Students of the Bompeh Senior High in Takoradi were on Wednesday, taken through a day’s comprehensive education on cybercrime and the need to be vigilant on the internet space.
It was organised by the Child Online Protection of the
National Cyber Security Centre, with the aim to expose the younger generation
to the various facets of the internet space to help clamp down on rising
internet abuse.
The Programme Officer of Child Online Protection of the National Cyber Security Centre, Mr Nelson Darko, said it has become imperative that the younger generation is exposed to the various facets of the internet space and help clamp down on rising internet abuse.
He said the centre has already engaged 35 senior high schools within the 16 regions of the country.
“Ghana has been ranked ninth by the We Hoot Suit
global internet research body as among the over 176, 000 youth who visited and
are prone to online abuses, ” Mr Darko said.
“Never lose sight of the fact that the internet never forgets anything and it will from time to time give back all that you have given it, therefore, do the right thing now to avoid future regrets,” he urged the students.
The Programme Officer also called on parents to be chief guards on the usage of
the cyber space by their children.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Dr Herbert Yankson of the Cyber Crime Unit of the Ghana Police Service said the growing crime rate on the cyber space raises much concern for action now adding “this is why October has been earmarked for such educational programmes for the youth across the country, indeed change starts with them”.
He said emails, WhatsApp, internet calls and other forms of electronic
communications which are gradually replacing letters and telephone calls come
with associated risks and protecting one’s self in the cyber space was even
more critical.
Dr Yankson said “sextortion”, child pornography, nudity on the cyber
space were all offenses with a jail term not lower than 10 years.
He urged girls to be wary of friends who demanded nude pictures from them
adding, “You need not to become a friend of anyone who request your
friendship, some are fraudsters, kidnappers and all manner of bad characters
who will appear in sheep skin but are actually wolves”.
“Don’t give much information about yourself on the internet, have a strong
password with a mixture of alphabet, symbols and stop using your date of births
and names as passwords”, he said.
Dr Yankson urged internet users to adopt the “‘SMART” ideals which ensure that
one stayed safe, physically meet people found on the internet with others; stop
accepting friends just like that, report suspecting behaviours to reliable
people like the police, parents and teachers; and tell trusted individuals of
their encounters on the cyber space”.
GNA