Internet access in the Philippines has grown by 500% over the last four years, the fastest rate in Southeast Asia. But while the Internet plays a big role in our lives, it also exposes us to various online security risks. Thus, the Singtel Group, which Globe is a part of, works collaboratively with partners, leading experts and government across the region to create empowered, responsible digital citizens through innovative, impactful programs such as the Digital Thumbprint Program to educate children and adults about cyber wellness and being a positive digital citizen.
Andrew Buay, VP Singtel Group Sustainability said: “We are proud of the achievements of our Digital Thumbprint Framework. So far, we have already reached 292,000 students 98% learned from the program and 95% of students planned to take action following our program. Cyber safety is everyone’s responsibility so we’re also encouraging our customers to protect themselves and their children online”.
In the Philippines, the pilot run of DTP early last year showed that of the 1,266 students and 36 teachers surveyed by global consulting firm Karrikins Group of Australia, 96.7% of the students expressed satisfaction and enjoyment from the DTP workshops; 94.4% of students found the workshops relevant; and 100% of teachers said that their students learned something important and that the workshops were grade-level appropriate. The program also received a Net Promoter Score of 91.7 from the teachers who said they would recommend it to other schools.
“Globe is helping the youth understand the individual impact of their decisions and actions while preparing them for the immense benefits that a digital nation brings. Through DTP, we believe they can learn how to discern proper online behavior, be aware of technology’s impact on their social activities, and develop skills on how to use technology to help them achieve their life goals,” said Yoly Crisanto, Senior Vice President of Globe Corporate Communications.
DTP is one of the major components of Globe Telecom‘s #CyberPinoy cyberwellness campaign which unifies all the company’s efforts to embrace a digital nation. Here are some important cyberwellness tips from #CyberPinoy for everyone to take note of as the world observes a Safer Internet Day:
- Think before you share. Your online identity is as safe as you make it. “I’m X years old today”, “Call me on this number”, “Come to my house. Here’s the direction”, “I love my dog. His name is …”, “My favorite movie is …”. While these statements might look harmless, they are actually dangerous when seen by the wrong persons. Hackers can use certain information to compromise not only your online accounts but even your personal lives. Using information they find in the internet, they can answer security questions and gain access to passwords to damage reputation scam other people, rob, or worse, cause bodily harm or even death.
- Ensure that your password is hack free. Avoid the top 20 most popular passwords used such as: 123456, password, 12345, 12345678, qwerty, 123456789, 1234, baseball, dragon, football, 1234567, monkey, letmein, abc123, 111111, Mustang, Access, shadow, Master, and Michael. Visit http://howsecureismypassword.net to determine if your password can be hacked in six seconds or in six trillion years.
- Be alert when using a public computer. Whenever you are in an internet shop/café or using a public computer, delete your browsing history and cookies before you leave. Also use private browsing where possible, watch for “over the shoulder” snoops when entering passwords, refrain from downloading personal files and email attachments, and log out after using your account.
- Protect your home with family-friendly entertainment. If there are kids at home, guide them whenever they browse the internet so that they can only access age-appropriate materials and not fall prey to any sort of exploitation.
- Encourage schools to adopt the Digital Thumbprint Program (DTP). DTP is a brainchild of Optus and Singtel which Globe Telecom adopted locally to increase the students’ knowledge of digital citizenship and cyber safety by taking a critical look at their online behavior and helping them develop insights into the influences of the online world and the choices they are making. It involves workshops that cover three key topics: cyber safety and security, cyber etiquette and responsibility, and online leadership and empowerment.
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