Bunjiwe Mkwananzi
Judith Phiri [email protected]
THE National University of Science and Technology (NUST) Vice Chancellor, Professor Mqhele Dlodlo, has said tertiary institutions play a critical role in strengthening Zimbabwe’s cybersecurity ecosystem by developing skilled professionals, advancing research and innovation, and raising awareness of emerging digital threats.
As Zimbabwe accelerates its digital transformation through e-government services, mobile financial platforms, e-commerce and other technology-driven systems, institutions of higher learning are increasingly expected to help build the expertise needed to safeguard the country’s cyberspace.
Closer collaboration between academia, Government and the private sector could further support the development of home-grown cybersecurity solutions while ensuring that Zimbabwe has a sustainable pipeline of skilled professionals capable of responding to an increasingly complex digital threat landscape.
Speaking at the National Cybersecurity Awareness Month Launch Conference and Hackathon Challenge at NUST on Friday, Prof Dlodlo said, as universities, they have a particularly important responsibility.
“Universities are not simply places where students come to obtain qualifications. We are custodians of knowledge, centres of research and innovation, and increasingly, custodians of vast amounts of sensitive digital information.
“Our universities hold student records, examination results, research data, intellectual property, financial information, personal information and confidential institutional communications. Our laboratories and research facilities are increasingly connected to digital systems,” he said.
“Our teaching and learning platforms depend on technology. Our researchers collaborate across borders through digital networks. A cyberattack on a university can therefore do much more than disrupt email or an online learning platform.”
He said it can interrupt teaching and learning, compromise research, expose personal information, threaten intellectual property, damage institutional trust and undermine the very knowledge systems on which national development depends.
Prof Dlodlo said that is why cybersecurity must become part of the culture of every university, not merely the responsibility of the ICT department.
“At NUST, we recognise that responsibility. This is why partnerships such as today’s gathering are so important. The hackathon challenge taking place as part of this programme is a powerful example of what we can achieve when we bring together young talent, technology and real-world challenges,” he added.
“A hackathon is more than a competition. It is an opportunity to ask difficult questions. We want our young people not merely to consume technology, but to question it, build it, secure it and improve it. The cybersecurity challenges of tomorrow will require creativity as much as technical expertise.”
He said they will require collaboration as much as individual brilliance, and they will require them to move from simply reacting to cyber incidents to anticipating threats and building resilience before incidents occur.
Prof Dlodlo called on students, academics, professionals, businesses, Government institutions and members of the public to make this month a month of action.
“Let us learn, question, innovate, share knowledge, strengthen our institutions, protect our data, secure our systems, and teach our children and communities how to navigate the digital world safely. Above all, let us remember the central message of this campaign: Don’t make it easy for them.”
This year’s theme, “Don’t Make It Easy for Them: Building a Cyber Strong Zimbabwe”, carries a simple but powerful message.
Bongani Ndlovu