The Centre for the Advancement of Science and Innovation (CASAI) is currently touring schools across the Greater Banjul Area, arming and equipping students, teachers and educationists with the fundamentals of cybersecurity amid rising virtual crimes and cyber-attacks.
A number of schools have been visited by the CASAI team, where they edified students and school staff on cybersecurity to enable them combat potential cyber-attacks.
Founded in 2015 by Mr Mohamed Khan, the organisation looks forward to a Gambia where the masses make the best use of science and innovation to drive maximum benefits from the results of its positive and conscious utilisation.
Amongst its key goals are to raise cybersecurity awareness and enlighten the common masses across the nation.
It goes without saying that even highly trained information technology professionals have been rendered victims of digital crimes time and again.
This simply conveys that people with less technological know-how are highly prone to serious risks in their effort to utilise technology in executing daily tasks in an easier and more convenient manner.
With the world now being digital, in order to catch-up and accord the continent the much-need development and progress, Africa has also been intensifying efforts to digitise key daily activities for ease and convenience. This has led to an increase in digital crimes and related issues.
This has made cybersecurity education and skills not only a need but a necessity in people's daily activities. That therefore prompted the acceleration of CASAI's cybersecurity campaign, which has been ongoing in various ways since 2021.
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Stepping up the campaign efforts recently, the CASAI Cybersecurity Awareness Campaign Team called on New Life Upper Basic School, Latrikunda German, in the morning of February 9.
They have also visited Latrikunda Upper Basic School, one of the most popular Gambian schools broadly known as L.K. and a few other schools so far.
"It's still going on," Mr Khan, the founder and CEO of CASAI explained. "By next week [referring to this week], we will be visiting schools."
Asked about the modus operandi and details of their campaign during our exclusive interview, Khan said they normally take students through a comprehensive overview of cybersecurity, interactively explain its bolts and nuts as well as its complexities.
He further explained that this is capped with a "question and answer session," with the ultimate aim of clarifying ambiguous issues and erasing doubts. "Sometimes, we do more. That's according to the likings or needs of the students."
From his explication, there is an understanding that none is left behind. The needs or concerns of even a single student is not downplayed or underrated. "If a student invites us for a one on one conversation, our team also welcomes it to enhance the student's understanding," he said.
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