THE Tanzania Communication Regulatory Authority (TCRA) has fined five telecommunications service providers for failing to take security, technical and legal measures to protect their customers against cyber crime and fraud.
TCRA has, therefore, ordered every
mobile phone provider to pay 25m/- (125m/- in total) before January 29,
2015. Each licensee (company) has also been ordered to ensure from the
date of the order issued to them, put in place measures for a secure
environment that will prevent spoofed messages and related security
threats in their networks.
The companies include Benson Informatics
Limited (trading as Smart), MIC Tanzania Limited (trading as TIGO),
Airtel Tanzania Limited, Viettel Tanzania Limited (trading as Halotel)
and Zanzibar Telecom Limited (trading as Zantel).
TCRA Director General, Dr Ally Simba,
said the companies failed, neglected and refused to heed to the
authority’s directive to ensure a secure environment for the
connectivity and protection mechanism against information security
threats contrary to regulation 8 (a) of the Electronic and Postal
Communications (Computer Emergency Response Team) regulations of 2011.
“We have been receiving complaints from
consumers regarding unsecure environment in communication services that
endangers consumer by allowing fraudsters to send false, deceitful and
misleading messages,” Dr Simba explained. He noted that 42 incidents
have been reported to TCRA and police in the last two months in which
each incident can cause loss of about 25m/-.
The DG noted that it was possible for
the service providers to put in place such security mechanism and TCRA
reminded them to do so in October 2015 but until December 2015, the
companies in question never complied with the directives.
Speaking on other measures taken against
the companies, he said, by virtue of section 17 of the second schedule
of the Electronic and Postal Communications Act, the authority has also
issued strong warning to the companies.
Dr Simba also made it clear that failure
by the licensee to honour the orders, the authority will proceed with
further legal and regulatory actions against the licensee. TCRA Director
of Legal Services, Ms Elizabeth Nzagi, cautioned consumers that
technology was both good and bad thus reminding them to be careful while
applying it.
Ms Nzagi said all consumers of
communication services need to be cautious when they receive messages
asking them to send some money.
“You need to be careful even if you
receive a message from a number that is familiar or you frequently
communicate with,” she stressed. Ms Nzagi noted that before sending the
money one should confirm the message by calling the person requesting
money through an alternative number or check with them first before
sending money, adding that some people get confused when they receive
the message telling them their parents or close family members are sick
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