KPMG provided cyber literacy training for 80.000 youth in 45 countries in 2nd annual program

For the second year running, KPMG cyber security professionals from 45 countries around the world led informative sessions aimed at educating young students about the importance of cyber security and internet risk. The initiative Global Cyber Day was held during October, which is known as International Cyber Security Awareness Month.

“Our cyber security professionals from around the world have put the ‘fun’ in cyber security fundamentals for students,” said Mr. AkhileshTuteja, Co-Leader of KPMG’s Global Cyber Security practice. “The cyber security lessons provided a real opportunity for young students to engage with individuals who have deep skills and knowledge about issues facing this generation.”

Given the tremendous success of the inaugural KPMG Cyber Day initiative held on a single day last October, this year KPMG expanded the program to make every Friday in October a KPMG Cyber Day. This enabled KPMG to reach even more students with cyber lessons developed by KPMG’s Global Cyber Security Practice.

“Global CEOs recognise the critical role they play in their businesses being cyber secure,” said Mr. Bill Thomas, Global Chairman, KPMG. “Cyber security can no longer simply be left to the IT department, smart businesses know every employee has to be digital now and alert to the dangers. We all play a role in helping to ensure the business leaders of tomorrow are cyber safe. That’s why I am tremendously proud of the program our people have delivered in classrooms all around the world.”

In a digital age where many young people are logging long hours of screen-time, it is critical that government bodies, parents, teachers, organisations and industry experts all work together to arm them with the information they need to stay safe online and offline. According to the Children’s Internet Study, conducted by The Centre for Cyber Safety and Education, 40% of children have connected or chatted with a stranger online; 53% of them revealed their phone number to a stranger, 11% met with a stranger and 6% revealed their home address.

“Our global approach to citizenship prioritises Quality Education and Lifelong Learning in line with the Sustainable Development Goals,” said Lord Dr. Michael Hastings, Global Head of Corporate Citizenship, KPMG. “The more we do today to collectively advance the competence and knowledge of today’s youth on cyber security, the better we can prepare these future leaders to meet tomorrow's challenges and be part of the confident digital future.”

The Global Cyber Day program was also implemented in Cyprus. KPMGcyber security professionals visited 23 schools across the island and delivered educational presentations to more than 3.500 students, ages 7-16. The curriculums, tailored according to students’ age,delivered valuable lessons on how students can stay safe online and how to champion the protection of their own personal data and online security.This year’s topics focused on social media, online identity protection, cyber bullying, online gaming and cyber threats, factors that can affect schoolchildren and teenagers in their everyday life.

Due to increased demand, the program will continue in the upcoming months, aiming to reach a larger number of students.