We will spy on yours emails – Ndemo

The government has defended a proposal by the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) to monitor emails in the country.

Information and Communications Permanent Secretary Bitange Ndemo said the Internet tracking system will curb – hate speech in the country.

"It makes it imperative that we have spyware software which would assist in the fight against hate, spam mails and criminal activities worldwide. When you are beginning to see hate messages coming from the Diaspora that ends up creating problems… everyone would have to understand that we have to be careful as we approach the elections," Ndemo said.

On Wednesday, the CCK kicked off a storm when it sent letters to mobile operators demanding that they cooperate in the installation of the Network Early Warning Systems (NEWS) which is an Internet traffic monitoring equipment. The CCK said the new system would be operational by July this year.

Ndemo also said a new digital platform is to be introduced in the country in the next three weeks to help with TV digital migration.

"The same content you will find in analogue is the same content you will find in digital and it makes it impossible for migration because people do not see why they have to. We have new players coming in and we are urging the current broadcasters to bring in new content that will make it attractive for Kenyans to move to the new platform," he affirmed.

Ndemo was speaking while opening the first independent LG service centre which is in a bid to enhance customer after sales services.

According to LG president for Middle East and Africa James Park, the establishment of the centre is in line with the company's commitment to ease access to quality and guaranteed after-sales-service for their products in Kenya.

"We will not relent in our pursuit to become market leaders in customer service and we look forward to this service centre being a major point of reference for its quality service and consumer dedication. Our focus on customer service remains a top priority in our business pursuit," said Park.

Park also added the company will continue investing in innovation and other customer centric initiatives to meet the changing needs of the fast growing consumer base in the East and Central Africa region.

NDERITU NDEGWA

Protecting your computer and data

With all this talk of cyber terrorism and cyber crime, one has to consider how to protect oneself.

Cyber crime is one of the fastest growing crimes, with gangs like Anonymous and LulzSec lurking on the dark side of the Internet.

While they state that they have noble intentions, a hacker will not spare you on the basis of morality.

If they came to get something and are able to get it, they will not suddenly get an epiphany and stop.

However, nothing stops you from protecting yourself, and it is easier than most people think.

To begin, you first need to have the right security in place. The greatest weakness of any computer is the password system.

Many people have the bad habit of using simple and common passwords, or not changing the default password on their computer.

This makes it easy for a hacker to access your private data, and in many cases they do not even have to bother hacking since they can simply log in as you.

You need to have long passwords, incorporating numbers and special characters, with characters mixed in lower and upper case.

This is your first line of defence, and if you do not secure yourself properly here, then you might as well leave your computer on the street for anyone to access.

The other thing you need to do is to back up your data as often as possible so as to prevent loss in case your hardware is damaged or stolen.

To do this, you can use offline hard drives and disks or online back up services. But each of these options presents a number of problems.

The offline choice means that the disk has to be secured, physically and technologically; if it falls into the wrong hands, then all your efforts will be in vain.

A properly encrypted hard drive is the way to go. Encryption makes it as worthless as a brick to anyone without the key to unlock it (note that encrypting your hard drive is different from having a password on it).

Online, matters are slightly different. If the backup provider is not careful in protecting your data, you face that awkward possibility of getting hacked and losing your data.

As a rule of thumb, it is always better to have sensitive data backed up offline on encrypted hard drives.

Putting sensitive information online means that it could easily fall into the wrong hands.

Many social media users assume that they are perpetually safe under the cover of anonymity.

The reality is that your browser is probably tracking you through cookies and other bits of locative applications that can reveal who and where you are.

Unless you actually install a proper anonymiser or use a modern browser that allows you to be anonymous, it is very likely that you will be traced.

We are living in an age where being truly anonymous is becoming more and more difficult, and using pseudonyms will not guarantee anonymity.

For those using Windows, you need to install anti-virus applications and a firewall. They prevent trojans and worms from infecting your computer and opening it up to the world.

Firewalls are now a standard feature on all operating systems, be it Windows, Mac, or Linux. It should always be on and updated.

While Macs and Linux machines are immune to virus attacks, it does not mean that they are immune to hackers. However, a firewall will keep them out.

When you go online, the first line of defence is the firewall, followed by your anti-virus application.

If you have industry-tested software, you would be surprised at how far it can go to protect you.

Phishing is now becoming commonplace. You receive a fake communication that appears to be from a trusted source, asking for your credentials to update their records.

You blindly insert them, press send and the next thing you know, you have your data stolen, or your money withdrawn.

The simple rule here is this: No reputable company will ever ask for your password online or offline, your passwords belong to you.

If you receive a phishing message, mark it as spam to prevent more from coming to your inbox.

Never give your password to anyone; falling victim to a phishing attack is like handing your ATM card and PIN to a total stranger.

Even after taking these security measures, you still need to keep up with the trends. If you become careless, you are likely to pay a heavy price for it.

Assuming identities is nowadays easy and you could not only become a victim, but even expose others to the same problem.

Be smart with your technology and you will never have to worry about losing your data.

By KAHENYA KAMUNYU

We will not spy on Kenyans online, says internet watchdog

The telecommunications regulator has denied that it will spy on Kenyans' online activities with the monitoring system it is installing, as pressure from consumers mount.

Communications Commission of Kenya said the system is only meant to monitor hostile traffic on Kenya's cyber networks.

It also maintains that it is well within its mandate under the Information and Communications Act, CAP411 A, which deals with electronic transactions, to set it up.

"It is the role of the regulator to ensure that networks are secure. We want to promote e-commerce while protecting Kenyans who are using these cyber networks and infrastructure," the commission's acting director general Francis Wangusi told the Nation on Thursday.

The system is known as the Network Early Warning System.

"The system we are putting up does not have to read and disclose people's information," he said.

The commission added that it will sign a non-disclosure agreement, stipulating that information gathered will only be used to facilitate response to cyber incidents and shared only among concerned parties for transparency.

The regulator said it will, however, be the only custodian of the information gathered from the system.

Other countries that have implemented a similar system include Hungary, the United States and the United Kingdom. They justify putting up such systems on protection of critical government infrastructure.

"It will also make Kenya more attractive to new investment as investors will be sure that our ICT infrastructure is secured," said Mr Wangusi.

The move has already sparked a heated debate among internet users, with most citing privacy concerns and the risks that could come with having their emails and online activities monitored.

But the commission said it will only monitor traffic, and has no intention of "spying on the over 11 million active internet users.

''There is a thin line between privacy and security, but we have thought about how this can be anonymised, such that we do not see who it is that is online," said Dr Catherine Getao, Director, E-government.

By Lilian Nduati