The Zimbabwean government has developed a safe platform for video conferencing and messaging to thwart hackers. This development follows the recent void in the National Climate Outlook Forum during the Meteorological Services Department case.
Currently, it has been used by the Department of Finance & Economic Development. TrueConf, the secure video conference program that is integrated in the PFMS, is used to perform video conferencing and communication. The program is a PFMS-based application.
READ ALSO: NIGERIA: FG Builds Electronic Academies, Trains 33,000 Nigerians
“We are working on a video conferencing and messaging app, and we are testing the system,” – Engr Sam Kundishora, the Permanent Secretary for Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services.
The COVID-19 pandemic has created more space for interactive contact. Stable technology solutions are highly demanded in both the private and public sectors. Furthermore the hacking incident exposed the need for a safer program. It showed that having high level Zoom meetings could be vulnerable to malicious activities. Engr Kundishora further claimed that it would maintain privacy and control of all virtual government meetings using a locally managed system.
However according to him, outside Zimbabwe Zoom is hosted and controlled. When invitations are circulated to host events, they can end up in the wrong hands who would use them to gain access to protected information.
The Permanent Secretary for the Atmosphere, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry has also called for the enactment of the Cyber Security and Data Privacy Bill into law. He says it will deter hackers from poking nosing on online government operations.
