Acronis joins hands with Cyber Youth Singapore to equip local teens with good cyber habits amid growing cyberthreats

Acronis, the global leader in cyber protection and Cyber Youth Singapore (CYS), today announced a partnership for the Surf Safe Campaign, that is supported by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), as part of Singapore's national movement - Digital for Life. Through the movement, like-minded partners across private, public and people sectors work together to help Singaporeans embrace digital as a lifelong pursuit, so as to enrich their lives and build a safe and inclusive digital society for all. The Surf Safe Campaign aims to reinforce Singapore's digital security by nurturing secondary school students into digitally resilient citizens.

Fuelled by the pandemic, remote work and remote education became the default format for hundreds of millions across the globe. With the rise of cybercrimes, the number of youths falling victim to cyberattacks has surged globally. As for Singapore, nearly 4 in 10 people here, or 37%, reported being victims of at least one cybersecurity incident last year - according to findings from the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore's (CSA) Cybersecurity Awareness Survey. Findings prove that while more people are aware of cyber threats, many still believe that they will not be targeted by cyber criminals - including younger generations.

The Surf Safe Campaign aims to educate 100,000 secondary school students on the importance of surfing the internet safely over the next three years - with 50,000 students educated over the first two years. Piloting in 2022 and implemented by CYS, the engagement plan will be curated and tailored to suit each secondary school's unique needs and learning objectives.

"CYS is grateful to IMDA, Acronis and our other content partners who have gracefully extended support towards this campaign and we're more than excited to work together. We encourage more partners to join us in this meaningful campaign and be part of the Digital for Life movement," says Xavier Low, Chief Executive of Cyber Youth Academy. "With the Surf Safe campaign, CYS hopes to educate secondary school students on the importance of cyber wellness, media literacy, and cybersecurity, and see the betterment of digital awareness and adoption in the younger citizens," add Denzel Chen and Olivia Xavier, Programme Heads of the Surf Safe Campaign at Cyber Youth Academy.

As the most frequent technology consumers and early adapters, youth will remain at the forefront of the digital era. Teaching youth how to keep themselves safe online, in turn, protects Singapore's digital future. The Surf Safe Campaign aims to equip our younger generation with good cyber habits, which they would be able to carry back to their homes and the rest of the nation.

"Acronis is honoured to partner with CYS to reinforce our nation's digital security by nurturing digitally savvy youths. It's never been more important for our young people to focus on cybersecurity and cyber wellness," said Stanislav Protassov, Acronis Co-founder & Technology President. "As a Singaporean cyber protection unicorn, it is a part of our DNA to contribute back to the society by helping build up cyber awareness - be it by educating businesses or the general public, as well as training a pool of cybersecurity talent in Singapore."

Working with various organisations through its CSR arm, the Acronis Cyber Foundation, Acronis has been actively promoting cyber literacy and education for youth communities in Singapore - and around the world.

About Cyber Youth Singapore

Cyber Youth Singapore (CYS) is a non-profit organization founded in 2019 and was awarded a charity status in 2021. Our work revolves around empowering youth in Singapore to discover their passion in technology while providing them with opportunities to be innovative in giving back to the community.

CYS manages a membership base of over 1,700 youths and is also Singapore's first charitable youth movement focused on advancing the digital future. Management at CYS is unique. We are mostly volunteer-run, with trainees and interns occasionally joining us to lead projects. CYS is overseen by a Board of Directors and a Council of Youths. The organization is advised by an Advisory Panel consisting of senior leaders across the nation.

The activities and initiatives of CYS are guided by three pillars. From technical workshops to attachment programmes to awareness talks and innovation initiatives, we aim to nurture and develop a digitally robust generation capable of traversing Singapore's digital frontier.

Since its inception in 2018, Acronis Cyber Foundation has been connecting various communities through education, to unlock the potential for a better-shared future.

Our motto, "Knowledge should be available to all" sets our core purpose and values. With three initiatives in mind - building schools in underserved communities, providing IT skills programs and publishing books, Acronis Cyber Foundation hopes to reach anyone ready to build a more knowledgeable future.

The Foundation aims to build 18 schools by 2023 - and more globally to allow thousands of children have access to quality education in a safe and clean environment, to take their first path to bigger opportunities. We developed IT skills programs all around the world that specifically serve ex-offenders, migrants and veterans, by giving them the skills to get new jobs. We also create books for children and their families, to inspire them to think creatively outside the box and explore the wonders of science.

The DfL movement was launched by President Halimah Yacob on 8 February 2021 to help build a digitally inclusive society. The movement aims to galvanize the community to help Singaporeans embrace digital as a lifelong pursuit, and to enrich their lives through digital. The DfL movement supports projects and activities that promote Digital Technology and Inclusion and Digital Literacy and Wellness.