The cyber awareness campaign 'Sur' in Kuwait was concluded as a national initiative by the country's National Cyber Center. This campaign lasted from October 11 to November 10, 2023, providing educational services to 1,215 students in public secondary schools and engaging Kuwaiti youth in producing videos related to digital safety.
Campaign Details and Partnerships
This campaign was held in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Kuwait Finance House, and CODED Academy. The 'Sur' campaign visited 12 schools in six educational regions of Kuwait and included a 'Mediathon' for youth aged 15 to 25. The name of this campaign was inspired by the historical wall of Kuwait, symbolizing protection, resilience, and collective responsibility.
During this campaign, students in grades 10 to 12 participated in training sessions related to cyber concepts, social engineering, online scams, creating strong passwords, and two-factor authentication. The Ministry of Education coordinated the necessary arrangements for school visits.
Training and Content Creation
The 'Sur' Mediathon took place on October 23 and 24, with 125 youth participating in 35 teams. This event provided an opportunity for young people to shift from receiving educational messages to creating their own content. CODED Academy hosted the training day, where participants learned how to convert cyber topics into clear public messages.
The National Cyber Center held a competition the following day, where teams developed their ideas, wrote scripts, and produced videos of up to 60 seconds. This event resulted in the production of 35 short awareness videos that were prepared for release.
Maryam Al-Azizi, General Director of the Educational Support Services Department at the Ministry of Education, stated that the ministry is striving to establish effective collaborations with government entities and the private sector to support initiatives that help students keep pace with technological advancements. She added that such activities contribute to classroom learning and transform educational concepts and values into practical life skills.
Badri Al-Asimi, Director of Cyber Excellence and Capacity Development at the National Cyber Center, also noted that this campaign provides knowledge and practical skills to students and youth so they can recognize fraud attempts and protect their accounts and data. She emphasized that investing in youth awareness helps them protect themselves and contribute to spreading cyber knowledge in the community.
Faisal Al-Sourai, Executive Director of Corporate Relations and Social Responsibility at Kuwait Finance House, emphasized that the bank supports national initiatives that help youth protect themselves and their communities from digital threats. He described the 'Sur' campaign as a successful collaboration that promotes safe digital practices and teaches students the knowledge and skills necessary to keep up with rapid technological changes.
Hashim Behbehani, one of the founders and CEO of CODED Academy, stated that this campaign began with the belief that cybersecurity has become an essential skill for anyone using a smartphone. He added that visits show how students' understanding changes when digital risks are explained in familiar language and with examples from everyday life.
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