In celebration of the International Women’s Day, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) launched "Gawad Hiraya and Kursong Siber" (Hiraya Award and Cyber Course) on Friday, March 8, to recognize and celebrate the achievements of women in cybersecurity within the ASEAN region.
It also aims to introduce new courses designed to equip women with skills in areas such as social media analytics, digital forensics, and data privacy.
In his keynote speech, CICC Executive Director Alexander K. Ramos explained the launch of the cyber courses, emphasizing the potential and skills that women bring to the fields of computer forensics and cybersecurity.
The event took place at the National Cybercrime Hub, Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City.
Furthermore, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Under Secretary Paul joseph V. Mercado said “this initiative of CICC and the NCWP (National Council of Women of the Philippines) is keeping the spirit of Women’s Month; it embodies the values of empowerment, inclusivity and progress that we are working onward.”
ASEAN Confederation of Women Organizations and NCWP president Dr. Cecilia M. Dy also underscored that the initiative is a “milestone for NCWP because traditionally, the work of cyber and cybercrime security and digital literacy is primarily the task of men, the signing of the memorandum of agreement is a testament for the preparedness of Filipino women in this service area of expertise.”
Cybersecurity courses
The said program is divided into three courses, Digital Forensics, Data Driven Governance and Data Privacy.
The Digital Forensics training aims to empower women with the essential skills required to excel in the field of digital forensics, with a specific focus on handling obstructed storage devices.
The initiative fosters a supportive environment, enabling women to thrive and advance their expertise in digital investigation techniques.
Learning outcome in digital forensics:
Meanwhile, the goal of the Data-Driven course is to equip employees with essential skills in social media analytics to enhance public service delivery.
Participants will acquire knowledge about the local social media landscape, relevant metrics, analysis tools, and strategies for effective communication.
The objective is to instill confidence in navigating digital complexities, enabling informed strategies for improved outcomes in public service.
Learning outcome in data driven:
Furthermore, the Data Privacy course became possible through a partnership with the National Privacy Commission (NPC). It was designed to educate and train individuals on Philippine data privacy laws and regulations.
Participants will undergo comprehensive training to gain a thorough understanding of data privacy principles, compliance requirements, and ethical considerations through this collaborative program.
Learning outcome in data privacy:
Moreover, Ramos noted that the body can train 15 trainees per batch for the data-driven course, 30 to 35 trainees per batch for the digital forensics course, and for data privacy, they can accommodate at least 40 participants per batch.