26th April, 2018 Staff from Tonga’s National Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) under the Information Department of the Ministry of MEIDECC were in the Ha’apai Groups to conduct awareness workshops and training on Cyber Security and Safety.
The workshops took place in Pangai and Nomuka with participants from the surrounding islands. A separate workshop for the Lulunga islands will be held in Ha’afeva in the near future.
This exercise is funded by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) through the Ministry of MEIDECC, aiming to make organizations and communities aware of the team and their role as well as making participants understand how they can mitigate the impacts of cyber threats.
Director of Tonga CERT Mr. Siosaia Vaipuna said, “This is part of our main responsibilities under our Proactive Services which is to conduct outreach programs for participants to be aware of the services Tonga CERT provides. It also provides a platform to dialogue with the communities and offer tips and guidance on how to be secure when using the Internet. This is also timely as the submarine fiber optic cable connecting Pangai to Tongatapu and to the Internet was recently commissioned which we anticipate will see an increase in the number of Internet users in the islands.”
He also stated that the Tonga CERT Board from their last meeting were very concerned about the safety of individual Internet users and hence they are not only focused on organizations but also the communities.
“An officer from Tonga Police also joined the team on this exercise providing Cyber Safety training from a law enforcement perspective with materials provided under the Cyber Safety Pasifika Initiative”
Mr. Paula Latapu who was the lead facilitator for the workshops reported “The participants were very thankful that the government included them in this training even though they seem to be far away out in the islands. They also have observed that there is an increase in the usage of the Internet and that they notice that there are some issues around it.”
He added that parents were glad that they now have some understanding of what their children are using the Internet for and some of the potential social issues that it brings. Some of the participants stated that they had a negative perception of technology and the Internet, but after the training they recognize its benefits to their daily lives but at the same time are aware of the challenges and how to avoid them.
The workshops were attended by officials from line ministries, NGOs, town officers, and youth from the communities of Ha’apai.
ENDS
Issued by the: Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change & Communications.