Parliament Commemorates Cyber Security Month .

The Parliament of Sierra Leone has, joined the world in commemorating Cyber Security Awareness Month.

Cyber Security Awareness Month is an international initiative that educates everyone about online safety and empowers individuals and businesses to protect their data from cyber-attacks.

In an event organized in Committee Room One, Parliament Building, Head of Cyber Security Unit in Parliament, Mohamed Lebbie highlighted the significance of cyber security awareness aimed at protection of data and prevention from threat actors. He said that Parliament, as the custodian of lawmaking, is standing at the forefront in the fight against cyber-attacks. Lebbie cautioned staff from using unidentified links, which often lead to hacking, stalking, and phishing.

Lebbie also urged staff to verify the authenticity of links before opening it for purposes of safety. "This is month is dedicated to fighting cyber-attacks and creating awareness for not only parliamentary staff, but also for the people of Sierra Leone," he said. He ended by saying cyber criminals are attacking thousands of people across the world and that staff should be mindful of using the internet. He also advised staff to regularly change their passwords using numbers, letters, and symbols at least every 3 months in order to prevent potential cyber-attacks. "Changing your passwords will discourage cyber attackers from hacking your system. People should refrain from joining all kinds of WhatsApp groups and unverified links on social media as a means of preventing them from cyber attacks

Making a statement, the Deputy Clerk of Parliament, Gilbert Bosco N'habay underscored the urgent need to be vigilant and build a parliament that will lead the way in shaping a robust digital system for Sierra Leone. He ended up calling on staff and Sierra Leoneans to fight against cyber-attacks together and be careful with using digital platforms to make Parliament a safer place.

In his keynote address, the Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs, Patrick M. Gibrilla underlined the significance of government’s commitment to improving cyber security in the country. Patrick also said that President Bio has shown great efforts in creating a responsive and safer digital platform for both the formal and informal sectors in the country and cited the enactment of the Cyber Security Act of 2021 aimed at helping and handling cyber related matters in the country. ‘’Government has also created a national cyber security coordination centre to address cyber-attacks within the country’’. He ended up saying that digital safety is a national responsibility that should not be politicized.

Director of Parliamentary and Public Relations Department, Sheku Lamin Turay, moderated the launch and reiterated the need for cybersecurity awareness and the need for the enactment of data protection law. That, he further said, would enhance the safety and protection of data in light of attaining a digital resilient Parliament and country.

For more information, visit: www.parliament.gov.sl

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