At a global level, the month of October has been designated as the cybersecurity awareness month. In Rwanda, the National Cyber Security Authority (NCSA), in collaboration with its partners, will run a national awareness campaign to sensitize the public on cybersecurity best practices and their rights to personal data protection and privacy.

On Friday, October 14, 2022, the National Cyber Security Authority together with its partners, namely the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB), MTN Rwanda and Airtel Rwanda, conducted an awareness outreach event for the public in the vicinity of the Nyabugogo Bus Park in the City of Kigali. This event served as a platform for those institutions, to reach out to the general public that use Nyabugogo bus park, shops, and markets, about cybersecurity hygiene and how to protect the privacy of their personal data.

Mr. Niyonamamaza Theogene, The Director of IT Security at MTN Rwanda, stated that cybersecurity threats exist,  and that as MTN, they do their best to ensure the security and resilience of the services and solutions that they offer to their subscribers and also work to address any identified challenges through collaboration with relevant security agencies such as the National Cyber Security Authority and Rwanda Investigation Bureau.

Mukezangango Didier, an Administrative Coordinator at Airtel Rwanda, said that as Airtel, their customers regularly call customer support to report scams that aim to steal their money and they work with them in addressing them; and for this reason this awareness-raising campaign is extremely relevant and timely. He encouraged Airtel subscribers to be analytical to what they are told, and when they are in doubt, to reach out to Airtel through their support lines or NCSA for assistance.

Jessica Natukunda, representing RIB's cybercrime department at the outreach event, reminded the public to not to give their personal or sensitive information to strangers or unidentified individuals or businesses, especially through social media or ecommerce platforms, as it can lead to loss of money or important personal information being stolen, to identity theft or other types of cybercrimes. He encouraged the public to always report timely to RIB for any cases related to cybercrime.

Speaking on behalf of NCSA, Ghislaine Kayigi, the , Chief Cybersecurity Standards Officer, noted that although cybersecurity awareness raising is a regular activity for NCSA, this month of October is significant as it is globally designated as the cybersecurity awareness month. She highlighted the role of the national Computer Security Incident Response Team (Rw-CSIRT) to provide support to members of the public and institutions, public and private, affected by cyber incidents and share best practices on how they can be secure online.

To join in the campaign, use the hashtag #TekanaOnline  and learn more about online safety and your rights to privacy and personal data protection.