Today’s interconnected world makes everyone more susceptible to cyber-attacks. Whether one is attracted to the relativity new world of cybersecurity as a professional, or just interested in protecting one’s self online and in social media.

The President of the United States has recognised cybersecurity as critical to global security and since 2004, October has been designated by the US as National Cybersecurity month.

A Cyber Awareness Workshop as part of Cyber Month was held at the Department of Information Technology, Ritson Campus, recently by the US Embassy. The workshop was arranged through Gomo Mohapi, a third year DUT IT student and Ebrahim Asmal from the Department of IT.

It was well attended by DUT staff and 150 students to promote cyber security. The two-hour workshop was run by Chickelle Woody; Richard Bell and Jorge Benavides from the US Embassy.

IT’s Ebrahim Asmal said the workshop concentrated on a Sli.do web-based interactive tool which was used to ask learners questions and their responses were shown anonymously online. “This in turn provoked a lot of debate and questions and also gave the presenters an idea on how to get started with the training, and this gave learners in reverse an idea on what the purpose was,” he said.

He further added that thereafter there was a power point presentation which was used to guide in teaching learners on how to protect themselves from the threat of social media, mobile devices, cyberbullying etc.

Besides the workshop, the US Consul General Sherry Zalika Skyes, the Deputy Consul General, Mr Felix Salazar and Education Specialist Susan Knowles also met with DUT’s Dr Progress Mtshali (HOD), Mr Ebrahim Asmal (Senior Lecturer) and Prof Sibusiso Moyo (DVC: RIE) where a number of initiatives were discussed going forward.

More of these types of workshops are planned as part of TECHWEEK at the Department of IT in early December 2019.

Pictured: IT’s Ebrahim Asmal with the US Embassy members.

Ebrahim Asmal