From February 13th to 15th, 2026, the Christian Life Community (CLC) held its joint formation at the University of Eldoret, and Mustardseed engaged the CLCers on employment issues and the skills needed in today’s job market. Building on last year’s introduction of the program into the formation, MustardSeed continued to play a key role in equipping students with practical skills that complement their spiritual growth.
This year, the session emphasized digital safety and real-world adaptation to the evolving cybersecurity landscape, providing participants with actionable strategies to stay safe while pursuing opportunities online.
The formation brought together participants from 16 institutions of higher learning across the country, creating a vibrant space for learning, exchange, and community building among young people from diverse academic backgrounds.
In addition to the learning sessions, participants also took part in a tree-planting exercise, reinforcing the importance of environmental stewardship and collective responsibility. This activity reflected a shared commitment not only to personal and professional growth, but also to caring for the environment and contributing positively to society.
The Christian Life Community (C.L.C) continues to provide a holistic formation experience rooted in the spirituality of St. Ignatius of Loyola, nurturing both the inner and outer lives of students. Through this ongoing collaboration, MustardSeed remains dedicated to bridging the gap between faith and practical life skills—ensuring that young people are not only spiritually grounded, but also well-prepared to navigate the demands and opportunities of the modern world.
As our lives become increasingly intertwined with the internet, the ability to protect ourselves from cyber threats is a must-have skill.
Recently, we had the privilege of hosting George Agak, who shared his expertise on digital literacy in the context of cybersecurity. From his presentation, we got key insights into the complexities of online safety, from protecting personal information to recognizing and responding to cyber threats.
His presentation focused more on understanding online safety, anonymity, cyberthreats, all the way to responsible online behavior.
I’m Douglas, and this is my attempt to highlight the key lessons from the presentation.
So, what is Cybersecurity?
Our speaker defined cybersecurity as the protection of internet-connected systems, including hardware, software, and data, from cyberattacks.
These tips will keep you safe online.
Types of Cyber Threats
He dug deeper to define some common cyber threats that we as internet users should be critically aware of :
Phishing
Phishing is a cyberattack where attackers disguise themselves as legitimate entities to trick individuals into revealing sensitive information like passwords and credit card details via fake emails or websites.
Malware
Malware is malicious software, including viruses, worms, and Trojans, designed to damage, disrupt, or gain unauthorized access to computer systems.
Ransomware
Ransomware is malware that encrypts a victim’s files, demanding payment for decryption, often causing significant data loss if the ransom is not paid.
Social Engineering
Social Engineering exploits human psychology to manipulate individuals into revealing
confidential information or performing actions that compromise security.
Having the presence of cyberthreats, there must be possible ways to counter their impact on our daily interaction with the internet. Here are some of the effective cybersecurity measures he advised:
Install antivirus
Strong passwords
Two-factor authentication
Regular software updates
User education on safe online practices.
Though cyber threats pose a risk to our data, digital privacy is one of the channels to overcome it.
Mr. Agak making a point during the session.
Digital Privacy
Nord defines Digital privacy as an individual’s ability to control and protect the access and use of their personal information online. Digital privacy helps individuals stay anonymous online by safeguarding personally identifiable information such as names, addresses, and credit card details.
“It helps prevent identity theft, protect personal reputation, and maintain confidentiality,” he said.
Why do you have to protect your personal data?
You need to protect your personal data to prevent misuse by third parties for fraud, such as phishing scams and identity theft.
Here are some of the importance of safeguarding personal information as laid out by our speaker:
It prevents unauthorized access
Minimizes the risk of identity theft
Prevents fraudulent transactions
Safeguarding Financial and Legal Security
Trust in Digital services e.g. e-commerce.
Compliance with Regulations and Ethical Standards e.g. GDPR, CCPA.
Online Anonymity.
Anonymity and identity shielding allow a user to hide or disguise their identifying information online. While this protects their privacy, it can make it difficult to hold them responsible for what they say and do online.
Why you may want to be anonymous online:
Free speech & Whistleblowing
Personal safety
Data security
To access geographically-restricted sites
Sensitive topics
Having understood what online anonymity is and why you may want to be anonymous, it’s also important to familiarize ourselves with different ways of hiding identity online.
How to hide your identity online.
Use VPNs or RDPs
Browse incognito
Clear cache/history
Disable Geotagging
Using TOR Browser
stop signing to apps with your social accounts
NOTE: Mr. Agak later emphasized that incognito mode is only suitable when you don’t want to leave your history in the browser, but not hiding your identity.
Use VPN to hide your location and personal information when browsing.
Despite online anonymity having greater benefits to online users, it also has serious drawbacks that we need to be fully aware of. These are some of the limitations of online anonymity:
Fuels cyberbullying
Loss of credibility
Anonymity makes us meaner
Responsible Online Behaviour.
This refers to ethical and respectful conduct when interacting with others on the internet. It encompasses various principles and practices aimed at fostering positive digital citizenship and creating a safer online environment.
Types of Online Harassment
Online harassment makes being online unattractive. The internet is for us all, and we need to be mindful of other users if we’re to create a safe ecosystem on the web.
Here are some of the most common types of online harassment;
Revenge pornography
Catfishing
Virtual mobbing
Doxing
Trolling
Stalking
Sexual deepfakes
Safe Browsing Practices.
As an online user, you need to ensure that the sites you visit are safe for you and, most of all, your data. Our speaker addressed the following as the major ways of browsing safely.
Use secure websites
Disable third-party cookies
Clear cache
use ad blockers in your browser
Avoid malicious downloads
Social Media Safety.
This is the process through which we ensure that we are safe while on social media. And here are some possible ways through which we ensure our safety online.
Use privacy settings to limit who sees your posts and personal information
Know real vs. fake/pseudo accounts
Update your passwords regularly
Use 2-factor authentication
Verify info source before sharing
An attentive class during the session.
Mobile Device Security.
Mobile phones hold vital information about us. In order to enhance the safety of our information and data, these are some of the remedies that need to be put in place:
Update your apps and OS to patch
security vulnerabilities
Enable user authentication, e.g. screen lock
Avoid public Wi-Fi
Cloud storage & Backup
Conclusion.
Information being the most valuable thing in the 21st century, you need to ensure its safety. And one of the ways to accomplish that is by remaining informed and updated with the trends in cybersecurity.
