The seventh edition of the North Africa Internet Governance Forum has begun in the capital city of Tripoli with the participation of Libyan, Arab, and international experts and professors in the fields of information technology and the internet. It totalled to around 250 participants from six Arab countries.
The forum, which will last for four days, aims to raise awareness among internet users about avoiding risks. The Head of the forum’s preparatory committee, Khaled Ghalam, stated in an interview with “Fawasil” that the number of participants has reached around 250 from Libyan, Arab, and international experiences.
The forum will cover various topics, including the call for a clean and violence-free internet that is free of hate speech. It will also address issues related to preserving the Libyan digital identity and how to develop it in the future.
The forum will discuss infrastructure development and keeping up with the latest developments, as well as cybersecurity, which is one of the most critical issues. This especially given the recent increase in attempts to breach online security and steal personal information.
Ghalam emphasised that internet governance is a fundamental issue in Libya to prevent chaos in the world of the internet, as it can have negative effects on communities. The forum aims to raise awareness among internet users to avoid the risks that users may face.
The forum hosted experts from the United Kingdom in the field of cybersecurity, as well as local participation from the Safety and Information Security Authority,the General Authority for Communications and Informatics, the Post and Telecommunications Company, and the General Authority for Monitoring Media Content.
As with many countries, Libya faces a range of cybersecurity threats. Some of the most common cybersecurity threats in Libya include phishing attacks. Cybercriminals often use phishing emails to trick users into sharing sensitive information or installing malware on their devices. These attacks can be particularly effective in Libya, given the country’s low level of digital literacy and awareness.
