Canadian high schoolers will now have the opportunity to take part in the largest cybersecurity education program in the country.
This is possible through a partnership between Cisco Canada and STEM Fellowship.
The funds will assist 40,000 high school students in the cybersecurity classroom training program (CCTP), focusing on digital skills and safety knowledge by combining it with subjects like math, business, and social studies.
Business teachers, for example, can access specific content that would show what an attack on digital businesses looks like, teaching students the ways to protect organizations from a cyberattack like this.
Courses involving art and culture will take a look at electronic ticketing fraud and health courses might examine fitness information online, distinguishing between evidence-driven data and forgery.
A 2020 report by Statistics Canada shows only one-third of students are taught how to detect phishing or scams online.
“An understanding of cybersecurity and digital threats has never been more pressing, yet topics of cybersecurity and active digital citizenship are missing from high school curriculums. The Cybersecurity Classroom Training Program gives students a solid foundation in cybersecurity,” Dr. Sacha Noukhovitch, president of STEM Fellowship, said in a press release.
The program also hopes to inspire students to pursue careers in IT and cybersecurity.
Teachers can gain free access to the program by emailing cctp@stemfellowship.org.
MobileSyrup asked Cisco to provide more information on the program and will update when a response is available.
Update 24/11/2021 10:51am ET: Shannon Leininger, president of Cisco Canada, told MobileSyrup Canada’s tech sector is growing exponentially but is lacking enough skilled workers to satisfy demand. The company homes the CCTP can help eliminate this.
“We know that children and teenagers are interacting with technology and the internet at increasingly younger ages. Now more than ever, it’s important that they have the cybersecurity education needed to safely navigate digital society,” Leininger said in an emailed response.
Image credit: Shutterstock
Source: Cisco
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