A network of digital advocates on Saturday urged the Department of Education to include cybersecurity in the basic education curriculum.
Digital Pinoys national campaigner Ronald Gustilo said DepEd should work with the National Privacy Commission so that students can be taught the basic steps in securing their personal information and ensuring their safety in cyberspace.
"We encourage DepEd to also start teaching cybersecurity to students as they are among the most vulnerable in cyberspace. They are more susceptible to scams and exploitation as they are not fully aware of the risks that come along with their gadgets," he added.
Gustilo said personalized spam texts tend to show that personal data information may have been compromised or exposed to data breach.
"Now that we are using gadgets like smartphones, tablets and laptops for education, we should also teach students how to take care of their personal accounts, and how to make sure that they are not compromised," he said.
Cybersecurity, from the basics to the advanced level, must be taught to kids, he added, urging government to distribute gadgets to students that had been tested against cybersecurity attacks.
He said apps and tools against computer viruses and other malware are available for the use of kids if only government would make them readily available on their gadgets.
