Sunyani west: Teachers and school children at the Odomase Model School and Presbyterian Junior High School in the Sunyani West Municipality have undergone a three-day training on digital space and cyber-security.
According to Ghana News Agency, the Africa Rural Internet and STEM Initiative (AFRISTEMI) facilitated the training to commemorate the 2025 Global Encryption Day on the theme 'From Classroom to Cyberspace: Staying Safe with Encryption'. The Global Encryption Day, observed on October 21 annually, aims to promote and defend encryption in key countries and multilateral forums where it is under threat, while also supporting efforts by companies to offer encrypted services to their users.
The training was jointly organized by the Global Encryption Coalition, the Internet Society's Cyber Security Special Interest Group, and Online Safety Specialist Interest Group. It sought to enlighten the participants on digital space and cyber-security, exposing them to online information and security, and empowering them to generate stronger passwords for secured websites and internet usage.
Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on the sidelines of the training's closing session, Mr. Shadrach Ankrah, the Founder and Executive Director of AFRISTEMI, emphasized the importance of empowering teachers and school children to remain safe on the internet. The training equipped participants with skills for creating strong and unique passwords, establishing their first line of defense for their digital identities, and understanding fundamentals of encryption, data protection, and private information for a more secure online presence.
Other topics covered included identification and navigation of online dangers and threats, cyberbullying, and sextortion. Mr. Ankrah highlighted the imperative for school children to recognize malicious behaviors and understand and protect their digital identities to 'turn them from potential victims into vigilant users'. Certificates of merit were later presented to the participants.