"I am because we are": developing and nurturing an African digital security culture

Karen Renaud; Stephen Flowerday; Lotfi ben Othmane; Melanie Volkamer

"I am because we are": developing and nurturing an African digital security culture

Karen Renaud, Stephen Flowerday, Lotfi ben Othmane, Melanie Volkamer

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

Abstract

Technical solutions fail if people experience difficulties using them. Sometimes these difficulties force people to work around the security solutions in order to achieve legitimate goals. Improving usability undoubtedly helps, but this has not improved the situation as much as anticipated. In this paper we consider a variety of other reasons for non-uptake.

We argue that this situation can only be addressed by considering the person as a member of the wider community and not as a solitary agent. This aligns with the traditional African wisdom of Ubuntu: “I am because we are”. We propose improving the African Digital Security Culture (ADSC): collective knowledge, common practices, and intuitive common security and privacy behaviour, in a particular society. We suggest a set of approaches for developing and sustaining ADSC in a society, for as members of a society we learn most effectively from each other, not from books, the media or by carrying out searches using search engines.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Proceedings of the African Cyber Citizenship Conference 2015
Editors	J. F. Van Niekerk
Place of Publication	Port Elizabeth
Publisher	Nelson Mandela University
Pages	94-104
Number of pages	11
ISBN (Print)	9781920508678
Publication status	Published - 2015
Externally published	Yes
Event	African Cyber Citizenship Conference 2015 - Port Elizabeth, South Africa Duration: 2 Nov 2015 → 3 Nov 2015

Conference

Conference	African Cyber Citizenship Conference 2015
Abbreviated title	ACCC 2015
Country/Territory	South Africa
City	Port Elizabeth
Period	2/11/15 → 3/11/15

Keywords

Society
Information security
Ubuntu

Access to Document

http://accconference.mandela.ac.za/ACCConference/media/Store/images/Proceedings-2015.pdf

Cite this

@inproceedings{805214e25d844497aa0b6849573559fa,

title = "{"}I am because we are{"}: developing and nurturing an African digital security culture",

abstract = "Technical solutions fail if people experience difficulties using them. Sometimes these difficulties force people to work around the security solutions in order to achieve legitimate goals. Improving usability undoubtedly helps, but this has not improved the situation as much as anticipated. In this paper we consider a variety of other reasons for non-uptake.We argue that this situation can only be addressed by considering the person as a member of the wider community and not as a solitary agent. This aligns with the traditional African wisdom of Ubuntu: “I am because we are”. We propose improving the African Digital Security Culture (ADSC): collective knowledge, common practices, and intuitive common security and privacy behaviour, in a particular society. We suggest a set of approaches for developing and sustaining ADSC in a society, for as members of a society we learn most effectively from each other, not from books, the media or by carrying out searches using search engines.",

author = "Karen Renaud and Stephen Flowerday and Othmane, {Lotfi ben} and Melanie Volkamer",

year = "2015",

language = "English",

isbn = "9781920508678",

pages = "94--104",

editor = "{Van Niekerk}, {J. F.}",

booktitle = "Proceedings of the African Cyber Citizenship Conference 2015",

publisher = "Nelson Mandela University",

address = "South Africa",

note = "African Cyber Citizenship Conference 2015 , ACCC 2015 ; Conference date: 02-11-2015 Through 03-11-2015",

}

Renaud, K, Flowerday, S, Othmane, LB & Volkamer, M 2015, "I am because we are": developing and nurturing an African digital security culture. in JF Van Niekerk (ed.), Proceedings of the African Cyber Citizenship Conference 2015. Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, pp. 94-104, African Cyber Citizenship Conference 2015 , Port Elizabeth, South Africa, 2/11/15. <http://accconference.mandela.ac.za/ACCConference/media/Store/images/Proceedings-2015.pdf>

"I am because we are" : developing and nurturing an African digital security culture. / Renaud, Karen; Flowerday, Stephen; Othmane, Lotfi ben et al.

Proceedings of the African Cyber Citizenship Conference 2015. ed. / J. F. Van Niekerk. Port Elizabeth : Nelson Mandela University, 2015. p. 94-104.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

TY - GEN

T1 - "I am because we are"

T2 - African Cyber Citizenship Conference 2015

AU - Renaud, Karen

AU - Flowerday, Stephen

AU - Othmane, Lotfi ben

AU - Volkamer, Melanie

PY - 2015

Y1 - 2015

N2 - Technical solutions fail if people experience difficulties using them. Sometimes these difficulties force people to work around the security solutions in order to achieve legitimate goals. Improving usability undoubtedly helps, but this has not improved the situation as much as anticipated. In this paper we consider a variety of other reasons for non-uptake.We argue that this situation can only be addressed by considering the person as a member of the wider community and not as a solitary agent. This aligns with the traditional African wisdom of Ubuntu: “I am because we are”. We propose improving the African Digital Security Culture (ADSC): collective knowledge, common practices, and intuitive common security and privacy behaviour, in a particular society. We suggest a set of approaches for developing and sustaining ADSC in a society, for as members of a society we learn most effectively from each other, not from books, the media or by carrying out searches using search engines.

AB - Technical solutions fail if people experience difficulties using them. Sometimes these difficulties force people to work around the security solutions in order to achieve legitimate goals. Improving usability undoubtedly helps, but this has not improved the situation as much as anticipated. In this paper we consider a variety of other reasons for non-uptake.We argue that this situation can only be addressed by considering the person as a member of the wider community and not as a solitary agent. This aligns with the traditional African wisdom of Ubuntu: “I am because we are”. We propose improving the African Digital Security Culture (ADSC): collective knowledge, common practices, and intuitive common security and privacy behaviour, in a particular society. We suggest a set of approaches for developing and sustaining ADSC in a society, for as members of a society we learn most effectively from each other, not from books, the media or by carrying out searches using search engines.

M3 - Conference contribution

SN - 9781920508678

SP - 94

EP - 104

BT - Proceedings of the African Cyber Citizenship Conference 2015

A2 - Van Niekerk, J. F.

PB - Nelson Mandela University

CY - Port Elizabeth

Y2 - 2 November 2015 through 3 November 2015

ER -

"I am because we are": developing and nurturing an African digital security culture

Abstract

Conference

Keywords

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Cite this