On 30.05.2018 Prof. Dr. Sascha Fahl from the Horst Görtz Institute for IT-Security was a guest at WDR's Lokalzeit Ruhr. He recently won the Heinz Maier Leibniz Prize for his work on the role of people in IT security.
Correct handling of fake news
Especially today, the Internet shapes all areas of our daily life. It is therefore all the more important to deal with possible risks. This also includes dealing with the so-called fake news. Sascha Fahl advises not only to rely on a single source, but also to investigate further and to find out from official press offices or police reports whether they confirm the news. False reports are also repeatedly made with regard to elections in order to convince potential voters. It is equally important to look for alternative sources.
Media competence in schools
Strengthening media competence, especially in schools, makes sense, Fahl said. It is important to make pupils inside conscious, what their acting in the Internet can have for consequences. Cyber attacks, however, will probably be the biggest challenge for users of the Internet. These are not only carried out by larger companies, but also the number of amateurs in the field of cyber attacks is increasing.
General note: In case of using gender-assigning attributes we include all those who consider themselves in this gender regardless of their own biological sex.