Young people could be putting their personal information, devices and even home networks at risk without realising it, simply by clicking malicious links on their mobile phones, a digital forensic expert has warned.
Neil Hinds, curator manager of Florida-based company Digital Technologies and Services, said young people and other vulnerable groups need greater awareness of the risks associated with their everyday use of technology.
He was speaking on Tuesday at the Liberty Business Youth and Vulnerable in Society Expo at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, a presummit event held ahead of the Caribbean Digital Forensics and Cybersecurity Summit held last week in Barbados.
Hinds said one of the major challenges was that people often did not understand how seemingly harmless actions could expose them to cyber threats.
“For instance, everyone has a mobile phone but they don’t really understand that if you click on a link that you get in a WhatsApp message and that link is not from a viable or verified source, it could have malware in that specific link,” he said.
Hinds explained that malware introduced to a mobile device could potentially expose other devices connected to the home network, creating further risks to personal information and online accounts.
He said the risks could extend to banking and social media accounts, making it important for people to understand how to protect themselves while using digital platforms.
The expo was introduced this year as part of efforts to engage young people and vulnerable members of society who may not have a strong understanding of cybersecurity.
Haynes said the goal of the expo was for attendees to leave with practical knowledge and tools that can help them protect themselves and the digital infrastructure they use.
He cited the instance of one participant who was able to learn how to check her own device for vulnerabilities and how to address them.
“We just had a lady here who’s a senior citizen who is retired. She’s just home relaxing and she’s using devices and she came out. She had that opportunity to see how she can check her device for any vulnerabilities and then how to correct that vulnerability within her device,” the expert said.
To measure the effectiveness of the expo, surveys will be used to assess its impact and determine where additional cybersecurity education and capacity building may be needed. (AJ)