Cyber Security
Tackling Cyberbullying with Cybersecurity to Defend the Digital Playground
Cyberbullying is a severe, often relentless form of digital harassment that can manifest in many ways, impacting individuals’ emotional well-being and security. On this International Day Against Violence & Bullying at School including Cyberbullying, Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. is driving the push to leverage cyber security to significantly curb the prevalence and impact of cyberbullying. Today, cyber security strategies not only safeguard systems from breaches but are instrumental in protecting individuals, especially children from cyberbullying.
Cyberbullying in all Forms and Shapes
Cyberbullying refers to any form of harassment, abuse, or defamation conducted via digital platforms. Unlike traditional bullying, cyberbullying occurs in the virtual realm, meaning it can follow victims anywhere, anytime, with devastating effects, taking the forms of :
- Impersonation: Cyberbullies often create fake accounts to impersonate their victims, leading to misunderstandings, reputational harm, or exploitation. For example, a bully may impersonate a student to send harassing messages to their peers, creating rifts and damaging relationships.
- Doxxing: This involves publicly sharing someone’s personal information (address, phone number, etc.), putting them at risk of physical harm or further online harassment. Such exposure can lead to ongoing fear and distress.
- Harassment & Stalking: Cyberbullies may send threatening or harassing messages repeatedly, or stalk victims across platforms. This form of bullying is especially prevalent on social media, where anonymity can embolden perpetrators.
- Revenge Porn & Sextortion: Cyberbullies might share explicit images without consent or threaten to do so unless demands are met, a tactic called “sextortion,” which has seen a dramatic rise globally. The FBI has reported rising cases, urging students and parents alike to remain vigilant.
Mitigating Cyberbullying with CyberSecurity
Cybersecurity is a valuable ally in the fight against cyberbullying, offering both protective and preventive solutions that help individuals avoid falling prey to bullies or being exploited online.
- Advanced Identity Verification: Multi-factor authentication (MFA) and identity checks help prevent unauthorized access to personal accounts, reducing opportunities for impersonation, account takeovers, and subsequent cyberbullying.
- Content Moderation and Filtering: AI-based tools filter and block abusive language or suspicious links on social media and educational platforms, helping reduce instances of harassment and potentially harmful interactions.
- End-to-End Encryption: Encryption secures private messages and sensitive content, ensuring only intended recipients can view information, making it harder for cyberbullies to intercept and misuse data.
- Digital Footprint Tracking: Cyber security tools can track online activities and create detailed digital trails, helping to locate and identify bullies who attempt to hide behind anonymous profiles.
- Reporting Mechanisms and Evidence Collection: Many platforms now incorporate reporting options that let users easily document and flag abusive content. Storing this digital evidence can aid in potential investigations.
Does Regulations Against Cyberbullying Work?
As cyberbullying increases worldwide, various nations have enacted regulations to combat it, though the effectiveness and enforcement levels differ widely. For example, in Singapore, the Protection from Harassment Act (POHA), first enacted in 2014 and amended in 2019, offers recourse against cyberbullying by allowing victims to seek protection orders. Violations are criminal offences that carry substantial fines and jail time.
Japan has gone a step further, after a surge in disturbing cyberbullying cases publicity, fueled by the suicide of Hana Kimura, a professional wrestler and reality television star, who had been receiving online abuse from social media users, in the months leading up to her death. This led to the introduction of stricter regulations under the Cyberbullying Prevention Act, focusing on the takedown of offensive content and penalizing perpetrators. In 2022, Japan imposed harsher penalties for online abuse, making “insults” on the internet punishable with a one-year prison sentence and a maximum fine of $2,500.
In Australia and New Zealand, in a united showing of the seriousness of cyberbullying, both governments have enacted robust cyberbullying laws with Australia’s Cybercrime Act and New Zealand’s Harmful Digital Communications Act enforcing strict penalties, including jail sentences for online harassment. In the United States, cyberbullying is rife according to the Pew Research Centre, where nearly half of US teens have been bullied or harassed online, with physical appearance being seen as a relatively common reason for insults.
