IBRAHIM ABDULAI SAWANEH
DIRECTOR OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS - IAMTECH
AUTHOR: IBRAHIM ABDULAI SAWANEH, DIRECTOR OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS AT THE INSTITUTION OF ADVANCED MANAGEMENT AND TECHNOLOGY - IAMTECH
19th December, 2018
ABSTRACT
The use of information is increasing everyday with the advent of more applications of social media platform that utilizes millions of data per second globally. These data include sensitive information such as trade secret, privacy and security issues. Most importantly, some organizations, both private and public use this medium to disseminate messages among colleagues especially in Africa. Also, the emergence of smart-phone has accelerated more problems with having little knowledge on security matters. Furthermore, cyber-crimes use this opportunity to launch more cyber-attacks by invading people’s privacy and steal sensitive information such as credit card details, online shopping information of customers, online ticket booking. Government official’s details have being hacked or eavesdropped over the years when using their smart-phones for communications. Emails of prominent people have also being hacked or disrupted, causing huge financial lose. These attacks are on the increase and therefore, countermeasures are vital to combat cyber-crimes and cyber warfare in this hostile cyberspace. The research study the sociological and technological issues that impact cyber-crime and cyber-security within the boundary of Sierra Leone, as a national security threats. The study provides answers to the issues highlighted in the research. An extensive survey was conducted, which highlighted the need for a robust and proactive approach to mitigate the frequency on which cyber-crime is carried out in the country and its neighbors. Data amassed were subjected to relevant questionnaires issued and collected from the respondents in the state security apparatus, based on the conventional approaches or methods of investing crime in Sierra Leone. The research shows that the state has weak laws regarding cyber-crime and cyber security, and most people working in these departments or agencies have little knowledge in cyber security and cyber-crime. In fact, most are on political appointment rather than on merit-base that supposed to be the right procedure that will accelerate and achieve the goals of these institutions.
KEYWORDS
Cybercrime, Cyber Security, Internet of Thing
REFERENCES
[1] Brenner S (2007). Law in an Era of Smart Technology, Oxford: Oxford University Press p. 374.
[2] Longe OB, Chiemeke SC (2008). Cybercrime and criminality in Nigeria – What roles are internet access points in playing? Eur. J. Soc. Sci. 6 (4): 133-139.
[3] Aluko M (2004). 17 ways of stopping financial corruption in Nigeria. www. comcast. net. April 5, 2010.
[4] Erhabor IM (2008). Cybercrime and the Youths (PGDE Thesis), Department of Education, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Nigeria, p. 37.
[5] Awe J (2004). Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana top Cybercrime in Africa. www. davidajao. com. 25th June 2010.
[6] Yar M (2005). The novelty of cybercrime: An assessment in light of routine activity theory. Eur. J. Criminol. 2 (4): 407427.
[7] Smith RG, Grabosky P, Urbas G (2004). Cyber Criminals on Trial. Cambridge (UK): Cambridge UP.
[8] Maat S (2004). Cybercrime: A Comparative Law Analysis (Doctoral thesis), University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa p. 239.
[9] Wall DS (2001). Maintaining order and law on the internet. In: Wall DS (Ed.), Crime and the internet. London: Routledge pp. 167-183.
[10] Sharmila Subudhi, Suvasini Panigraphi (2017). QuarterSphere Support Vector Machine for Fraud Detection in Mobile Telecommunication Networks. December 2015 Procedia Computer Science 48: 353-359. DOI: 10.1016/j.procs.2015.04.193.
[11] Zhao et al (2017). Detecting telecommunication fraud by understanding the contents of a call. DOI: 10.1186/s42400018-0008-5
[12] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327356991_Detectin g_telecommunication_fraud_by_understanding_the_contents_ of_a_call/fulltext/5b8a6e15299bf1d5a7363752/327356991_D etecting_telecommunication_fraud_by_understanding_the_co ntents_of_a_call.pdf?origin=publication_detail
[13]https://www.coe.int/en/web/cybercrime/-/glacy-improvinginternational-cooperation-on-cybercrimeand-electronicevidence-in-west-africa
[14] http://www.au.int/en/sites/default/files/treaties/29560slafrican _union_convention_on_cyber_security_and_personal_data_pr otection.pdf
