Last month’s cyber-attack on the International Committee of the Red Cross and its affiliated bodies showed that the humanitarian community isn’t immune from cybercrime. Given that Africa is a focal point for many humanitarian operations and is experiencing rising rates of cybercrime across all sectors, this is especially sobering. It’s shone a spotlight on the reality that although emerging technologies have positively transformed how aid is delivered, there are also potential harms. Many Red Cross operations are conducted in Africa – e.g. in the Sahel, Ethiopia, Chad and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. So for the continent it’s a reminder that tech without due consideration of the risks could expose many vulnerable people to harm.
ISS: Keeping the humanitarian sector in Africa safe from digital threats defenceweb.co.za - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from defenceweb.co.za Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
DigitHarium Month #3: Information disorders, conflicts and shifting online landscapes
Propaganda and the manipulation of information have always been part of conflicts. In a digital world, this reality takes new dimensions as the Internet and social media exponentially increase the speed, scale and reach of good and bad information, magnifying the phenomenon and its negative consequences. The COVID crisis further highlighted the devastating effects of the global ‘infodemic’ threatening international peace and security. Article 07 April 2021
For the third DigitHarium month of 2021, we turned our head to an issue that has become more and more topical for humanitarian action: the impact of online misinformation, disinformation and hate speech (MDH) on conflict trajectories. We focused in particular on how MDH can increase peoples exposure to risks and vulnerabilities in fragile settings, and what humanitarian organizations can do to better understand this phenomenon and respond