However, there is still federal law against cyberbullying, though 44 U.S. states have implemented criminal penalties related to cyberbullying. Whilst these laws vary, they do often include strict penalties for sharing harmful content and online harassment. In Europe, many EU countries enforce stringent privacy laws under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which indirectly covers aspects of cyberbullying by protecting personal data and penalizing data misuse.
Collaborating to Stop Cyberbullying
An integrated approach combining cyber security, education, and regulatory action offers the most effective protection against cyberbullying. Check Point Software suggests the following actionable methods that can prevent or mitigate cyberbullying and its effects:
- Enhanced Privacy Settings: Encourage individuals to use privacy settings on social media platforms to control who can see and interact with their content.
- Multi-Factor Authentication: Implement MFA on all accounts to prevent unauthorized access, making it difficult for cyber bullies to hack into personal profiles.
- AI-Based Content Moderation: Use AI tools to identify and filter abusive language and suspicious behaviour, especially on youth-oriented platforms.
- Digital Literacy Education: Educate young users on recognizing cyberbullying, reporting it, and practising safe online behaviour to reduce their risk.
- Legal Recourse & Reporting: Strengthen cyberbullying laws and ensure reporting mechanisms are easily accessible to victims, with clear paths to hold perpetrators accountable.
- Support Networks and Counseling: Establish online and offline support for victims, as cyberbullying can lead to long-term emotional impacts. Platforms and institutions should facilitate access to counselling and peer support.
- International Collaboration: Given the cross-border nature of cyberbullying, fostering international partnerships can help enforce laws across jurisdictions and bring perpetrators to justice.
- Protection: Parents should also pay attention to how their children interact in the virtual world. There are solutions designed for schools that allow teachers to monitor students’ online behaviour and block offensive comments.
“Cyber security plays a fundamental role in safeguarding our digital lives beyond the traditional corporate and government spheres,” says Ram Narayanan, Country Manager at Check Point Software Technologies, Middle East. “By empowering individuals, especially students, with secure tools and digital literacy, we can diminish the pervasive effects of cyberbullying. We believe in fostering an environment where education, regulation, and cyber security converge to build a safe and respectful digital space for everyone. Working together to dismantle cyberbullying, we can create a digital world where security and kindness coexist.”
Cyber Security
Here’s How Smart Devices are Eroding Privacy and Security
Privacy is generally held as a fundamental right, with citizens often having high expectations regarding the protection of their personal information. Citizens protest when they fear that governments are increasing their involvement in the citizens’ personal lives. However, they don’t consider how much personal and sensitive data they share with any application that they install on their smartphone, or with smart devices in their homes.
Big tech companies and vendors of personal devices such as wearables, smartphones, and voice assistants collect intimate details about their users—often far more than any healthcare provider or government agency. These devices capture data on physical health (like heart rate, sleep patterns, and physical activity), mental well-being (through analysis of speech, facial expressions, and online activity), and personal preferences, including what we search for, buy, or listen to. Voice assistants continuously learn from user interactions, building profiles that can include details about routines, relationships, and even moods, inferred from voice tone and language.
This data extends beyond what any individual doctor could know, compiling a digital “fingerprint” of personal health and behaviour. For instance, wearables record heart rate, stress levels, and steps taken, creating a comprehensive record of the wearer’s physical and mental state. Online Platforms use sophisticated algorithms to understand users’ interests and behaviours better than many friends or family members might, mapping out everything from buying habits to political views.
These companies achieve such depth by aggregating data across devices, apps, and digital environments. The insights generated are not just for providing services but are also used in targeted advertising and can be shared with third parties or government entities under certain conditions, sometimes without users’ explicit knowledge.
