ETC
8 - OPINION
MARCH 21, 2024
EDITORIAL
Humber students need cybersecurity skills H umber College should provide training for its student body to remain cyber-safe. Currently, Humber faculty receive phishing emails every few months as a test to make sure they can avoid attracting fraudsters. If the phishing email is clicked, a separate page explains the suspicious attributes of the email and why faculty should keep an eye out for them. Microsoft Outlook also urges users to report phishing emails by using a Phish Alert Button, or PAB, to make their internal systems aware of potential threats. This is an important training exercise that should be made available to Humber students, not just faculty, to prepare them for attempts of data or identity theft. Haidar Jabbar, a professor who specializes in Application Security Testing in cybersecurity at Humber’s Faculty of Applied Sciences
and Technology, said it would be beneficial to prepare students for potential cyber-attacks due to the college’s susceptibility. “A cybersecurity attack on Humber College could manifest in several ways due to the institution’s significant digital footprint, diverse user base, and critical data repositories,” Jabbar said. “In today’s digital age, cybersecurity threats are prevalent across various sectors, and individuals need to understand how to protect themselves and their data online,” he said. “Providing cybersecurity training to students not only equips them with essential skills and knowledge to navigate cyberspace securely but also cultivates a culture of cybersecurity awareness and responsibility,” Jabbar said. He said a proactive approach can significantly mitigate cybersecurity risks, foster digital resilience
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Humber’s cybersecurity training needs to be extended to students.
and prepare students for cybersecurity challenges in their academic and professional endeavours. Starting in 2020, Humber hosted events for Cybersecurity Awareness Month or CSAM during October, but the helpful training exercises are for faculty rather than
students. “Throughout October, ITS will provide access to training videos, infographics and activities based on the sub-themes above. The delivery format will be every week (as per sub-themes) through our training platform KnowBe4.
Employees should expect to receive training enrolment and reminder emails from IT Security,” the web page read. CSAM will start its fourth year this fall. It needs to be expanded and made available to students and faculty to ensure that all members of the college’s community are prepared for potential threats. Jabbar said cybersecurity training for students could involve covering basic principles to hands-on learning. This includes identifying phishing attempts, data and Wi-Fi backup, understanding cyber laws, and case studies to understand the real effects of breaches and ransomware attempts. “This comprehensive training equips students with essential cybersecurity knowledge, skills, and ethical considerations for navigating the digital landscape securely,” he said.
EDITORIAL
One Fare is a fair one for Humber students F inally, residents in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) have some semblance of financial respite in the form of the Toronto Transit Commission’s (TTC) One Fare program. Launched on Feb. 26, the program allows free transfer on TTC and GO transit services in and around Toronto. At the launch of the program, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said it will eliminate double fares. “One Fare will save transit riders an average of $1,600 each and every year. It will be a massive savings for transit riders,” Ford said. From Brampton in the west to Oshawa in the east, the program
serves to make commuting easy on the pockets of riders. Between a TTC and GO transfer, only the TTC part of the trip will become free. The second part of trips from a TTC service to local transit operators of Brampton Transit, Durham Region Transit, MiWay and York Region Transit will become free. The transfers are valid for three hours on GO and two hours on local transit systems. “It will provide people with more transit options and more convenience,” Ford said. Many students at Humber who use these inter-region services are reaping the benefits of the program.
This integrated system has helped them by cutting travel costs by up to a half. The program has also provided better mobility to students. If there was a reluctance to travel in the GTHA before, the program offers relief by requiring them to pay only once. Toronto ranks in the 100 most expensive cities to live in around the world. Students employed in part-time work making minimum wage do not think it’s enough to cover the cost of living in Toronto. This program allows them to plan their finances better. Among these students is Saiyam Shah, a student of graphic design at
Humber. He lives in Etobicoke and works part-time at a Mark’s Work Warehouse store in Vaughan. “I don’t have to tap repeatedly for different transit systems,” Shah said. “I don’t have the headache of remembering different fares and transfers. The One Fare initiative has improved my general transit experience by making public transportation more accessible and affordable.” It is not the first time a subsidized transfer plan has been offered to riders. In January 2018, then-premier Kathleen Wynne and Mayor John Tory reduced the transfer fares between the TTC and GO services by $1.50, a year before the 43rd fed-
eral election. The program was discontinued by Ford. Ford launched the One Fare program in 2024, a year before the 44th federal election. The current provincial plan is to fund the program until 2026. The loss incurred by the TTC on free transfers will be compensated for by the province. It will be noteworthy to see if the One Fare program sustains itself, or will face the same fate as its predecessor. Whether it’s boosted by a political motive or has the good of the public at its core, it’s nonetheless a win-win for riders.
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Residents of the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) now have access to free transfer services on TTC and GO Transit, with average estimated savings of $1,600 per year.