David Adetona 

A hands-on laptop cybersecurity workshop, recently held in the capital, addressed the growing threat of cybercrime and emphasised the importance of robust cybersecurity measures.

The topics covered at the workshop centred on the cybersecurity landscape, trends, emerging threats, attacks, and the best ways to assess and carry out detections, vulnerabilities, mitigations, firewalls, mapping, response plan and cyber protection. 

The participants gained practical skills to prevent digital systems hacking.

“This landmark event focused on enhancing capacity in tackling rising cyber threats that continue to exploit vulnerabilities in both governmental and private institutions in the country,” said Micheal Endjala, the Excelwise Training Group’s operations manager in his closing remarks at the workshop.

Participants from various backgrounds gathered to enhance their skills and knowledge, learning about the latest tools and techniques to safeguard their digital environments. The practical exercises are designed to simulate real-world scenarios, ensuring participants could effectively respond to potential cyber threats.

The workshop was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Justice and Labour, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security, First National Bank, the Lüderitz Town Council, the Namibia Fish Consumption Trust and the Namibia Institute of Public Administration and Management (NIPAM).

Naomi Gerson, a chief systems administrator from the Ministry of Justice and Labour Relations, described the workshop as extremely informative and an engaging platform which provided valuable insights into the latest security threats and best-practices, with proactive measures to safeguard digital environment. 

“The hands-on exercise and real-world scenarios used during the training made the learning experience both practical memorable,” she said. 

First National Bank’s Information Security Officer Geraldo Liebenberg, highlighted that the workshop had comprehensive strategies, techniques, technologies and tools to start moving individuals as well as organisations into a more safe digital space.

*David Adetona is an Information Officer at the Khomas Regional Office for the information and communication technology ministry.