Cyber threats target online learning platforms
Nearly 63% of online learners across Middle East, Turkiye and Africa faced cyber incidents in the past year, research reveals.
A recent study by Kaspersky has revealed that nearly 63% of online learners in the Middle East, Turkiye, and Africa (META) region experienced cyber incidents within the past year. Conducted among 1,864 respondents aged 18-65 who engaged in online or hybrid education, the research was carried out across 18 countries, including South Africa.
The most prevalent digital threats in online education included suspicious messages or links (27%), fake apps or websites (23%), and scams via online communities or messaging groups (22%). Other issues encompassed fake courses or providers (20%), malware within educational files or apps (18%), exposure of personal data (16%), unrecognised certificates (16%), and account hacking (11%).
Marina Titova, vice president for consumer business at Kaspersky, emphasized the necessity for robust digital-life protection due to the rapid digitalisation and evolving threat landscape. She highlighted the serious risks that online students can encounter, such as losing a thesis to ransomware, falling for fake courses, and having accounts compromised through malicious links.
Kaspersky experts have also identified various spam mailings targeting online education services, targeting parents who are encouraged to switch their children to online schooling, adults seeking to return to school without quitting their jobs, and offers of student loans. The study found that half (51%) of those affected by cyber incidents in the META region lost time, 44% experienced unwanted advertising, 38% lost trust in educational platforms, and 29% suffered financial losses.
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