ZAMBOANGA CITY, Apr 20 (PIA) – Netizens are always reminded to secure their personal information and date online through learning the cyber security ways and techniques.

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT-9) is pursuing a cyber educated society which is anchored to the national cyber security plan. In order to combat the cyber security threats the DICT strengthened their cyber security education program which is essential to improving the country’s cyber security.

Since year 2020, DICT conducts free online webinars and developed an in-house learning management system where in-house cybersecurity courses are accessible online. They educated more than twenty three thousand individuals who finished with completion certificates.

Moreover, DICT 9 received global awards during the World Summit on Information Society Prizes 2023 from International Telecommunications Union for its Cybersecurity education program and two other ICT projects on March 14, 2023.

The competition recognizes ICT projects across the world that has contributed in achieving sustainable livelihood goals. The project dubbed “Cybersecurity Education in the Philippines in the Face of New Normal Adversities” of DICT Region IX & BASULTA was lauded among the 18 winners, out of 900 competing entries for this year’s run.

This win marks the fourth consecutive year that DICT 9 and BASULTA takes home the award from the worldwide competition. The projects recognized from the previous years were “Zamboanga Digital Hub” in 2020, “Enabling Educators in Remote Teaching and Learning Training Program” in 2021, and “Free WiFi for All in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas in Western Mindanao” in 2022.

“This has challenged us to ensure that the services we offer to the public are at par with the world standards. The people we served can be assured that these projects have an excellent skill among the ICT society globally because we know that the Filipino deserves a world class service,” Mohammad said. (RVC/EDT/MLE/PIA9-Zamboanga City)