[Oct 1-31st] — J Initiative (JI) has become a Champion of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM) 2018.From today JI has joined a growing global effort among businesses, government agencies, colleges and universities, associations, nonprofit organizations and individuals to promote the awareness of online safety and privacy.

A multi-layered and far-reaching campaign held annually in October, NCSAM was created as a collaborative effort between government and industry to ensure all digital citizens have the resources needed to stay safer and more secure online while also protecting their personal information. As an official Champion, JI recognizes its commitment to cybersecurity, online safety and privacy.

‘’Our children in Ghana just like any part of the world are confronted with all kinds of cyber issues including; Child Sexual Exploitation, child abuse imagery, inappropriate content, reputational damage and even addiction to technology which are in themselves not accidental but having serious effect on their socialization and how the society is wired.

At J Initiative, we imagine a world where children and young people are empowered to navigate their way in the digital space. Our focus on the Children’s digital Rights and Protection has been culminated in our Digital Literacy & Safety Programme for children, young people and other stakeholders. We believe that the digital space when used properly results in a wonderfully positive tool for children and young people. As stated by John F. Kennedy; ‘’Children are the world’s most valuable resource and its best hope for the future’’. If children are the future, empowering children and young people to practice digital safety then, is the key to a safer digital Ghana.”

Co-founded and led by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), NCSAM has grown exponentially since its inception, reaching consumers, small and medium-sized businesses, corporations, government entities, the military, educational institutions and young people nationally and internationally. NCSAM 2017 was an unprecedented success, generating 4,316 news stories – an increase of 68 percent in comparison to NCSAM 2016’s media coverage. Kicking off its 15th year, NCSAM 2018 presents an unparalleled opportunity to leverage the month’s tremendous adoption growth over the last several years and expand cybersecurity and privacy education and awareness globally.

“The Champion program continues to be a strong foundation for National Cyber Security Awareness Month’s ongoing and impactful success. In 2017, 1,050 organizations enlisted to support the month ­– a 21-percent increase from the previous year,” said Russ Schrader, NCSA’s executive director. “We are thankful to our 2018 Champion organizations for their support and commitment to our shared responsibility of promoting cybersecurity, online safety awareness and the opportunity to protect our privacy.”

As part of JI’s NCSAM efforts, we will be engaging on Social Media and traditional media mainly as part of our action throughout the month. You can also follow and use the official NCSAM hashtag #CyberAware or #GhCybersecurity  on social media throughout the month.

About [Company/Organization]

J Initiative (JI) is a child centered research and advocacy based non-governmental organization that campaigns for/with children and young people and their families to influence policies and change practices that affect child welfare in Ghana. We build partnership with organizations and individuals to promote child online safety by employing rights and evidence based advocacy approaches to achieve sustainable outcomes. These activities we believe will indorse child online safety locally, foster Africa Fit for Children and promote the global child safety agenda. Resource mobilization, Open Strategic Partnerships, Capacity building and policy advocacy have played key roles in our work. Since 2014, our work has been recognized by the African Union Commission, the Ministry of Communications, Ministry of Gender Children and Social Protection, Ministry of the Interior, Ghana Education Service, Civil Society organizations, key industry players, corporate institutions, faith based institutions, Academia and the general public. For more information, visit https://jighana.org/cybercitizen/ or http://jighana.org/ .

About National Cybersecurity Awareness Month
NCSAM is designed to engage and educate public- and private-sector partners through events and initiatives with the goal of raising awareness about cybersecurity in order to increase the resiliency of the nation in the event of a cyber incident. Since the Presidential proclamation establishing NCSAM in 2004, the initiative has been formally recognized by Congress, federal, state and local governments and leaders from industry and academia. This united effort is necessary to maintain a cyberspace that is safer and more resilient and remains a source of tremendous opportunity and growth for years to come. For more information, visit staysafeonline.org/ncsam or dhs.gov/national-cyber-security-awareness-month.

About NCSA

NCSA is the nation’s leading nonprofit, public-private partnership promoting cybersecurity and privacy education and awareness. NCSA works with a broad array of stakeholders in government, industry and civil society. NCSA’s primary partners are DHS and NCSA’s Board of Directors, which includes representatives from ADP; Aetna; AT&T Services Inc.; Bank of America; CDK Global, LLC; Cisco; Comcast Corporation; ESET North America; Facebook; Google; Intel Corporation; Logical Operations; Marriott International; Mastercard; Microsoft Corporation; Mimecast; NXP Semiconductors; Raytheon; RSA, the Security Division of EMC; Salesforce; Symantec Corporation; TeleSign; Visa and Wells Fargo. NCSA’s core efforts include National Cyber Security Awareness Month (October); Data Privacy Day (Jan. 28); STOP. THINK. CONNECT™; and CyberSecure My Business™, which offers webinars, web resources and workshops to help businesses be resistant to and resilient from cyberattacks. For more information on NCSA, please visit staysafeonline.org/about.