Task 2, Response to Question 1:

“Explain what you think are some of the key differences between cyber security, cyber awareness and cyber safety. To what extent are you teaching these in the classroom or to what extend do you think they should be taught and why?”

Cyber security, cyber safety, and cyber awareness are three interrelated concepts, which, when practised in combination, aim to deliver a safe and secure system to digital users.

Cyber security, a concept birthed in response to the first cyber virus, relates to practices in place to protect from digital attacks. In particular, this may encompass the use of digital tools, the design of secure digital systems, the maintenance of these systems, and the education of security awareness.

Further to this, is the notion of cyber safety. This relates to our responsibility to behave as good digital citizens and implement skills to ensure our safety in the digital world. This is a particularly important notion for teachers to understand and teach to their students, as it ensures that we both protect ourselves and others in the cyber space.

Finally is the concept of cyber awareness, meaning our understanding of potential digital threats, and the embodiment of skills to avoid these threats. The method of increasing individual cyber awareness is through education and the implementation of online policies to protect users.

As outlined above, all three concepts of cyber security, safety, and awareness involve the taught knowledge of the user in the implementation of their protection and the protection of others online. Hence, teachers play a vital role in delivering life-long skills and understanding to students so that they are able to navigate the cyber world in a safe and secure way. This is particularly important as we catapult into a world that is perhaps, more digital in nature than physical, and as the complexities of staying safe online and in the digital space evolve and escalate.