Staying safe online with Cyber Safety Pasifika

Cyber Safety Pasifika (CSP) is an Australian Federal Police-led cyber safety awareness and education program which is being delivered in 18 Pacific island countries through local Pacific police officers. It is specifically referred to in Australia’s Cyber Security Strategy, released in 2016, as an important part of the effort to counter cybercrime and to help keep children safe.

The Australian Government Cyber Security Strategy details a commitment to partner with international law enforcement, intelligence agencies and other computer emergency response teams. These partnerships will build cyber capacity to prevent and shut down safe havens for cyber criminals. Australia’s capacity building assistance will also enable our international partners, particularly in the Pacific region, to develop their institutional capacity to tackle cyber security threats.

With the increasing availability of high speed internet within the Pacific, the requirement for Pacific Policing organisations to be able to effectively respond, advise and investigate cybercrime is one of the highest priorities for the Pacific Island Chiefs of Police (PICP). This was reinforced at a conference held in Nauru in August 2018.

Managed by the AFP through the Pacific Police Development Program – Regional (PPDP-R), the CSP is an important part of the effort to counter cybercrime through the delivery of activities under three pillars of focus:

• Cyber Safety Awareness and Education
  To ensure that communities across the Pacific will be safe and secure online, our Pacific Police partners are trained to provide Pacific Islanders with the skills and knowledge to navigate the digital landscape. This course delivers training to officers from community policing portfolios within their department.
• Development of Cybercrime Legislation and Policy
  Each year, the Pacific Islands Law Officers Network (PILON) runs an annual Cybercrime Workshop to foster greater understanding of key areas of the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime,
• Up-skilling of Pacific Police in Cybercrime Investigations
  The delivery of a contextualised Cyber Investigations Skills Course will provide Pacific Police with the skills necessary to successfully investigate cyber and technology enabled crime. Collaboratively delivered, these courses will equip participants with the methods and techniques to conduct more effective online investigations.

To date, CSP Awareness training has 56 trainers. These trainers have reached more than 6 500 members of the public across 18 Pacific nations. Ninety-two people have attended Cybercrime Investigations courses.

CSP ‘Staying safe online’ factsheet

To find more tips and information about the program, please visit their website.