Long ride to Zambia to preach cyber security

Andrew Gole. PHOTO/HANDOUT

What you need to know:

  • Gole’s trip will take him through Uganda, before crossing into Rwanda, Tanzania, Malawi, and finally to the FIFAfrica22 host country Zambia.

Regardless of the continued growth of internet connectivity, many people have limited knowledge on how to protect themselves online.

According to the Global Cybersecurity Capacity Centre Survey, awareness campaigns are almost non-existent in African countries. The survey found that majority of the population are unprepared for cyber threats. This is in addition to the revelation that about 90 percent of African businesses are operating below the cybersecurity ‘poverty line’.

It is in this respect that a Ugandan digital security expert, Mr Andrew Gole, hit the road on Monday with his motorbike to cover approximately 3,300 kilometres distance (by road) to Lusaka, Zambia over the course of 28 days.

“Gole’s trip will take him through Uganda, before crossing into Rwanda, Tanzania, Malawi, and finally to the FIFAfrica22 host country Zambia. The return trip will include stops in Tanzania, Zanzibar and Kenya,” reads a statement issued on Monday by the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA).

It adds: “Along the way, Gole will interact with human rights organisations and communities on the value of securing devices and communications as a means of protecting their digital rights.”  
CIPESA are the hosts of the FIFAfrica, an annual event, which convenes  a spectrum of stakeholders from across the Internet governance and digital rights arenas in Africa and beyond.

Mr Gole says: “We have a generation of people using systems without knowing the risks present online. We all need it. We need to future-proof the Internet experience.” 

He says some people are self-taught but still lack some knowledge when it comes to securing personal or organisational information online.

Mr Gole’s trip came days after Kampala Central Member of Parliament Muhammad Nsereko private member’s Bill, the Computer Misuse (Amendment) Bill 2022, was passed in to law with some tough penalties for cyber-crimes.

The Computer Misuse (Amendment) Bill, 2022 sought to amend the Computer Misuse Act, 2011 to enhance the provisions on unauthorised access to information or data; prohibit the sharing of any information relating to a child without authorisation from a parent or guardian; to prohibit the sending or sharing of information that promotes hate speech.