The second edition of the National Cyber Security (NCC) Challenge has ended in Accra with OLA Girls Senior High Schools from the Volta Region, emerging as winners among 50 schools across the country.
The school took home a whooping GH₵7,000 as cash prize, a Trophy and a certificate of participation.
OLA Girls SHS Secured the win with 45 points while Prempeh College and Wesley Girls’ Senior High School both secured the second position with 38 points, earning GH₵2000 each along with certificates.
Navrongo Senior High School who clinched the third spot with 34points also received GH₵1000 and certificates of participation.
Organised by the Cyber Security Authority (CSA), the second edition of NCC had 50 Senior High Schools selected across the country participated in the competition which was launched in Accra on April 26, 2023.
The annual challenge is aimed at promoting cyber safety and awareness among high school students, by providing them with hands on experiences in identifying, preventing, and mitigating digital threats.
As part of Preparations for the competition which start in June at the zonal level, the participants were trained on diverse subjects such as the Child Online Protection (COP) provisions within the Cybersecurity Act (Act 1038) of 2020, digital footprint management, social engineering, open-source intelligence, and more.
Categorised into four zones which included, the Northern, Middle, Eastern and Southern zones, the winners of each zones qualified for the final which took place onThursday, November 30, 2023, after which the award presentation of the challenge took place at the venue of the closing ceremony of the two-day Global Conference on Cyber Capacity Building (GC3B).
The Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful who presented the awards to the students said, NCC was a government initiative aimed at creating awareness of Cybersecurity issues among students in senior high schools.
She said the challenge was to provide students with hands-on experiences in identifying, preventing, and mitigating digital threats, especially online child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Additionally, the Minister noted that, NCC would equip students with essential skills and knowledge required to stay safe online and pursue careers in Cybersecurity.
BY CECILIA LAGBA YADA
