News

Staff and students at the Demonstration School for the Deaf (Demodeaf) in Mampong, Eastern Region, have received cybersecurity training to enhance their awareness of cybersecurity risks and promote a secure digital environment for the institution.

The exercise held on June 25, 2025, was facilitated by officials of the Cyber Security Authority with the assistance of professional signers to ensure effective communication.

Mr. Martin Agyei Aboagye, an official of the CSA, took the students through the online safety for learners with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). He educated them on risks such as online grooming, cyberbullying, exploitation, and online pornography.

The students were also taken through some best practices to ensure online safety. These included the use of strong passwords and how to block, report, and delete inappropriate content. They also learnt how to unfriend offensive people on social media and to use filters to block access to disturbing content.

Mr. Aboagye admonished the students to desist from sharing nude photos, physically meeting up with strangers they met online and giving out personal information to strangers on the internet.

Mr. Eric Bansah, facilitated a training for the staff of the institution and explored various types of malicious software, demonstrating how they can be spread through suspicious email attachments, unsecured public charging stations, and manipulative tactics.

A key session of the training focused on social engineering and methods used by cybercriminals to trick individuals into revealing private information through common techniques such as phishing. He explained how to recognise warning signs, which may be in the form of messages that create urgency, request confidential details, or come from unfamiliar sources. Mr. Bansah also discussed wider cyber threats, including sextortion, misinformation, disinformation, fake news, and the increasingly advanced use of deepfakes.

Additionally, he shared practical tips for enhancing mobile security, including the use of strong and unique passwords, regular data backups, installation of security software, enabling two or multi-factor authentication, and keeping devices and applications up to date.

Speaking at the end of the programme, Mr. Divine Edem Kodadza, the Assistant Headmaster, Administration at DemoDeaf, expressed his appreciation for the informative, inclusive, and interactive training. He commended the CSA for its awareness creation efforts on digital risks and the importance of cybersecurity.

Mr. Divine stated that the training has reinforced the value of informed, cautious online behaviour and encouraged participants to take an active role in protecting themselves and their digital environment.