Letters: Don’t let hackers steal our future
[Re: As we modernise education, we can’t allow hackers to target our kids’ future, yesterday]
Rosie Beacon is absolutely spot on in her assessment of the UK government’s prioritisation of cybersecurity preparedness. For too long, it has been an afterthought, and this has resulted in a number of high-profile attacks on businesses and other organisations. These attacks are only going to increase as more and more of our everyday lives take place in the digital world.
The financial and reputational damage these attacks have on businesses is bad enough, but successful attacks on our critical national infrastructure have the potential to bring society to a standstill.
It is now time for the government to seize the initiative and take a more proactive role in bolstering the nation’s cybersecurity defences. This begins in the classroom. As the education system is preparing students for their careers and a future in this increasingly digital world, it is time for cybersecurity to become a cornerstone of the curriculum.
This includes making cybersecurity awareness training mandatory for students, as well as tying their performance in this training to their grades and making it a condition to graduate.
I would go so far as to argue cyber awareness is an essential basic life skill akin to good manners and decision-making. The benefits of teaching these skills early & regularly will be multifaceted including keeping children safer online and improving their job prospects.
Johan Dreyer
Mimecast