SABRIC urges South Africans to #TakeACloserLook this National Cyber Security Awareness Month
Johannesburg, South Africa – 04 October 2021
October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month. It is observed globally to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity.
This year, the South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC) will host an awareness campaign with the theme: #TakeACloserLook, which encourages the people of South Africa to be aware and look closely before sharing any personal information or clicking on links online.
“People work, connect, and transact online. However, as our way of life has evolved in the digital space, so too has our vulnerability to cybercrime. What we now know is that things are not always as they seem online, so we encourage all South Africans to take a closer look.” said SABRIC CEO, Nischal Mewalall.
Some of the common forms of cybercrime that will be addressed in the SABRIC awareness campaign include:
Phishing emails that request that users click on a link in the email which will direct them to a “spoofed” website. This website is designed to fool users into thinking that it is legitimate to obtain, verify or update contact details or other sensitive financial information.
Vishing, which occurs when a fraudster phones a victim posing as a bank official or service provider and uses social engineering skills to manipulate them into disclosing confidential information, while at the same time leading them to believe that they are speaking to the bank or service provider. This information is then used to defraud the victim.
SMishing, short for SMS Phishing, where criminals send an SMS often claiming to be from your bank, requesting personal or financial information such as your bank account details or PIN number to defraud you.
And identity theft, which occurs when a criminal steals your personal information and assumes your identity to make unauthorised transactions or purchases.
Mewalall concluded, “One of the most important defenses against cybercrime is prevention. Our hope is that that our awareness campaign empowers people with knowledge to make safer choices that prevent them from becoming cybercrime victims when they go online.”
For more information, visit www.sabric.co.za, as well as all SABRIC social media channels,
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
ENDS
Media enquiries contact:
Tamlyn Geldenhuis Louise van der Merwe
Cell: +27 76 512 3053 Tel: +27 11 847 3134
Email: tamlyn@stangcomms.com Cell: 082 070 5349
Email: media@sabric.co.za
Notes to Editors:
SABRIC is a NPF company formed by South African banks to support the banking industry in the combating of crime. SABRIC’s clients are South African banks and major CIT companies. Its principle business is to detect, prevent and reduce organised crime in the banking industry through effective public private partnerships. SABRIC co-ordinates inter-bank activities aimed at addressing organised bank related financial crime, violent crime and cybercrime, and acts as a nodal point between the banking industry and others, in respect of issues relating to these crimes. The creation of public awareness of various bank related crimes and educating the public on how to protect themselves is one of SABRIC’s key focus areas. For more on SABRIC visit www.sabric.co.za.