Mumbai-based WNS Cares Foundation (WCF), which works to make quality education accessible for underprivileged children, has launched a new initiative #CyberSmart to create awareness and educate students and parents about cybersafe behaviour. With an estimated 100 million children in India expected to access the internet for online learning, they are also exposed to the risk of unfiltered content making them vulnerable in an unknown cyberworld.
According to a recent study, India is ranked highest in IoT cybersecurity attacks and 43 percent children face cyber bullying every day. “While technology is empowering millions of children and enabling them to express their creativity and stay connected with others, chronic use of technological devices and unmonitored and unprepared cyber presence is exposing them to unfiltered content, making them vulnerable in an unknown cyberworld. Cybersafety hence is of utmost importance and cybersafe education plays a huge role in this area by introducing children to productive knowledge and behaviour through gamified learning modules,” says Shamini Murugesh, chief mentor, WNS Cares Foundation (WCF).
The free-of-charge portal exhibits thematic quiz-based learning module pertinent to each age group that follows curriculum advisory and challenges children encounter in cyberspace. Each learning journey has a set of 25 question assessments to check learning. After completion of all the themes and their respective journeys, students can download a badge or certificate. The portal also allows issuing a unique ID for every visitor to retrieve the certificate. It also has a special feature – a call for help button for children under duress.
WCF forayed into cybersecurity education a few years ago to empower children with cybersafe knowledge. In 2017, WCF under the campaign #CyberSword, created an awareness programme on the topic through a competition which reached over 1,35,000 children, youth and teachers through a series of videos and multi-media presentations, making them aware of the dangers of the digital world, what preventive measures they must take, and what they must do if they fall victim to cybercrime. To further its contribution, WCF launched its new initiative #CyberSmart in May. “CyberSmart enables gamified learning as opposed to voluminous existing PDF material for teachers, students, volunteers and parents to impart education with a blend of online and offline methodology,” adds Murugesh.
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