Police Constable, Derol Melo receiving the Certificate of Completion from NCPD Director, John Matamaru at the closure of the workshop
A two days workshop on Cyber Education and Awareness was successfully conducted on the 27th to 28th of June 2024. The workshop was generously funded by the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force & Australian Federal Police Policing Partnership Program (RAPPP) and coordinated by the National Crime Prevention Department of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF).
A total number of twenty participants attended the workshop and these include, officers from different departments of the Police Force, officers from RAPPP and Officers from the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) of the Ministry of Communication and Aviation (MCA).
The Cyber Education and Awareness workshop was purposely organized as a training event to prepare RSIPF Officers from the National Crime Prevention Department, RAPPP Officers and CERT Officers of MCA who would make up a team in a combine effort to roll out a School Cyber Education and Awareness Program. The team would be visiting schools to carry out this Cyber Education and Awareness Program commencing in term 3 of the School’s 2024 academic year when classes resumed from midterm break. The team will reach out to some schools in Honiara and Guadalcanal to start off with this Cyber Education and Awareness Program.
It is obvious nowadays that the younger generation, youths and children are more obsessed to cyber technologies such as smartphones through which they can access the internet and have access to all sorts of websites provided via the internet. A common one is the Facebook. Hence, the Schools Cyber Education and Awareness Program is aimed at informing the younger generation that though the internet can be used for good purposes such as educational research, interacting and sharing ideas with people online, sport developments, online business activities etc. They must also be warned of the negative impacts that can be caused by threats or risks that come along with cyber technologies. A main target of this Cyber Awareness Program is to reduce the impact of the actual adversity of Cyber related issues.
Moreover, the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) has been a newly established Unit supervised by MCA and being mandated with the responsibility to provide services related to Cybersecurity and other Cyber related issues to the government, government institutions, law enforcement, businesses and the people of the Solomon Islands. One of which is promoting Cybersecurity through awareness raising. For CERT, this School’s Cyber Education and Awareness Program once rolled out is a milestone achieved.
During the workshop, participating officers covered topics such as Introduction to Cyber and Technology, Cyber Policy Update, Cyber Safety, Cybersecurity, Cyber Threats and Actors, Safety Online and Cyberbullying. Participating Officers were also being awarded with a Certificate of Completion of the Cyber Awareness and Education Training at the closure of the workshop.
Moving forward, the focus is to reach out with this Cyber Education and Awareness program to schools in the Provinces as well in the future.
The Cyber Education and Awareness workshop was held at the RSIPF Maritime Conference Room and was an overwhelming success.
-MCA Press
CERT Officer Mrs. Madlyn Watatofea doing a presentation on Cyber Safety
Andrew Junior Aratara of CERT did a presentation on Cybersecurity
Director of RSIPF’s National Crime Prevention Department (NCPD), Officer John Matamaru delivering the key note address to officially open the two days Cyber Education and Awareness Workshop
Madlyn Watatofea of CERT is being presented with her Certificate of Completion by NCPD Director, John Matamaru
NCPD Officer, Raymond Togapada with the opening presentation on Introduction to Cyber and Technology
CERT Officer, Jasper Maefunu delivers a presentation on Cyber Threats and Actors on day two of the workshop.
Participating Officers engaged in group discussions
Participating Officers enjoying lunch break on day one of workshop
Police Constable, Agnes Ipamue thanking the sponsor and organisers of the workshop
RAPPP Officer, Kristina Sau’eha is awarded the Certificate of Completion
RAPPP’s Advisor Kevin Shaw giving his opening remarks at the opening of the two days Cyber Education and Awareness Workshop
RSIPF and CERT officers combine for group discussions