Game on

Dr Amirudin says that students learn how to deal with online risks and challenges from the discourse.

THE final round of the Fifth National ICT Security Discourse (NICTSeD): Cybersafe Challenge Trophy 2017, takes place this Friday at the Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU) in Kuala Lumpur.

Organised by CyberSecurity Malaysia (CSM), with cooperation from the Education Ministry, the event will see SMK Aminuddin Baki, Kuala Lumpur competing against SMK Cyberjaya, for the top prize of RM5,000, and a trophy.

The first runner-up takes home RM3,000, while the second and third runner-up, and best presenter, get RM1,000 each. All winners will receive a certificate.

An initiative in line with the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 -2025, NICTSeD, CSM chief executive officer Datuk Dr Amirudin Abdul Wahab Amirudin points out, is the country’s first national ICT security school discourse. Aimed at increasing cyber security awareness of personal information, the discourse is open to all secondary schools in Malaysia.

Apart from presenting their proposals, students must be able to convincingly answer questions from a panel of ICT experts.

“We received 84 proposal submissions from secondary schools nationwide. Only 16 were selected to compete in the qualifying, quarter-final and semi-final rounds.”

NICTSeD, he says, aspires to breed young participants, and teachers, to become ethical and more resilient digital citizens, equipped with well-balanced knowledge of digital education and digital quotient.

“The discourse topics, which cover cyberbullying, cyberstalking, privacy, and cybergrooming, develop creative, and critical thinking skills.

“From the discourse, students learn the different methods to overcome online risks and challenges,” he says, adding that NICTSeD cultivates a positive, cyber-friendly environment for students to engage in intellectual deliberations, and creates a pool of cyber security professionals for the future.

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