February 23rd 2021
Get Safe Online’s inaugural Ambassador Day will be marked this Saturday, February 27th. The event will celebrate the impressive contribution made by the organisation’s community of Ambassadors around the Commonwealth, as well as helping to cascade advice supporting safer use of the internet.
The Get Safe Online Ambassador Scheme was launched last year in the Pacific and Africa, and the previous year across other Commonwealth countries in the Caribbean. In order to provide the opportunity for local online safety champions to share advice provided by Get Safe Online, individuals have been invited to join the initiative to enable them to train communities, as well as small and medium sized businesses, on how to stay safe online – with the flexibility to reflect their own cultural diversity and local scenarios.
Get Safe Online has trained well over 100 Ambassadors in 17 countries. The Ambassadors benefit from a wide range of resources, mentoring and other support for the duration of the scheme. Participants keep a journal detailing their presentations including content, attendee numbers and audience feedback. Gold, Silver and Bronze status is awarded on completion of certain numbers of sessions.
The day will see Ambassadors promoting the free scheme and highlighting its benefits to communities and, at the same time, encourage people to take advantage of Get Safe Online’s local websites, media and social media activity. By talking to ten people and encouraging them, in turn, to tell a further ten, the objective is that back-to-basics advice on key topics such as passwords, updating devices and internet security software will be spread to hundreds, if not thousands of people as a result of just one session.
Each Ambassador will prepare a 30-minute presentation which they will deliver at a time of their choice on the day. It is hoped that this will raise awareness amongst individuals and communities as well as schools, businesses, clubs and other organisations, and encourage them to engage with their local Ambassadors to present to them. The presentations will be delivered either virtually or in person, depending on local prevailing COVID-19 conditions and restrictions.
Details on joining the day’s sessions can be found on the Get Safe Online websites in the countries where they are being delivered.
The Get Safe Online campaign is funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s UK Commonwealth Cybersecurity Programme.
