Growing dependence on online platforms exposes media houses to cyber threats

Growing dependence on online platforms exposes media houses to cyber threats – Media Associations

May 03, 2022 News

Kaieteur News – Even as journalist across the globe observe World Press Freedom Day today, May 3, 2022, a call is being made by associations of media workers both locally and regionally, for those in the fraternity to be safeguarded against pervasive cyber threats.

President of the GPA, Nazima Raghubir.

In fact, this year’s World Press Freedom Day is being observed under the theme: “Journalism Under Digital Siege”.
This theme is apt because of the emergence of more online-based media and the transition to or convergence of conventional media to social media platforms.
Press alliances such as the Guyana Press Association (GPA) and the Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM) have raised concerns about the growing transition to information technology systems, which exposes many media entities to online threats from spyware and ransomware.
In its statement issued on Monday, the GPA noted these viruses pose the severe risk of media houses by threatening their financial and technological existence.
The GPA held that ultimately, this will affect the public at large which the media serves and thus can affect the freedom of expression which is a fundamental human right.
The GPA also took the opportunity to urge journalists and media houses to take all necessary steps to guard and insulate themselves against such threats.
“No longer do State intelligence gathering agents have to monitor journalists and media houses around the world by their physical presence. These can be done using spyware to ascertain journalists’ sources and so impose sanctions and take other actions against those sources and journalist themselves,” the GPA explained in the statement.
The release went on to note that the Cyber Crime Act criminalises the transmission of certain information by electronic means.
“On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day 2022, we urge the Guyana government to assure journalists and media houses that it does not and will not utilise Spyware such as Pegasus. Private individuals and organisations are also not immune from this call,” the GPA stated.
Additionally, the GPA noted that media houses should of necessity take the requisite action to minimise the surveillance and monitoring of their work in violation of the freedom to receive and impart ideas.
“Journalists are also urged to be wary of what they download and from which sources on their mobile phones and other electronic devices as such acts can potentially install Spyware that can access their information and contact,” the body added.
Meanwhile, in its release, ACM noted that journalists are increasingly falling prey to cyber security threats.
“These,” the ACM said, “can ultimately lead to physical harm of journalists, their sources and the damage or destruction of their Information Technology (IT) devices and infrastructure.”
According to the ACM, the environment within which journalists in the Caribbean operate is becoming increasingly perilous.
The body explained that, “even so, many countries have already enacted legislation to intercept communication and counter what they regard as cybercrime. There is evidence to support the view that cybercrime legislation can become abused and become problematic in the context of the preservation of free expression.”
In a number of Caribbean countries, the ACM noted that State entities have been accused of acquiring spyware that can access digital communication and undermine privacy and other rights.
The ACM, therefore, urged Caribbean governments and their domestic allied institutions to take all necessary steps to ensure that journalists are not targeted with the intention of revealing the identity of confidential sources.
“‘With most media and journalists having an online presence, media enterprises have become acutely aware of some inherent vulnerability. These include exposure to hackers whose sole objective is to destroy channels that offend the public or private status quo and so inhibit the free flow of the truth to the wider public.
Equally, journalists and media houses are being advised to put in place the required measures to prevent, detect and block intrusions to their privacy and ultimately their software and hardware infrastructure,” the ACM said.

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