Forum to brainstorm on cyber security

Kenyan information technology security systems are weak and expose people to cyber bullying and fraud, experts warn. This is because the Government and private sector are not investing well in security leaving people exposed. The State is also losing revenue through areas that can be easily closed by secure systems.

These sentiments were expressed by Bright Gameli, founder of AfricaHackOn, an information technology (IT) company that specialises in providing solutions for cyber security.

Mr Gameli will be showcasing his cyber security skills during the Africa IT Summit to be held by leading IT firm Aitec on 24 and 25 of this month at Oshwal Centre.

"My company will demonstrate during the summit how easy it is to hack people's websites and social media accounts. We are going to do this in a controlled environment and teach people how to strengthen their sites," Gameli said. "Service providers are vulnerable because they use old protocols. They don't upgrade their systems often, leaving their subscribers vulnerable."

The Aitec Summit brings together players in the IT sector, and aims to find solutions in troubled areas such as e-waste and e-learning.

"Currently there is a lot of waste – computers, phones and other IT gadgets – and people are not able to dispose these gadgets in an environmentally friendly manner," Aitec Managing Director Phillip Otieno said.

"There are also challenges in e-learning where many people do not fully maximise the advantages of this tool," Mr Otieno added.

The forum will also provide a platform for the government through the Ministry of Information Communication Technology to explain to people its policies in the sector.

The summit will also launch an anti-corruption competition, where participants will be tasked with coming up with an application to enable citizens to report corrupt activities directly to the Government.