MCM will support Myanmar citizens to become “Cyber Smart”

Cybersecurity experts had joined hands to provide protection and support to the citizens of Myanmar, regarding the cybersecurity hazards and threats, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. U Ye’ Naing Moe, the deputy head of the Department of Information Technology and Cybersecurity, Ministry of Transportation and Communication, emphasized in the press conference, to announce the cybersecurity month of Myanmar, that as the use of technology for interpersonal communication, entertainment and online trades by millions of Myanmar citizens had been on the rise, cybersecurity threats and cyber safety had become very important.

U Ye’ Naing Moe said,” Nowadays, we become to use digital technology, more and more, because of the stay-at-home program. It is very important to educate the public about cybersecurity at the moment. This is because the scammers would like to take advantage of the anxiety, fear, and insecurity of the people during the pandemic. The swindlers on the cyber tend to send emails or short messages to deceive people and to steal passwords and other personal information. These people use social media to deceive and defame the people and also to distribute the wrong information. Business and government organizations and people, studying or working through video conferencing tools from home, are more liable to threats via a cyber network. Hence, we need more cooperation. We have to use our PCs and internet network more securely in order to keep our families safe.” Photo Source https://www.facebook.com/WaveMoney

According to the head of Cyber Crime Police Force, Myanmar Police Force, Police Colonel Nyunt Wai, there had been a tremendous rise in the cybercrime rate in the past 5 years due to the lack of cybersecurity knowledge. He also added,” There were 20 cybercrimes in 2015. The cybercrime rates were over 220 in 2016, over 320 in 2017, and over 370 in 2018 respectively. In 2020, there have been 550 cybercrimes up until now. Up to this day, there are 23-million Facebook users in Myanmar. The majority of these people do not even know their account password. Some people use fake websites or fake accounts to deceive people to transfer money to them and there are also big incidences like human trafficking online. This is the responsibility that everyone who uses digital devices has to comprehend.”

Up to 2019, the internet penetration of Myanmar had been 40%. Myanmar telecommunicating companies announced that there was a 25% rise in the use of the internet in April during the first wave of the pandemic. The use of video conferencing, broadcasting issues online, trade via online, mobile money, and digital currency had also risen significantly. Wave Money, the leading company of Myanmar mobile money service, announced that in the first 6 months of 2020, their mobile wallet users and their account registration had increased by a percentage of 3-digit figures and this amounted to a 401% rise of users and 426% rise of registration. Brad Jones, CEO of wave money said,” Wave Money takes pride in contributing to the Myanmar Cybersecurity Month as an official partner by helping to create a safe and prosperous environment for educating users and organizations regarding cybersecurity, mobile transactions, and digital transactions. He also said,” As our vision goes ‘To create the better future of Myanmar by cooperation in the money sector’, we believe that digital literacy is extremely important and will continue to stand as our top priority.”

Myanmar Cybersecurity Month(MCM) is an annual program intended to promote cybersecurity education and to enable safety in use online. Along with the other cybersecurity education event around the world which holds for months, Myanmar Cybersecurity Month is held in October annually. The theme of this year MCM —the second year of the event—is “Do Your Part #BeCyberSmart”. MCM is held by the Information Technology and Cyber Security Department of Ministry of Transportation and Communication (MOTC), Myanmar Computer Federation (MCF), and Myanmar US ICT Council with the support of the Ministry of Commerce, Myanmar Central Bank, Digital Economy Association of Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI), Wave Money—official partner— and corporate sponsors like Google, Facebook, and VISA. Photo Source https://www.facebook.com/WaveMoney

CEO of Myanmar US ICT Council, Grutchen Kunze, said,” I am glad to be able to organize such webinars with the purpose of nurturing the habit of resisting the cybercrimes, together with the member companies of US ICT Council, MCF, government and corporate partners in such an important era. I am especially glad to receive such an enthusiastic response and supports from our partners to raise cyber education in Myanmar.”

On the Facebook page of MCM, apart from the ongoing education programs, the partners of MCM are organizing online meetings and webinars regarding the issues like cybersecurity and protection of personal information, safe digital transactions, social engineering and false information, cybersecurity for e-Commerce, cybersecurity for chief executive officers and deputy managers and development of national cybersecurity policy.