Nearly 63% of online learners across the Middle East, Turkiye and Africa (META) region say they faced cyber incidents in the past year, reveals new research.
The study, conducted by Kaspersky, surveyed 1 864 respondents aged 18-65 who participated in an online or hybrid education format in the past 12 months. The surveyed respondents are from 18 countries, including South Africa.
According to the research, the most common digital incidents in online education included suspicious messages or links (27%), fake apps or websites (23%), and scams through online communities or messaging groups (22%).
Other issues included fake courses or providers (20%), malware in educational files or apps (18%), and personal data exposure (16%). The same proportion encountered unrecognised certificates (16%) and account hacking represented 11%.
“We see a growing demand for advanced training courses and university programmes delivered online. This rapid digitalisation, coupled with an evolving threat landscape, creates a clear need for comprehensive digital‑life protection,” comments Marina Titova, vice president for consumer business at Kaspersky.
“Losing a thesis because a ransomware blocks a computer, paying for a fake course or having an account compromised after clicking a malicious chat link are serious risks that anyone studying online can face.”
According to Kaspersky experts, they’ve identified several types of spam mailings advertising online education services. One of these tactics is aimed at parents, urging them to switch their children to online schooling by criticising traditional schools and asking recipients to forward the message.
In another example, e-mails are aimed at adult working people, suggesting them to go back to school without quitting their day job, however, images in those e-mails were mismatched and links were redirecting users to unrelated third‑party stores. Additionally, Kaspersky’s experts also detected various spam e-mails offering student‑loan deals.
The study also highlights that half (51%) of those who experienced an incident in the META region lost time, 44% received unwanted advertising, 38% lost trust in educational platforms, and almost a third (29%) suffered financial loss.
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