Protecting young minds in cyberspace
The Star(8 Dec 2011) IN ITS mission to raise awareness of children’s safety on the Internet, DiGi Telecommuni-cations (DiGi) together with the Education Ministry, CyberSecurity Malaysia, and Childline Malaysia launched the DiGi CyberSAFE Programme. The main thrust of the nationwide programme is a series of educational workshops that will be conducted at schools and community broadband centres. Through the campaign, DiGi aims to equip students, parents and teachers with tools to enable a family-friendly Internet experience. Deputy Education Minister Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi, in his speech read out by deputy director-general Dr Khair Mohamad Yusof, said they were grateful that DiGi and CyberSecurity had come forward as partners to reach out to students, teachers and parents nationwide.
Lesson in session: Dr Khair guiding pupils through the CyberSafe Programme website. "This is a good example of how the public and private sectors can come together in addressing a key issue affecting the nation. I would also like to acknowledge Childline for coming onboard and extending the telephone helpline 15999 Childline for the children," the speech read. DiGi CEO Henrik Clausen said everyone had a responsibility to ensure a family-friendly Internet experience for children. "With the increasing rate of cybercrimes targeting children, we want to mobilise an online community, particularly younger generation, who are aware of safety and privacy issues and are adequately protected against the possible dangers on the Net," he said. CyberSecurity Malaysia CEO Lt-Col (R) Prof Datuk Husin Jazri said Malaysian children spent an average of 19 hours on the Internet. "We are pleased to partner with DiGi to scale up our efforts, allowing more Malaysians to benefit from the workshop. "This is a good example of how we can work together with the private sector and champion a critical issue affecting the nation." Children facing issues online have an avenue for help via 15999 Childline, a 24-hour telephone helpline for children. Childline Malaysia trustee Norwati Razak Sabri said they encouraged children to call for help when faced with an unpleasant experience. "This programme is not only about making children aware of the dangers online. "It is also about empowering children to realise that they themselves play a big role in protecting themselves, and that there is someone out there who can help them if they run into trouble." The programme is a half-day workshop involving talks and interactive sessions. Some of the topics it would focus on are identifying the risks and threats online: cyberbullying, cyber stalking, identity theft, child pornography and cyber grooming and learning for children: things to know while chatting, social networking habits and tips to stay safe. For more information on the DiGi CyberSafe Programme, visit www.cybersafe.my/dcp |
