The Organization of American States (OAS) has launched a free online course on digital security in the region with a gender perspective that it says will contribute to a better understanding of the disproportionate impact of cyber threats on women and provide tools for digital self-care.
The OAS says the course, “Our Networks, Our Security”, is offered through the Cybersecurity Program of the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism (CICTE) and the Educational Portal of the Americas.
“The objective of the course is to provide a better understanding of the online environment and current cyber threats so that students adopt new digital security practices as part of their daily lives,” the OAS said in a statement.
“It also provides easy and simple information to identify what online gender-based violence is, what forms it can take and offers a series of strategies for protection and response to this cyber threat that disproportionately affects women of all ages,” it added.
The OAS said the content is divided into five modules, “Our Internet, Our Rights: basic concepts; demystifying digital security; identifying common threats: online gender-based violence against women and girls; basic digital safety and self-care practices; and what to do if you are a victim of online gender-based violence, which is optional.
“Educating on cybersecurity is a key component of the work of CICTE’s Cybersecurity Program,” said Alison August Treppel, executive secretary of CICTE.
“At the same time, doing so with a gender perspective through which we recognize that cyber threats do not impact all people equally and expanding this knowledge is imperative. Through this course, we hope that more people can expand their knowledge of digital security and contribute to the creation of a safer and more inclusive hemisphere,” she added.
The OAS said the course is part of a partnership between CICTE’s Cybersecurity Program and the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM), “which seeks to disseminate information on online security with a gender perspective and increase awareness of these issues among governments, civil society and the private sector”.
The course is being funded by the Canadian and the United States governments.
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