Month: July 2023

Date: Monday 31st July, 2023

The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology is partnering with CERT NZ with support from Cyber Safety Pasifika, NetSafe, Ministry of Police and Prisons, Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture and Office of the Regulator will be in Savaii from 1-4 August 2023 for the inaugural 7-day campaign called the ‘Cyber SMART Samoa Roadshow’ funded by CERT NZ and the New Zealand Government. The theme of the roadshow is ‘Samoa e! Mataala,’ and the Ministry aims to promote this slogan in every household in every community.

The Ministry extends its thanks to CERT NZ and the New Zealand Government for its partnership and policy and logistical support with the establishment and delivery of this “first of its kind” initiative which was developed during bilateral discussions earlier this year. This highlights a significant lift in our cyber relationship and underscores our commitments as nations to support a Cyber Safe Samoa. Through this partnership we hope that Samoa can become the first Pacific Nation to recognize information and partnership as a source of strength in all aspects of social, political, and economic growth.

The roadshow highlights the importance of an all-eco-system approach to increasing Samoa’s Cyber resilience. This inter-agency approach will deliver a bespoke and culturally responsive programme that will cover all colleges in Savaii with sessions for students and the Parent Teacher Associations (PTA). The sessions will focus on lifting the profile of Samoan Ministries and their role within the Cyberspace. They will also educate students on ethics, how to navigate and use technology wisely. The PTA sessions will also focus on current cyber trends in Samoa, informing of incident log processes, cyber safety tips, upskilling their capability to help their children navigate the matters that may arise while online and how to support and supervise their children in their use of technologies and online services.

As a part of this roadshow, church ministers and elders from various denominations are supporting this initiative by hosting evening sessions for their respective communities. All agencies involved will provide valuable cyber related information to key members of the communities to support the establishment of Cyber Smart Samoa advocates in Savai’i. Furthermore, we will also discuss cyber incident processes, challenges arising from internet usage and high mobile phone penetration.

A key outcome of the roadshow is a report which will support the development of Samoa’s cyber legislation to enhance its incident handling process and address cybersecurity matters. This report will be presented to members of parliament during their session on Monday 7 August 2023. The roadshow aims to draw attention to everyone’s responsibilities online, local, national and at the international level. In addition, the importance of data, especially personal information, in shaping the future.