30 Ugandans undergo five-day cybercrime training

Mr Douglas Selgweng, director Cloud Trade Botswana, an IT firm, said the training will majorly focus on early detection of hackers, protecting online data, safe online transactions of data and risk factors. FILE PHOTO

What you need to know:

  • Police said at least two ministries whose names were not revealed because they were under investigations, lost $14m in suspicious online transactions. One of the ministries lost $6m), while the other lost $8m. The hackers compromised the transactions, changed codes and passwords on the IFMS system.
  • Mr Douglas Selgweng, director Cloud Trade Botswana, an IT firm, said the training will majorly focus on early detection of hackers, protecting online data, safe online transactions of data and risk factors.

KAMPALA. The ministry for Information and Computer Technology (ICT) has partnered with IT experts from South Africa and Botswana to train ministries and agencies’ IT personnel on fighting cybercrime.

The first group comprised of 30 ICT technicians started a five-day training on Tuesday at ICT ministry headquarters in Kampala.
Mr Michael Kiberu Nagenda, an IT expert at KIPYA Business Connect Solution said the training is intended to equip Ugandans from both government and private companies with knowledge to guard their organisations against cyber fraudsters and conmen.

“There are many people being victimized by hackers. These hackers do not only target money but have also concentrated on stealing vital and secret information from many organisations. We can reduce this by equipping people with necessary skills to protect their organisation’s information,” Mr Nagenda said.

The 2016 Interpol report revealed that the damage from hacks cost businesses and ministries a staggering $50m (about Shs180 billion). Police said countless cybercrimes go undetected or unreported, and that companies often prefer to say nothing in order to shield their reputation.

Police said at least two ministries whose names were not revealed because they were under investigations, lost $14m in suspicious online transactions. One of the ministries lost $6m), while the other lost $8m. The hackers compromised the transactions, changed codes and passwords on the IFMS system.

Mr Douglas Selgweng, director Cloud Trade Botswana, an IT firm, said the training will majorly focus on early detection of hackers, protecting online data, safe online transactions of data and risk factors.

“Many people do things in offices but do not know that they are the reasons why their information is being stolen. We need to inform people the risk factors and also to know signs of data that could be stolen,” Mr Selgweng said.
Mr Selgweng said trainees will be expected to train others on how to deal with cyber criminals.

Interpol report of 2016 also indicated that individuals also lost millions to cyber thugs. These include, Katuni Hudadi $5,000 (Shs18m), Patel $50,000 (Shs180m), Maureen Brenda $20,000 (Shs72m), Jack Nyeko $12,000 (Shs43.2m), Hong Hyud $4,000 (Shs14.4m), Abdulrahman Noor $235,000 (Shs846m), Hamand Omar Shangiv $50,000 (Shs180m), Youngmei CNY 17m (Shs8.8b), Christine Kayemba $14,000 (Shs50.4m), Kyama Ksh1.5m (Shs52m), Risper Akello $2,200 (Shs7.9m and Magoma $33800 (Shs121.6m).