Why Cybersecurity Education Must Start Early
The examples on either side of this page represent the daily reality children face online— deceptive advertisements, fake urgency, and manipulative tactics designed to exploit inexperience and trust.
The Current Crisis
Children are handed smartphones and tablets with minimal guidance on digital safety. By the time they reach secondary education, many have already fallen victim to phishing attempts, shared personal information carelessly, or developed unsafe online habits.
The Solution: Age-Appropriate Cybersecurity Education
- Primary Level (Ages 5-8): Recognizing "stranger danger" online, understanding privacy basics, identifying when something seems "too good to be true"
- Middle Level (Ages 9-12): Password safety, recognizing phishing, understanding data privacy, basic digital footprint concepts
- Secondary Level (Ages 13+): Advanced threat recognition, secure communication practices, critical evaluation of online sources, protecting personal data
Making it Official
Cybersecurity must become a standalone subject, not an afterthought or brief mention in computer science classes. Just as we teach road safety before children can drive, we must teach digital safety before they navigate the internet independently.
The stakes are real: Identity theft, financial fraud, cyberbullying, exploitation, and privacy violations are not hypothetical risks—they happen daily to young people who were never taught how to protect themselves.