Students of Bompeh Senior High educated on cyber security

The students body of the Bompeh Senior High in Takoradi have undergone a day's comprehensive education on cybercrime and the need to be vigilant on the internet space.

"Ghana has been ranked ninth by the We Hoot Suit global internet research body as among the over 176, 000 youth who visited and are prone to online abuses".

Mr Nelson Darko, the Programme Officer of Child Online Protection of the National Cyber Security Centre, said it has become imperative that the younger generation are exposed to the various facets of the internet space and help clamp down on rising internet abuse.

He said the Centre has already engaged 35 senior high schools within the 16 regions of the country.

"Never lose sight of the fact that the internet never forgets anything and it will from time to time give back all that you have given it... therefore, do the right thing now to avoid future regrets", Mr Darko urged the students.

The Programme Officer also called on parents to be chief guards on the usage of the cyber space by their children.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Dr Herbert Yankson of the Cyber Crime Unit of the Ghana Police Service said the growing crime rate on the cyber space raises much concern for action now adding "this is why October has been earmarked for such educational programmes for the youth across the country, indeed change starts with them".

He said emails, WhatsApp, internet calls and other forms of electronic communications which are gradually replacing letters and telephone calls come with associated risks and protecting one's self in the cyber space was even more critical.

Dr Yankson said "sextortion", child pornography, nudity on the cyber space were all offenses with a jail term not lower than ten years.

He urged girls to be wary of friends who demanded nude pictures from them adding, "You need not to become a friend of anyone who request your friendship, some are fraudsters, kidnappers and all manner of bad characters who will appear in sheep skin but are actually wolves".

"Don't give much information about yourself on the internet, have a strong password with a mixture of alphabet, symbols and stop using your date of births and names as passwords", he said.

Dr Yankson urged internet users to adopt the " ‘SMART’ ideals which ensure that one stayed Safe, physically Meet people found on the internet with others; stop Accepting friends just like that, Report suspecting behaviours to reliable people like the police, parents and teachers; and tell Trusted individuals of their encounters on the cyber space".