Oman celebrates Safer Internet Day

Muscat: Oman participated in the Safer Internet Day campaign which was celebrated my more than 100 nations this year on February 7 2017.
The event has been celebrated on the first Tuesday of every February since 2004, with the Sultanate being represented by the government-run Information Technology Authority (ITA), which held a number of workshops and lectures.
In addition, the ITA also broadcast messages to raise cyber security awareness in Oman, across its social media channels, and promote the culture of proper use of the internet.
This campaign – which runs under the motto ‘Be the change: unite for a better Internet’ – also aimed towards tackling the risks that children might face on the internet, as well as highlighting the legal aspects regarding the use of social media channels.
“You must be the change,” tweeted Oman’s Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT), which conducts activities on behalf of the ITA.“To unite to form a secure Internet environment, we celebrate today as international Safer Internet Day.
“Support Safer Internet Day and be the change - unite for a better internet!” added another.
The Safer Internet Day (SID) began as an initiative of the European Union’sSafeBorders project in 2004. This project initially aimed at finding the best human and technological solutions for the implementation of a system for controlling the entry and exits into countries, and has since expanded globally.
“Over the years, Safer Internet Day has become a landmark event in the online safety calendar. In the Sultanate, Oman National CERT as the official SID National Committee is taking the initiative nationally in working with stakeholders and young people in order to promote Cyber Security awareness,” said a statement on Oman CERT’s official website.
“This year, Safer Internet Day’s offers the opportunity to focus on both the creative activities that children and young people are doing online, as well as the role we all play in helping to create a better internet,” the statement added. “Online awareness campaigns, school programmes and parents’ sessions are to be held this year to raise the awareness among the society segments on the best practice for a safer internet.”
From cyberbullying to social networking, each year, Safer Internet Day aims to raise awareness of emerging online issues and chooses a topic reflecting current concerns.