Jehad Oumer Applies Computer Science Methods and Launches a Cyber Security Platform

As people across the globe turned to the internet in an attempt to grapple with the pandemic, this shift has eventually generated higher Internet usage, reflecting greater exposure to cyber risk. Spending almost two years at home with online learning, Jehad Oumer an LAU-MEPI TL student majoring in computer science was examining closely the cyber threat menacing the community at large and the Libyan community in specific and decided to take action to mitigate the risk.

As the senior year has finally arrived, Oumer was required to work on his end-of-year capstone project. He took this assignment as a unique opportunity to devise an innovative solution for the cyber threat problem. Oumer dedicated most of his time to cyber risk research in an attempt to create a new cybersecurity solution with immediate application in the real world. 12 months later, Oumer was able to propose a turn-key project and take it to the execution level, and so Annir was launched. Annir (Lantern in Libyan) – a cyber security online platform- aims at raising cyber security awareness among the Libyan community and spreading the culture of fact-checking online information. Using a simplified Libyan dialect language, Annir gives basic information and tips to users to get acquainted with internet terminology and how to protect themselves from cyber attacks, discerning reliable news from fake ones and how to report harmful content, etc.

Relying only on organic reach, Annir gathered more than 5,000 followers on Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin official accounts in a year, giving free awareness tips and the latest news about cyber trends and threats.

Oumer was amazed to see his project come to life and attributes this success to the MEPI TL program at LAU, a program that capitalized on his potential and nurtured his abilities to become a today’s leader.