National Cybersecurity Week: ANTIC takes campaign against cybercriminality to schools in Yaounde.

This is within the framework of the National Cybersecurity Week. The three-day campaign which started on November 28 and to ends today, December 1, is being carried out by the Computer Incident Response Team at ANTIC.

It is targeting four schools in the capital city among which are; Lycée d’Elig Essono, Lycée Bilingue d’Essos, Lycée bilingue d’Ekounou and Collège Victor Hugo.

ANTIC says it is intensifying cybersecurity awareness raising campaign among youth, particularly students, because they constitute the greater proportion of ICT users. The campaign is in a bid to help them securely leverage the benefits offered by the new technologies.

The ANTIC team which has been making a round of the schools made its first stop at Lycee d’Elig Essono in the Yaounde IV Subdivision yesterday.

For over an hour and 30 minutes, they sensitised and educated the students on the importance of the internet and as well as the dangers and risks linked with its use.

The over 200 students who attended the lectures were told that in as much as the internet plays very important role in their studies, especially when it comes to research, it also has its bad side.

They were informed that the advent of the internet and social media have also come with internet scam, online harassment, the propagation of fake news, exposure of people’s private lives among others. 

The team from ANTIC later engaged the students in interactive sessions in order to enable them better grasp the information they came along with. The students’ knowledge on issues relating to the use of the internet cybersecurity was tested.

Those who answered the questions correctly had prizes ranging from ANTIC customised T-Shirts, school bags and pens.

Apart from the awareness raising campaign in schools, students from these schools will participate in a televised competition dubbed “Le CLASH DES DURS” organised by ANTIC.

This competition which is scheduled for Wednesday 06 December 2023 at CTRV Television at Mballa II will oppose groups of students representing the different schools.

They will be quizzed issued relating to ICT and cybersecurity and the best schools will receive printers and gadgets as prizes.

The Principal of Lycee d’Elig Essono was appreciative of the campaign by ANTIC and expressed the need for the students to put the knowledge acquired into good use.

Lycee d’Elig Essono students awarded prizes pose with & members of ANTIC team

Students laud initiative

The students who sat through the lectures and participated in the quizzes said the messages from the ANTIC team were very enriching.

Keumeneuh Bassong Micchelle, a Form IV student of the school said: “We were sensitised on online harassment and the need for us to be watchful of the messages we receive or send on social media. We were also told not to send our personal details to just anybody,”

Esaie Fotso on his part said: “I am very grateful to ANTIC for coming to talk to us about cybersecurity and the use of the internet. We learned a lot, especially why we should protect our personal information online and why we should verify information before sharing in order not to propagate fake news,”  

What ANTIC seeks to achieve through campaign 
ANTIC is using the week to communicate about existing threats and emerging issues that pose high risks to networks and critical information.

Some of the objectives which ANTIC seeks to achieve through this campaign include: promoting a culture of cybersecurity in Cameroon, popularising good practices in cybersecurity, strengthening the technical knowledge of cybersecurity among the general public as well adopting good practices so that the number, severity and impact of cyber attacks are reduced.

It is also intended to help the public understand the importance of cybersecurity and cyber hygiene and popularise the toll-free number and the alerts@cirt.antic.cm email address.

The National Cybersecurity Week is part of commemorative activities to mark this year’s World Computer Security Day. The week’s activities are being organised under the aegis of the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications.