FSKTM Champions Cyber Security Awareness Across Sarawak Schools

Abstract

In an era defined by rapid technological advancement, the digital landscape presents immense opportunities while simultaneously introducing increasingly complex cybersecurity challenges. As educators and researchers, our responsibility extends beyond the traditional classroom to safeguarding and educating the next generation of digital citizens. Recognizing this responsibility, the Young Digital Defender Program (Program Digital Defender Muda) was implemented as a community outreach initiative to equip secondary school students with essential cybersecurity knowledge and practical digital safety skills.

The program addressed the growing prevalence of cyber threats, particularly online scams, phishing, identity theft, and unsafe online practices that increasingly affect young internet users. To enhance learning engagement, the program adopted an interactive, hands-on approach that combined cybersecurity awareness sessions with live demonstrations of common cyberattack techniques. Participants observed practical demonstrations on password vulnerabilities and other real-world cybersecurity scenarios, enabling them to better understand how cyber threats occur and how appropriate preventive measures can safeguard their personal information and digital identities.

By translating complex cybersecurity concepts into engaging and accessible learning experiences, the program strengthened participants' awareness of responsible digital citizenship and encouraged safer online behaviour. The initiative demonstrates the effectiveness of experiential learning in improving cybersecurity literacy among secondary school students while highlighting the important role of higher education institutions in fostering digitally resilient communities through meaningful community engagement.