National Cyber Security Center Takes Cyber Education To Schools

The National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) of the Ministry of Communications (MoC) has embarked on a regional sensitization programme to create awareness about the dangers of cybercrime and to demonstrate Ghana’s cybersecurity readiness.

It forms part of activities lined up for this year’s National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) instituted last year.

To this effect a team of cybersecurity experts selected from key state institutions including Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO), Criminals Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, the Financial Intelligence Center (FIC), the Ministry of Communications (MoC) and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) are currently touring all 16 regions of the country with a message on cyber safety and Ghana’s digitization agenda.

The regional sensitization program is basically targeted at young adults who are in the Senior High Schools (SHS) and are prone to cyberattacks due to their exposure to the internet and social media. It is designed to educate them on the need to stay safe online anytime they are in cyberspace for educative purposes.

The pogramme which started on October 2, 2019 has so far seen good and active participation from schools in the Eastern, Ashanti, Volta and Oti Regions as well as those in the Northern and the Upper Regions which have received good education from the resource persons on how to stay safe on the internet, how to identify online abusers and what to do when one identifies a cyber-related crime.

Presentations have mostly focused on key issues such as common online risks, child online abuse, online threats and risks, some dos and don’ts when using the internet, among others. After the education short quizzes are organized for the students on the subject matter where winners are presented with prizes such as Mini tablets and books, assorted items and souvenirs.

Mr. Jacob Puplampu of EOCO who is the lead presenter on the team told ghananewsonline.com.gh in an interview that the whole idea of the exercise is to ensure that Ghana is digitally safe.

“Ghana is now going digital and as soon as you enter into cyberspace you take so many risks. So as our children go on the internet and do all sorts of things on the internet, we are here just to advise them to be safe. Where we know it is not good we have advised them where we know it is good we have encouraged them.

However, we don’t want them to fall prey to cyber predators, so we are here to sensitize them as part of the National Cybersecurity Awareness Month event of which we are going to every region, educating children, members of the public and businesses to be safe and ready as far as cybersecurity is concerned”.

The National Cyber Security Awareness Month 2019 was recently launched alongside the National Cybercrime/Cybersecurity Incidents Reporting Points of Contact (PoC) to receive complaints from the general public and to assist in resolving them.