At the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Get Safe Online, a UK-based non-profit organization, has launched a campaign to raise awareness of the importance of online security in Commonwealth countries, including Rwanda.
The campaign was launched on Monday, July 20th.
The program is part of the United Kingdom’s Cybersecurity Programme.
In Rwanda, Get Safe Online, which has been offering free public education and online risk awareness programs for 15 years, will collaborate with the Ministry of ICT and Innovation and the Rwanda Information Society (RISA).
In a message posted on its twitter handle, Get Safe Online Rwanda (@getsafeonlinerw) on July 20, 2020 stated, “As of today – Monday 20/7/2020 – @getsafeonlinerw is part of ongoing efforts in #Rwanda to raise awareness on online safety and cyber security. This Campaign will be implemented by @getsafeonlinerw in partnership with @RwandaICT & @RISARwanda. #rwot”
As of today – Monday 20/7/2020 – @getsafeonlinerw is part of ongoing efforts in #Rwanda to raise awareness on online safety and cyber security. This Campaign will be implemented by @getsafeonlinerw in partnership with @RwandaICT & @RISARwanda. #rwot
— Get Safe Online Rwanda (@getsafeonlinerw) July 20, 2020
This campaign in Rwanda is taking place during this time of the global pandemic of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has brought many countries to a standstill, where people worldwide depend more than ever on online technologies to access information.
Commenting on the project, Yves Iradukunda, Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of ICT and Innovation, said that the program is a welcome addition to the government’s ongoing efforts to ensure the cyber security of Rwandans.
“The Get Safe Online Campaign adds to ongoing efforts to promote online safety in Rwanda. Given the government’s continued efforts of smart governance and services digitization, cybersecurity awareness is important for both public servants and the private sector,” he said.
The initiative has also been initiated in 12 Caribbean countries that are part of the Commonwealth of Nations.
The Global Ambassador of Get Safe Online, Peter Davies, clarified this, saying “the purpose of the campaign is to raise awareness of risks and safety measures which will protect people from online security risks. These risks include phishing scams, identity theft, ransomware, malware, viruses and other online threats,” he said.
Davies added that “working together with local partners in Rwanda, we look forward to building awareness on the importance of online safety in an ever-changing digital world”.
The services provided by Get Safe Online are free of charge and do not require any resources from users. The initiative will provide a locally-presented, freely-accessible website in both English and Kinyarwanda with information on online security and cyber security.
According to the organizers, the Kinyarwanda version of the Get Safe Online Rwanda website will be available by the beginning of September 2020.
The initiative will also provide capacity building tools to ensure continued support for cyber protection to allow Rwandans to deliver workshops within their organizations and communities. The workshops will be hosted by Get Safe Online experts.
Innocent Bagamba Muhizi, CEO of RISA, foresees that by the end of the campaign, every person will have a good understanding of how to avoid being a victim of online infringements. Specific steps should be made to ensure the safety of children while they continue to research and learn online.
