Stephen Kwasi Adjei

Absolutely, and we must start framing it as such with urgency. While cybercrime is legally a criminal act, viewing it solely through a traditional law enforcement lens is like treating a pandemic with band-aids; it addresses individual incidents but misses the contagious, systemic nature of the threat. The health metaphor is powerfully apt: malicious software and phishing campaigns spread like digital pathogens, exploiting vulnerabilities in our societal immune system with alarming speed. The psychological impact, the anxiety, stress, and trauma victims suffer, represents a profound mental health burden, eroding public trust and well-being, much like a persistent toxin. Furthermore, the critical infrastructure we rely on for modern health, from hospitals to power grids, is now a primary target, making a digital attack potentially as devastating as a physical one to public health outcomes. Therefore, we should treat cyber hygiene—teaching password managers and multi-factor authentication like we teach handwashing, not as niche tech advice, but as an essential component of public health prevention, safeguarding our collective well-being in a hyper-connected world.