The winners with Dr. Albert Antwi-Boasiako (right) and Minister of Communications and Digitalization, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful (left)
STUDENTS OF Ola Senior High School could not hide their joy at the Cedi House, University of Ghana, when they defeated three other schools to emerge as winners of the 2023 National Cybersecurity Challenge (NCC).
Ola SHS obtained 45 points beating its closest contenders, Prempeh College and Wesley Girls who secured 38 points each as Navrongo SHS scored 34 points.
Fifty senior high schools were selected across the 16 regions to participate in the competition and engaged in interactive workshops to gain knowledge on diverse cybersecurity topics.
The participating schools were categorised into Northern, Middle, Eastern and Southern zones where winners from each group competed at the final.
These schools include Oda Senior High School, Adisadel College, St Monica’s Senior High School, Northern School of Business, and Mfantsiman Girls’ SHS, among others.
The students were awarded cash prizes, gift bags and certificates with the winner taking home the coveted champion’s trophy at the Global Cyber Security Conference held in Accra.
According to the Director General of the Cyber Security Authority (CSA), Dr. Albert Antwi-Boasiako, to build on the gains achieved in the 2022, NCC, and the CSA scaled up the competition in 2023 to reach more students and regions in Ghana, as online vulnerabilities, risks and threats continued to increase.
He said the NCC would be an annual rallying point for high school students across the country to compete in exciting exercises demonstrating their knowledge of cybersecurity.
The Director-General also expressed his outfit’s commitment toprotect the interests of children online in line with its mandate to regulate and promote the development of cybersecurity in the country while urging all stakeholders such as law enforcers, parents, guardians and teachers to work collectively to protect children from all forms of cyber abuse.
Last year’sedition of the Cyber Security Challenge was won by the Presbyterian Boys SHS Legon.
BY Ebenezer Kofi Amponsah