Presbyterian Boys Senior High School at Legon (Presec Legon), has been crowned winner of the maiden edition of the 2022 National Cybersecurity Challenge held in Accra
The challenge brought together six senior high schools representing six regions in the country to compete and share knowledge about cybersecurity, create awareness of cybersecurity best practices for students and encourage them to stay safe online.
The context was also used to sensitize students on the need to choose career opportunities in cybersecurity, develop a cybersecurity culture among young children and also an opportunity to directly engage children on issues that affect them in cyberspace.
The four rounds context was between St Monica’s Girls SHS from Ashanti, Adisadel College from Central, Oda SHS from Eastern, Presbyterian Boys SHS in Accra, Mfantsiman Girls SHS and Northern School of Business from the Northern Regions.
At the end of the context which was under the supervision of the famous quizzed master, Mr Dan Afari Yeboah saw Presec Legon pulled 64 points to beat Mfantsiman Girls SHS who managed 59 points, flowed by Adisadel College who also pulled 57.5, St. Monica’s Girls SHS got 54 points, Oda SHS had 50 points and finally, Northern Business School also managed 42 points.
For their prize, Presec Legon took home, a trophy, a laptop for their cybersecurity club, a cash prize of GHS 3,000.00, a certificate for participating, one week’s internship at the authority (all expenses paid) and souvenirs. Again, Mfantsiman Girls SHS also got a laptop for their cybersecurity club, a cash prize of GHS 2,000.00, and a certificate for participation in souvenirs.
The third winning school also had the laptop for their cybersecurity club, a cash prize of GHS 1,500, a certificate for participation and souvenirs while the 4th, 5th and 6th schools also had a cash prize of 500 and a certificate for participation and souvenirs.
Speaking at the event, the Deputy Minister of Communication, Mr Ama Pomaa Boateng said the internet has thus become a critical tool for communication and education in today’s world, however, many crimes are being committed in that space.
Mrs Boateng said it is, therefore, a collective responsibility to help address some of the challenges to promote the safe and positive use of digital technologies, especially among children and young people.
She said awareness creation has been identified as the most effective way to address cybercrime issues worldwide and that is why the government of Ghana, through the Cyber Security Authority (CSA) has institutionalised the National Cybersecurity Awareness Month aimed at helping Ghanaians to develop a cybersecurity culture and stay safe whilst using digital technologies to develop and enhance their way of life.
“The awareness creation programmes of the ministry through the CSA and other partners have trained more than 125,000 senior high school students since 2018,” she stated.
The minister said the government’s commitment to protecting children and the entire cyberspace from criminal activities, the Safer Digital Ghana Awareness Programme was launched in 2018, with a focus on children, the public, businesses and the government.
In a remark read on behalf of the acting Director General of the CSA, Dr Albert Antwi-Bosiako by the lead for Child Online Protection Functional Unit, Ms Afua Brown Eyeson, said children are some of the most active users of the internet who use it to communicate, connect, learn and access information from various parts of the world.
But Ms Afua said the opportunities come with new security challenges adding that a survey conducted by the authority in senior high schools in Greater Accra revealed that out of the 3622 students interviewed, 1544 spend more than five hours online daily. Also, 2331 of these students have encountered sexual content while online, 2025 students have met online strangers physically, 1418 students have experienced romance scams involving money, 866 students have experienced romance scams involving sex, 830 students have posted sexual content and 769 have encountered bullying, all online.
