The Presbyterian Boys Senior High School (PRESEC) yesterday won the maiden cyber security challenge competition, in Accra, yesterday.
Garnering 64 points, PRESEC came first among five other schools, Mfantsiman Girls SHS, took second place and Adisadel College came third.
St Monica’s Girls was fourth, Oda SHS took the fifth place and the Northern School of Business SHS came sixth.
Mr Dan Afari Yeboah, Quiz Master of What Do You Know, GBC radio and TV programme, hosted the cyber security challenge competition.
It formed part of activities lined up for the celebration of this year’s National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) 2022, on the theme “Regulating Cyber security: A public-private sector collaborative approach.”
PRESEC took home GH¢3,000, a trophy, laptop, certificates of participation and souvenirs as well as have been scheduled to have a one-week internship with the Cyber Security Authority (CSA) early next year.
Mfantsiman received GH¢2,000, a laptop, certificates of participation and souvenirs while Adisadel received GH¢1,500, certificates and souvenirs.
St Monica’s Girls School received GH¢1, 000, certificates and souvenirs; Oda SHS took home GH¢500, certificates and souvenirs while the Northern Business School received certificates and souvenirs.
The Deputy Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, Ms Ama Pomaa Boateng, noted that though the internet had become a critical tool for communication and education,it had become a platform for crimes.
“And we all have individual and collective responsibilities to help address some of the challenges to promote a safe and positive use of digital technologies, especially among children and young people,” she added.
Ms Boateng stated that awareness creation had been identified as the most effective way to address cybercrime worldwide.
She said consequently, the government, through the Cyber Security Authority institutionalised the NCSAM, to develop a cyber-security culture while using digital technologies in a secured way.
Ms Boateng commended the management of the selected schools for participating in the contest as it would “promote the needed education and awareness for a safe and positive use of digital technology for children and young people and inspire a national conversation about using technology responsibly.”
The Acting Director-General, CSA, Dr Albert Antwi-Boasiako, in a statement read on his behalf by Afua Brown-Eyes on, Lead for Child Online Protection (COP) Functional Unit, CSA, said the schools were selected because they we committed to formulating cyber security clubs.
He, therefore, encouraged other schools to engage with the CSA for similar projects, adding that “from next year, we will be having regional cyber security challenges.”
Dr Antwi-Boasiako noted that children were among active users of the internet, and were prone to facing the security challenges the internet posed.
As such, he said the CSA was committed to protecting the interests of children online in accordance with its mandate to regulate and promote the development of cyber security in the country.
The winners of the challenge in an interaction with journalists, commended the CSA for organising such an event, and urged that it was done constantly to create more awareness.
BY ABIGAIL ARTHUR
