Digital Cleanliness: How Kenyan Students Can Champion Cyber Hygiene for Safer Online Learning

In today's digital age, technology is no longer just a tool—it’s a way of life, especially for Kenyan students. With virtual classrooms, online research, and social media becoming integral parts of your daily routine, staying connected is essential. But with every click, download, and post, you could unknowingly be opening the door to cyber threats.

Kenya reported over 67 million cyber threats in 2023 alone, according to the Communications Authority of Kenya (CAK). A significant chunk of these attacks targeted students, as young learners are increasingly engaging with online platforms for both education and social interactions. This is why practising cyber hygiene—the set of habits to maintain and improve your online safety—has never been more crucial.

Here’s how you can lead the way in ensuring digital safety, and becoming a role model for your peers while protecting yourself from the growing cyber risks.

1. Secure Your Digital Identity: The First Step to Clean Cyber Habits

Imagine waking up one morning, trying to access your student portal, and realizing your password no longer works. Even worse, you find out someone has been using your account to send out suspicious emails to classmates. Welcome to the world of identity theft.

Cyber hygiene begins with safeguarding your digital identity. Hackers often target weak passwords or unprotected accounts to steal personal information. In Kenya, phishing and credential theft surged by 35% in 2023, making students easy prey for cybercriminals.

How to Protect Your Identity:

• Use strong, unique passwords for each account. Include a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols. A good password should be at least 12 characters long.
• Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) wherever possible. This adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second verification step, like a code sent to your phone.
• Avoid sharing login details with anyone. Even close friends should have their own credentials for accessing platforms and apps.

2. Regular Software Updates: A Key to Clean Cyber Practices

You’re about to start an important online lecture when a notification pops up for a software update. It’s tempting to click “Remind me later,” but skipping updates can leave your device vulnerable to attacks.

A staggering 60% of cyberattacks in Kenya were due to unpatched vulnerabilities in outdated software, according to the Kaspersky Cybersecurity Report. By neglecting to update your device, you’re essentially leaving a window open for hackers to exploit.

How to Stay Up-to-Date:

• Enable automatic updates on your devices. This ensures that you’re always protected with the latest security patches.
• Update your antivirus software regularly to detect and block any new threats.
• For apps and study platforms, regularly check for updates in the app store to ensure you have the latest version.

3. Clean Your Digital Footprint: Be Mindful of What You Share

In a world of constant social media engagement, it’s easy to overlook the amount of personal information you’re sharing. But every post, tag, and comment you make contributes to your digital footprint, which cybercriminals can exploit to launch targeted attacks.

Kenya’s social media users grew to over 11 million in 2023, and with this growth came a rise in social engineering attacks, where hackers manipulate personal data to gain access to your accounts.

How to Manage Your Digital Footprint:

• Review your privacy settings on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Limit who can view your posts and personal information.
• Think before you post. Avoid sharing sensitive details such as your location, school name, or ID number publicly.
• Regularly delete old accounts or inactive profiles that you no longer use. These could still contain valuable personal information that hackers could exploit.

4. Beware of Public Wi-Fi: The Cyber Trap

You’re in a local café, catching up on assignments while connected to their free Wi-Fi. While convenient, public Wi-Fi networks are a major cyber hygiene hazard. These networks are often unsecured, making it easy for hackers to intercept your data.

In fact, a recent study showed that 43% of students in Kenya regularly use public Wi-Fi for schoolwork, making them vulnerable to attacks such as man-in-the-middle (MITM), where hackers eavesdrop on your online activities.

How to Use Public Wi-Fi Safely:

• Avoid accessing sensitive accounts like online banking or student portals while on public Wi-Fi.
• Use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to encrypt your data and protect your connection when using public networks.
• Always log out of your accounts after using them in public spaces.

5. Back It Up: Prevent Data Loss from Cyber Threats

You’ve worked all week on your research project, but one wrong click on a suspicious link could result in malware corrupting your files. Without backups, you could lose everything in an instant.

Cyber attacks targeting educational data have increased significantly. Ransomware attacks on schools and universities rose by 15% globally in 2023, according to the Cybersecurity Ventures Report.

How to Back Up Your Data:

• Use cloud storage services like Google Drive or OneDrive to store important documents and assignments.
• Keep external hard drives or USBs as physical backups for crucial files.
• Set a schedule to back up your data regularly, ideally once a week, to minimize the risk of losing important work.

6. Learn to Spot Cyber Threats: Awareness Is the Key to Hygiene

You’ve heard about phishing emails, fake websites, and malware, but do you know how to spot them? Being aware of common cyber threats is one of the most powerful ways to maintain good cyber hygiene.

The CAK reported that phishing attacks were the most common cyber threat in Kenya, with students often falling victim due to their unfamiliarity with such scams.

How to Stay Alert:

• Think before you click. Avoid clicking on suspicious links or downloading attachments from unknown sources.
• Look for warning signs in emails or messages, such as unfamiliar senders, poor grammar, or urgent requests for personal information.
• Report suspicious activity to your school’s IT department or a trusted cybersecurity platform.

Conclusion: Lead the Way with Clean Cyber Habits

As Kenyan students continue to embrace the digital world for learning, the responsibility of staying safe online falls on your shoulders. By adopting simple cyber hygiene habits—like securing your accounts, updating your devices, managing your digital footprint, and backing up your data—you can protect yourself and your classmates from falling victim to cyber threats.

Being cyber-smart is not just about protecting yourself; it’s about leading by example. Your awareness and actions can inspire your peers to follow suit, creating a safer, more secure digital environment for everyone.

Stay vigilant, stay informed, and remember: cyber hygiene starts with you!

Cyber Hygiene Community