At the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Get Safe Online, a UK-based non-profit organisation, has launched a campaign to raise awareness on the importance of online safety in Commonwealth countries, including Rwanda. The campaign was launched on Monday, July 20. The campaign is part of the United Kingdom Commonwealth Cybersecurity programme. In Rwanda, Get Safe Online which has been providing free public education and awareness services about online risks for 15 years, will partner with the Ministry of ICT and Innovation and Rwanda Information Society Authority (RISA). As of today - Monday 20/7/2020 - @getsafeonlinerw is part of ongoing efforts in #Rwanda to raise awareness on online safety and cyber security. This Campaign will be implemented by @getsafeonlinerw in partnership with @RwandaICT & @RISARwanda. #rwot — Get Safe Online Rwanda (@getsafeonlinerw) July 20, 2020 This campaign in Rwanda comes during this period of the global pandemic of Covid-19 pandemic that put many countries in lockdown, where people globally are relying on online technology more than ever to access information. Commenting on the initiative, Yves Iradukunda, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of ICT and Innovation said that the campaign is a welcome addition to the government’s already existing efforts to ensure cyber safety of Rwandans. “The Get Safe Online Campaign adds to ongoing efforts to promote online safety in Rwanda. Given the government’s continued efforts of smart governance and services digitization, cybersecurity awareness is important for both public servants and the private sector,” he said. The campaign has already been conducted in 12 Caribbean countries that are part of the Commonwealth of Nations. The Global Ambassador of Get Safe Online, Peter Davies, explained that “the purpose of the campaign is to raise awareness of risks and safety measures which will protect people from online security risks. These risks include phishing scams, identity theft, ransomware, malware, viruses and other online threats,” he said. Davies added that “working together with local partners in Rwanda, we look forward to building awareness on the importance of online safety in an ever-changing digital world”. Free and easily accessible cybersecurity services Services offered by Get Safe Online are free and do not require any resources from users. The campaign will comprise a locally presented, freely accessible website in both English and Kinyarwanda with information on online safety and cybersecurity. A Kinyarwanda version of the Get Safe Online Rwanda website will be available by the beginning of September 2020, according to the organisers. The campaign will also offer capacity building services to ensure continued advocacy for online safety to enable Rwandans to deliver workshops within their organisations and communities. The workshops will be mentored by Get Safe Online experts. Innocent Bagamba Muhizi , CEO of RISA, anticipates that by the end of the campaign, every citizen will have a good understanding of how to avoid being a victim of online breaches. Specific efforts will be put into ensuring the safety of children as they continue to study and learn online.
