By Florence Afriyie Mensah
Kumasi, Aug 22, GNA – Serwaa Kesse Girls’ Senior High School, a female public school at Duayaw Nkwanta in the Ahafo Region, has emerged winners of the 2024 edition of the National Cybersecurity Challenge for the middle zone.
The girls garnered 37 points at the end of the third round to become winners of the keenly contested quiz.
Kintampo SHS placed second with 27 points, Prempeh College 26 points, Berekum SHS 21 points and Sefwi Bekwai SHS stayed at the bottom with 16 points.
Winners will be competing with other schools from other zones in October this year.
The competition aims to promote safety and awareness among senior high school students.
In all, 70 schools from all 16 regions in Ghana are participating in this year’s challenge.
Ms. Henrietta Asamoah, Lead Child Online Protection Officer at the Cyber Security Authority, speaking to the media after the contest, said the internet had come to stay and it was important to institute safety measures for users, especially children.
Research by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children as well as UNICEF conducted in 2022 indicated that, over 22,000 child sexual exploitative materials were generated, produced and shared in Ghana.
The Cyber Security Authority had in a survey in 2022 noticed that, over 64.54 percent of children faced risk on the internet.
These reports moved the Authority to initiate the challenge which would go farther in mitigating the problems.
Ms. Asamoah said with this in place, more could be educated on how to keep safe on the internet.
She advised the younger ones to be mindful of what they posted online, adding that “the internet never forgets so whatever you post on the internet, you should know that there are digital footprints of your posts.”
GNA