Applications must request consent and permission to ask for sensors in your device, and usually, users easily give it. While this data has immense value for improving products and personalizing services, it raises significant privacy concerns because it operates largely without oversight, allowing tech companies to wield unprecedented insight into the intimate details of billions of lives.
In 2018, we learned about the Facebook and Cambridge Analytica scandal. In short, a consulting firm harvested personal data from millions of users without their consent. The data was used to build psychological profiles of users, which were then leveraged to deliver targeted political advertisements. The major concern was data monetization, ad profiling and targeted campaigns.
The discussion has escalated since then, and it is now around homeland security, influence campaigns, and espionage by foreign governments.
Privacy and cultural differences
A current public debate surrounds data collection practices by popular social media and technology companies. Investigations revealed that such apps gather extensive user data, including location, contacts, and behavioural data, raising concerns about data security and potential access by foreign governments. While these companies deny any unlawful access, governments have imposed strict oversight measures to ensure that sensitive user information is not compromised. This has sparked action worldwide, as countries prioritize data security for their citizens.
Smartphone and IoT device manufacturers from various regions are also under scrutiny. Concerns have been raised about the risk of foreign governments accessing user data through backdoors or other surveillance mechanisms. This issue is particularly prominent in countries with different approaches to data privacy, especially in authoritarian regimes that prioritise state control over individual privacy. These practices have led to heightened concerns over the potential misuse of devices for espionage or surveillance.
How Governments are Responding
Privacy Laws in Western countries exemplify this commitment to data privacy by giving individuals control over their data and requiring transparency from companies about data collection and sharing practices. Such frameworks are influenced by cultural values that prioritise individual freedoms and a deep-seated aversion to surveillance, especially in the private domain of one’s home.
This divergence not only shapes local privacy standards but also impacts international relations and the global IoT market. Democracies are increasingly implementing policies to restrict foreign-made devices suspected of being vulnerable to government interference, reinforcing the broader geopolitical contest between open and closed data governance models.
As these cases demonstrate, the threat is not hypothetical. Governments worldwide are actively grappling with the security and privacy implications posed by IoT devices, particularly from vendors with potential ties to state surveillance. In response, several regulatory and legal actions are underway:
- Bans and Restrictions on High-Risk Vendors: Select governments have taken action by banning specific foreign-made devices from critical infrastructure, particularly in government buildings and other sensitive areas. This approach, while controversial, is perceived as a necessary step to reduce the risk of espionage.
- Data Protection and Privacy Laws: The European GDPR and similar laws around the world are designed to give consumers more control over their data. These regulations require that companies provide clear consent options, disclose data usage, and allow users to manage the data collected by their devices. However, enforcing these laws on foreign companies remains a challenge. Therefore, in Europe, the commission approved last month the new extended Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), which demands manufacturers to comply with both privacy and security requirements in any connected device, if they want to sell them in the European market.
- Device Security Standards: Several countries have introduced laws mandating minimum security standards for devices used by government agencies. These laws encourage basic security measures like banning default passwords, thereby reducing the risk of unauthorized access.
The privacy breach incidents highlight the urgent need for stronger regulations and better consumer awareness of potential security threats. This story is not just about one family or a single breach; it’s a broader narrative of how the “smart” devices in our homes could, in the wrong hands, compromise our privacy and security. As governments, regulatory bodies, and consumers begin to navigate this new reality, collaboration and vigilance will be key to preserving the sanctity of our private spaces.
Cyber Security
OPSWAT and TCC Partner to Secure Saudi Arabia’s Critical Infrastructure
OPSWAT has formed a strategic partnership with Technology Control Company (TCC), a prominent Saudi firm specialising in security services, digital solutions, and big data. Through this partnership, TCC will implement and market OPSWAT’s unified MetaDefender platform, addressing critical challenges in malware detection, secure access, and data sanitisation. Together, OPSWAT and TCC will provide scalable, comprehensive solutions to protect Saudi Arabia’s essential IT and OT environments, addressing the growing demand for secure digital infrastructure across energy, finance, and government sectors.
Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which emphasises the importance of cybersecurity to drive digital transformation and economic diversification, has pushed the growth of the Saudi cybersecurity market which is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.5%, reaching SAR 15 billion by 2025. The industry still faces a significant shortage of cybersecurity professionals, with an estimated gap of 500,000 experts across the Middle East. OPSWAT’s solutions, combined with its educational initiatives through OPSWAT Academy, aim to address this skills gap by upskilling local professionals and reducing dependency on highly specialised in-house expertise through the solutions provided in collaboration with TCC.
“The demand for advanced cybersecurity solutions in Saudi Arabia has surged throughout 2023 and 2024, driven by the Kingdom’s ambitious digital transformation initiatives,” said Amjad Quteifan, Regional Sales Director at OPSWAT. “Through our partnership with TCC, we are uniquely positioned to deliver comprehensive security solutions that protect the critical infrastructure, empowering Saudi organisations to innovate and scale securely in support of Saudi Vision 2030.”
TCC has been a trusted provider of cutting-edge security solutions across Saudi Arabia since 2008. Commenting on the partnership, Mohammed AlMarri, TCC’s General Manager of Cybersecurity Services, stated, “With the growing convergence of IT and OT environments, the demand for advanced cybersecurity solutions is at an all-time high. At TCC, we leverage decades of expertise to deliver tailored cybersecurity services that protect critical infrastructure and sensitive data. Through our partnership with OPSWAT, we enhance our ability to provide comprehensive, scalable solutions that empower organisations to navigate the evolving threat landscape and safeguard their most valuable assets with confidence.”
Cyber Security
Positive Technologies and MCS Join Forces as MEA Cyber Threats Surge
Positive Technologies has signed a distribution agreement with Mideast Communication Systems (MCS), a leading provider of information technology and cybersecurity solutions headquartered in Cairo for the Middle East and Africa markets. The partnership will focus on sharing cybersecurity expertise and jointly promoting products and services in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Africa for result-driven cybersecurity.
Cyberattacks are still on the rise around the world: in the Middle East, their number tripled in Q1 compared to the same period in 2023. In Africa, over 70% of all cyberattacks in the last year targeted the public, finance, industry, and telecommunication sectors. Dark web marketplace research for the same period shows that information to access the networks of large domestic companies is available for an average of $2,970.
According to the 2023–2024 report by the International Telecommunication Union, Egypt is one of 12 nations awarded the highest rating in the Global Cybersecurity Index. However, Positive Technologies ranks the country second in Africa in terms of the number of cyberattacks (13%) after South Africa (22%).
Tarek Shabaka, MCS CEO, stated, “MCS has been in cybersecurity for 18 years, and today our strategic plan is centred on implementing cutting-edge solutions, supporting Egypt’s digital transformation, and expanding in the region. Our company has been growing its presence in Africa for the last several years. I’m confident that our partnership with Positive Technologies, a leading developer of advanced cybersecurity solutions and services, will help us significantly contribute to building a high level of cyber resilience among companies and organizations in the region.”
Ilya Leonov, Regional Director for MENA, Positive Technologies, stated that Positive Technologies has been working in the Middle East for several years and is excited to expand its partner network in Africa. “MCS has a wealth of experience with public sector and financial institutions, which we see targeted in more than half of all cyberattacks in Africa. We’re ready to share our extensive expertise, experience, and practical knowledge with our partners. Our collaboration with MCS will stretch beyond Egypt and include other countries in the Middle East and Africa. Priority will be given to industrial safety, DevSecOps, red team services, and ATM security assessment,” noted Ilya Leonov.
Mideast Communication Systems was founded in 2006 in Egypt, and today also has an office in Nairobi and operates in 10 countries in East and Central Africa. MCS annually hosts the FDC Summit, one of the largest IT exhibitions in Egypt held under the patronage of the Egyptian government and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.
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