To integrate cybersecurity lessons into the education system, the National Data Management Authority (NDMA) on Wednesday conducted a cybersecurity training session for Grade 11 students at Tucville Secondary School, Georgetown.
The training sessions are being conducted for employees within the public sector and students in observance of Cybersecurity Awareness Month.
Over 20 students who participated in the training session benefitted from basic online security content including cyberbullying, phishing, online grooming, oversharing, creating strong passwords, and software updates, among others.
Speaking to the Department of Public Information (DPI), NDMA Assistant ICT Engineer within the Cybersecurity Division, Melissa Vandeyar said the agency has recognised the necessity to provide fundamental cybersecurity awareness training to public sector workers as well as students.
This month, several secondary schools countrywide will benefit from these cybersecurity awareness sessions.
“It would be best for us to give the children a ‘head start’ so they would know how to manage the internet and they would know how to do so securely. They have to use the internet for their assignments, school, and all of these things. So, they need to know how to do so securely,” Vandeyar underlined.
At the end of the session, Vandeyar emphasised that the students will be equipped with the fundamental knowledge and resources needed to stay safe online.
“The idea is to provide them with information on what to do to prevent them from exposing themselves to threats online and how they can avoid it completely. And in doing so, you will be able to navigate the internet when you use it. So, we give them the tools, so they will know what to do when they go online. They would avoid falling prey to any sort of online threats,”Vandeyar pointed out.
Among the secondary schools to benefit from training sessions are Richard Ishmael, Cotton Field, Anna Regina Multilateral, Hope, Fort Wellington, Skeldon Line Path, New Amsterdam Multilateral, Soesdyke, Christianburg/Wismar, Leonora, and Vreed-En-Hoop.
NDMA has been mandated to provide internet connectivity and services to the public sector, as well as training and awareness.
Similar training sessions were conducted for government head officials and agencies last Thursday and employees of public sector agencies on Monday. Global Cybersecurity Month 2023 is themed, ‘Secure our World.’
