Valentine’s Day as springboard for greater cybersecurity awareness

Orange Cyberdefense would like to create more cybersecurity awareness among the general public. That’s why we at All Colors went looking for a newsworthy story where clear information on the risks of the Internet could influence people's behavior patterns. Leading up to Valentine’s Day, we came with the idea of hosting interviews with an in-house specialist of Orange Cyberdefense who pointed out the dangers of “romance scams”.

Our PR team took inspiration from cybersecurity expert Steven De Munter.

He previously worked at the Computer Crime Unit of the Judicial Federal Police and has appeared on television on several occasions (Klopjacht, De Tafel van Vier). So we prepared a cartload of questions for De Munter.

What are romance scams and when are you the victim of love bombing, sextortion or revenge porn? Which channels are most at risk, how are you approached, and how do you protect yourself? What age groups are most likely to be fooled? What do I do when it’s too late?

To reach a large audience, you need to adapt your story according to the target group. Therefore, we worked out several media pitches for various general and technology media. We approached journalists with an angle that made the news interesting for them. The journalists got the opportunity to interview Steven De Munter and wrote articles, each in the style of their medium.

On February 14, articles (print and online) appeared in both Gazet van Antwerpen and Het Belang van Limburg. Business AM Radio broadcast a radio interview with De Munter and published a report on its website. Nina, the lifestyle segment of Het Laatste Nieuws, allowed him to share some tips with their readers. Even Clickx Magazine, one of the most widely read computer magazines in Belgium, picked up the theme in its April 2023 written edition (both cover and article). So several media outlets highlighted the romance scams, and cybersecurity made extensive headlines. Hopefully, people will now think twice before they let themselves be taken in by a wolf in sheep’s clothing.