Digital transformation platform “Tareeq” received 1,352 letters requesting aid and awareness on cyber crimes over a period of only 20 days, showing an increasing awareness among Jordanians of this new type of crime and trust in law enforcement.
The platform was a joint effort between Siren Associates, a non-profit organization specialized in security and public sector reform, the Public Security Department (PSD) and the Mafraq-based Arab Women’s Association.
Sarah Aladdin, Head of Siren Associates’ Digital Transformation told the Jordan News Agency (Petra) on Thursday that the identity of the senders is completely protected, adding that the letters are dealt with confidentially to maintain the privacy of the senders and increase the local community’s trust and willingness to ask for help if they fall victim to cyber crimes.
The platform, she indicated, aims at introducing the concept of cyber crimes and the mechanism for preventing them, as well as helping visitors who have experienced this type of crime and achieving digital safety. It also has a virtual assistant chatbot feature that contacted 207 people, a number that indicates the high level of awareness, underscored Aladdin.
Laying out other features, she said that Tareeq has a database of information, research and studies on cyber crimes that were conducted in cooperation with the concerned authorities, and a learning center. Moreover, the platform can connect users directly to the police without disclosing their identity.
Project Director at Siren Associates – Jordan Stephen Boddy thanked the PSD for its cooperation during the implementation of the project to arrive at a safe and conscious society through a partnership with local communities. He pointed out that six areas were targeted under the project, including Hay Nazzal, Khalidiya, Aydon and Ramtha.
Program coordinator at the non-profit Rand Tabishat said that research showed that 80 percent of the victims of cyber crimes are young girls and women, and that gender-based violence via the Internet is a source of concern to society. Other findings indicated that 90 percent of responders said they trust the official announcements launched by the PSD, she pointed out.
Director of the PSD’s Information and Community Policing Col. Mahmoud Sheyab said that the PSD launched other promising projects, including the “Bunyan” project, which specifically targets young people to introduce the concepts of security and peace. The project includes programs and initiatives to train youth to protect themselves and others from cyber crimes.
Technological development has led to positive and negative outcomes, which include cyber crimes, he said, noting that police officers are being trained in addressing cyber crimes and gender-based violence. Statistics showed that the public’s trust in law enforcement has increased, an achievement that Sheyab said he is proud of, calling it an opportunity to further build on it and work with national institutions and civil society organizations.
In a related context, a national conference was held earlier today at the Dead Sea under the title: “Digital Protection in Jordan; an Analysis and Future Scenarios,” within a project to expand the scope of protection in the Kingdom, which is supported by the European Union’s Regional Program for Protection and Development (RDPP).
During the conference, the Government’s Coordinator for Human Rights Nazir Awamleh said that these crimes threaten the stability of society, describing them as “a flagrant violation of human rights” that must be addressed multilaterally.
Cyber crimes are characterized by the hacking of electronic accounts, the exploitation of children, and the difficulty of tracking its perpetrators, Awamleh underscored, calling for increased efforts to address them using advanced and modern methods.
The fallout of cyber crimes can range from the hacking of financial accounts and deceiving people through fake identities to more serious ramifications such as suicide, family disintegration, destruction of social and human relationships and psychological illnesses, Awamleh noted.
Jordan, he underscored, addresses cyber crimes through a law that punishes the perpetrator with imprisonment for years according to the type of crime. The law protects the financial data of individuals and institutions and punishes those who commit slander against others, he added.
Source: Jordan News Agency