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Gloucestershire Business News

New cyber skills for Scouts

The Scouts and Cheltenham-based GCHQ's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) have recently launched four new activities for the Digital Citizen Badge.

Launched during Cyber Security Awareness Month, the new activities will encourage young people to create and implement robust passwords on their accounts and devices, protect their data and regularly back up their systems to protect valuable information, such as family photos.

The activities will help Scouts learn to recognise phishing emails and understand fundamental cyber security principles, as reported by Charity Today.

The new activities have been designed alongside the nation's online security experts at the NCSC, part of the UK's intelligence agency, GCHQ. They complement the NCSC's existing offerings for young people, including the Cyber Sprinters digital game and CyberFirst Navigators resources.

Recent research found that:

• In 2022, more than 24 billion passwords were exposed by hackers

• 91% of people understand that reusing passwords is a security risk

• World Back Up Day research identified in 2023 that 21% of computer users have never made a backup of their files and run the risk of losing precious material data like family photos

Sally Milner, Scout partnership manager, said: "Keeping your digital assets safe is a key modern life skill and, here at the Scouts, we want to help young people develop digital skills as well as the more traditional teamwork, navigation and leadership skills.

"In 2024, it is just as important to know how to keep your data safe as it is to work in a team or navigate using a map. It's our mission to help young people develop all these key skills, and others so they are fully equipped to live and operate effectively in the modern world."

Sarah Lyons, NCSC deputy director for economy and society, said: "Empowering young people with the skills to navigate the digital world safely is crucial.

"By equipping Scouts with essential knowledge about online safety, we help ensure they can protect themselves against cyber threats and make informed choices in an increasingly digital society."

By embedding cyber security knowledge into the Digital Citizen Badge, Scouts and NCSC are helping young people develop crucial skills to navigate the digital world securely and confidently.

Scouts are young people aged 10.5 to 14.

Image credit: Scouts

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