Johannesburg: With Cybersecurity Awareness Month being observed in October, Digify Africa Head of Client Services Omphile Kgwathe-Nkiwane has outlined practical guidelines that can keep South Africans safe online. Cybersecurity Awareness Month is a global initiative that raises awareness about online safety and empowers individuals and businesses to protect themselves from cybercrime.
According to South African Government News Agency, the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) hosted a webinar on Thursday to mark the month under the 2025 theme: ‘Secure Our World’. The webinar aimed at empowering the public with practical tools that will enable them to use online platforms responsibly and protect themselves against potential dangers that may arise while using the platforms.
As part of an initiative to educate parents and guardians about cyber safety, Digify Africa has created a WhatsApp Learning Bot called Kitso. “It offers tools and techniques to help you and your loved ones stay safe online. The WhatsApp learning chat bot is an educator. We give these chat bots personalities; it’s like you are talking to someone. The content is aimed at educators, parents, and guardians. In the past, the boogeyman was on the streets but now he is on the internet,” Kgwathe-Nkiwane said.
Kitso can be added to one’s contacts on WhatsApp by typing in the number 076 593 7181 and saving the contact as Kitso. “With so much information online, some people find it difficult to distinguish between what is real and what is not and that is why we created the WhatsApp learning bots. We wanted to make the content easy for anyone to read the content and use it in a practical way,” Kgwathe-Nkiwane added.
The public can keep safe online by following several guidelines: using strong and unique passwords, employing two-factor authentication, recognizing phishing attempts, ensuring safety on social media, using secure connections, and applying critical thinking to online interactions. These measures are designed to protect individuals from various forms of cyber threats, thereby enhancing their online security.