The importance of raising cyber-smart generations

South Africa's youth are fluent in the language of digital, but that fluency can become a dangerous false sense of security.

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Every day cybercriminals are exploiting the behaviours and habits of young people to steal money, data, dignity and opportunities.

As the country commemorates Youth Month, cybersecurity company Fortinet plans to equip the next generation to be able to protect themselves and everyone else from online threats.

Why young South Africans are at risk? Mobile-first. Hustle-driven. Social-attached. These are the terms that define how South Africa's youth live, work and interact.

With most young South Africans relying on smartphones for everything from studying and banking to job-hunting and monetising social media, their attack surface is wider than they think.

Doros Hadjizenonos, regional director for Fortinet South Africa, said young people are incredibly digitally savvy, but often also underprepared when it comes to security.