It seems the “security” part comes with a connotation that deems it someone else’s responsibility. Unfortunately, achieving cybersecurity goals is a collective effort. Whether you are aware of the risks involved in the use of your favorite device and digital solutions or not, we all face the threats they pose albeit with varied magnitudes. The reality of the matter is that we each have a role to play for safety and sustainability of the online activities we have come to depend on. Muhammad Ali once said, “It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it’s the pebble in your shoe.” Cybersecurity is a journey that involves climbing metaphorical mountains but there are ways to address seemingly daunting parts of it. For an average tech user, tackling one pain point at a time eases the journey. Understanding what cybersecurity means for you is a good place to start. Consider a smartphone as a daily-use multifunctional device. With internet connection, you can communicate, do business or be updated on matters of all sorts. This device may be seen as your mode of transportation to cruise through the digital “world” or cyberspace. A wondrous place where - we have come to learn - a mix of the good, the bad and the really bad reside. The problems within the cyberspace spill over into the physical world through activities that depend on the interconnectedness of electronic devices. In this era of digital transformation, what happens in cyberspace overlaps with our lives in the physical world. However, unlike the physical world, cyberspace has no borders. This is one of the elements that make it hard to secure and safeguard. Not being able to borrow and simply apply to cyberspace the same security principles we live by in the physical world has forced us to reimagine ways of anticipating security problems. Due to the multidimensional aspects of security, the problems that affect basic needs like communication and health services are key factors in the performance of sectors that affect economic development like manufacturing. It is because of this that cybersecurity strategies must include preventing threats as well as minimizing the damage they may cause in the occasion that they are not prevented. Additionally, response plans for when unanticipated or unintended incidents happens are crucial. This collective and coordinated functionality is what makes cybersecurity. The government of Rwanda has made strides in the cybersecurity domain through a multi sectoral approach to ensure the security of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure, the services they provide and those they facilitate. Among many milestones in this endeavor is the establishment of institutions such as the National Cybersecurity Authority (NCSA) and Rwanda Information Society (RISA). These institutions are among the trusted sources to come to our rescue when we are overwhelmed with misinformation. News with out-of-context pieces of information and worst-case scenarios make it look like we are doomed as far as the security of information technologies is concerned. This does not have to be the case. Breaking down the complex problems surrounding cybersecurity, without downplaying or undermining the threats that they pose, remains one of the biggest challenges today for governments and industries alike. For instance, communication and financial services demand heavy investments in cybersecurity to counter aggressive criminal activities and prevent service disruptions. Demanding cybersecurity investment focus at the moment as well are industrial organizations such as those handling electricity generation and delivery. These rely on supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, which form vital parts of critical information infrastructure in desperate need of protection by governments around the world. For a user without the tech savviness that goes beyond the basic functionality of a smartphone, concerns associated with the complexities of cybersecurity can be broken down into digestible chunks. Guidelines from experts and concerned authorities should offer actionable items relevant to users at different levels of understanding. Your first step is to consciously judge the weight to be placed on information regarding risks and emerging threats to you. Equally important is developing the ability to rightly decide when and what sources of information to trust. The author is a cybersecurity analyst.
