In collaboration with the Ghana Education Service (GES), the Cyber Security Authority (CSA) has spearheaded the National Cyber Security Challenge aimed at tackling the growing threat of cybercrime among Ghana’s youth.
There were Seventy senior high schools from Ghana’s 16 regions participated in the challenge, which was divided into four zones. After months of intense competition, four schools emerged as zonal champions: Nalerigu SHS, Sewa Kessi SHS, Saint Peter’s SHS, and Achimota School. These schools will face off in a national final this October to vie for the championship title.
The challenge serves as a crucial platform to raise awareness about the cyber threats facing Ghanaian youth, particularly sextortion and the distribution of child sexual abuse material. Speaking to the media, Madam Henrietta Samoah, the Head of Child Online Protection at the CSA, highlighted the alarming situation facing Ghana’s youth.
According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, over 22,000 sexual images of children are produced, assessed, and shared in Ghana. This figure underscores the magnitude of the problem and the need for urgent intervention to protect vulnerable young people. Madam Samoah went on to discuss the findings of a survey conducted by the CSA in 2023, which showed that
“Over 64% of sexually abusive materials are produced and shared in Ghana,” placing the country at the forefront of this disturbing global issue.
Moreover, The National Cyber Security Challenge was initiated to equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to identify, mitigate, and prevent cybercrime. Madam Henrietta Samoah emphasized that the involvement of students in the challenge was key to its success.
“We initiated the cybersecurity challenge so we could raise awareness among children and the young ones for them to be able to identify, mitigate, and prevent cybercrime. I believe the involvement of the students in this has been great. They were well prepared. They were able to battle it out.”
Madam Henrietta Samoah the Head of Child Online Protection
However, Achimota School, one of the zonal champions, demonstrated its prowess in cybersecurity by emerging as the winner of the South Zone. The school’s team lead, Kwame Boagye Owusu, praised the initiative and called for the integration of cybersecurity education into the mainstream curriculum.
“I think this challenge is very interesting. It’s educative, and it’s also innovative. It has taught us a lot of things we didn’t know at first, I think we should take cybersecurity education seriously, and we should make sure that we are protected against any form of cyberattacks.”
Mr. Kwame Boagye Owusu the School ‘s team Lead
Calls for Curriculum Integration
Owusu’s sentiments were echoed by Ebenezer Kobby, the Deputy, Greater Accra Regional Director of Education. He supported the idea of incorporating cybersecurity as a standalone subject within the national curriculum. While acknowledging the existing security and IT components in the current curriculum, Mr. Kobby stressed the importance of expanding the reach of cybersecurity education.
“It will be an appropriate call to make, although we have a lot of security, and IT issues already embedded in the curriculum. But for us, a standalone one, it is also in the right direction if we inculcate cybersecurity as a strand for studies.”
Ebenezer Kobby the Deputy Director of Education Greater Accra Regional
Moreover, Mr. Kobby also urged the CSA to expand the competition to include more schools, allowing all students to benefit from the knowledge gained through the challenge. “I think that it should scale this up and open up to all schools so that all students can benefit from the knowledge that will be acquired,” he concluded.
Paving the Way for the National Finals
Meanwhile, the four zonal champions—Nalerigu SHS, Sewa Kessi SHS, Saint Peter’s SHS, and Achimota School—will now prepare for the national finals, scheduled to take place in October. The championship will not only determine the best cybersecurity school in Ghana but also set the stage for future efforts to combat cybercrime through education.
As Ghana grapples with the rising threat of cybercrime, particularly against its youth, the National Cyber Security Challenge stands as a vital initiative.
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