The Project ‘Cybersecurity Meets Culture’ concludes successfully, sparking conversations about the role of culture in cybersecurity.
As part of its aim to foster cybersecurity awareness and promote discussions on cybersecurity in a cross-cultural context, the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW) and Biaka University Institute of Buea (BUIB) held two hybrid workshops targeting students and professionals across the globe. Both workshops were conducted in collaboration with the Erasmus/Movetia project MECyS.
Held on the 12th of December, the student-focused workshop featured experts from Cameroon, including Mr. Boma William from the Biaka University Institute of Buea, and from Germany, including Mr. Jens Alber and Ms. Deborah Krzyzowski from Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg. Over 70 attending students benefited from insights on preventing cyberattacks and protecting themselves, with perspectives shared from both European and African contexts.
The workshop for professionals, held on 13th of December, brought together attendees from Cameroon, Switzerland, Germany, and Canada, offering valuable insights into how cultural factors influence cybersecurity. The session also provided actionable recommendations for integrating culture into cybersecurity education across academic institutions and corporations. Besides, Dr. Bernd Remmele, an expert from Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg, captivated the audience with the compelling story of a university that was hacked—detailing how the breach occurred, how it was resolved, and the critical lessons learned.
A standout feature of both workshops was the enthusiastic engagement of participants, especially during the Q&A sessions. Feedback from surveyed participants emphasized the value of these discussions and highlighted the need to continuously foster cybersecurity awareness, particularly in Cameroon and other countries where campaigns against cyberattacks are still in their early stages.
A key takeaway from the workshops is that cybersecurity is a global concern. Therefore, discussing it in cross-continental contexts is crucial to being well-guarded against cyberattacks that transcend borders. Even more importantly, the importance of including culture in these discussions was emphasised. As revealed in the joint research project, cultural elements such as power distance, individualism/collectivism, and uncertainty avoidance play a significant role in shaping cybersecurity-related human behaviour.