Equipping cybersecurity safety skills for VNA children

This is a practical activity on the occasion of International Children's Day June 1, contributing to caring for, educating, and protecting children in the great VNA family. At the same time, this is also one of the meaningful activities within the "Green Alliance" ecosystem – a sustainable development initiative recently launched by Vietnam Airlines to affirm its long-term commitment to the ESG (Environmental – Social – Governance) strategy. The program attracted more than 60 parents along with a large number of children participating directly and online across the entire system.

Attending the program, on the side of the People's Police Academy, there were Senior Colonel, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Quang Toan – Head of the Faculty of Criminal Investigation and Major, Dr. Nguyen Duc Huynh – Lecturer of the faculty. On the side of the Corporation's Youth Union, there was Comrade Nguyen Thi Trang – Deputy Secretary of the Corporation's Youth Union along with comrades from the Executive Committee and key Union officers in the Northern region.

Delivering the opening speech, Comrade Nguyen Thi Trang emphasized that caring for the young generation is not only a movement activity but has become a part of the culture and humanitarian responsibility of Vietnam Airlines. Focusing on education and safety protection for the future generation is a specific action to realize the letter "S" (Social) in the sustainable development goals of the Airline.

In the digital era, the Internet opens up many opportunities for learning and exploration but also poses many risks. The program was organized with the expectation of bringing practical knowledge to the children so that they know how to protect themselves in cyberspace as well as in daily life.

The atmosphere of the hall quickly became exciting thanks to the close, visual, and highly interactive delivery method of the speakers. Instead of rigid lectures, the contents were integrated through real stories, hypothetical situations, and lively Q&A sessions, helping the children easily absorb and remember.

From more than 25 years of working experience in the Police industry and intensive research on child protection, Senior Colonel, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Quang Toan affirmed that legal awareness is the most important "shield" to prevent crime. According to the Senior Colonel, many cases could have been completely avoided if the victims were fully equipped with knowledge and skills to recognize risks from early on.

In particular, Senior Colonel Le Quang Toan sent a message to parents that the law is present in all daily behaviors, from complying with traffic laws to the way of resolving school conflicts of children. The family needs to become a reliable support so that children are ready to share difficulties, instead of silently enduring or handling situations beyond their capacity by themselves. Crime prevention work is only truly effective when there is the companionship of family, school, and the whole society.

Through 3 key topics including "Safety in cyberspace – Recognizing and preventing high-tech fraud methods", "Civilized conduct, legal responsibility and legal culture in the digital environment", and "Crime prevention, self-protection skills in modern life", VNA children were equipped with the necessary "filters" to become safe and responsible digital citizens.

In the first topic, the speakers helped the children recognize common scam tricks on the internet today, especially calls impersonating functional authorities to threaten and manipulate the victims' psychology. An important principle emphasized by the Police officers is that the Police agency does not work or arrest citizens over the phone. Subjects who request to keep secrets from the family or pressure to transfer money are all suspicious signs to be vigilant against. When encountering an unusual situation, the children need to stay calm, not follow the subject's requests, and immediately report to their parents or functional authorities.

The second topic focused on responsibility and conduct culture in the digital environment. Through close examples, the speakers helped the children understand that the concept of a "closed group" on social networks does not mean absolute safety. Any information posted can be saved, shared, or spread within a short time. Acts of talking bad about, insulting, defaming others, or participating in groups with negative content can lead to legal consequences and long-term impacts on oneself. The children were encouraged to use social networks in a civilized, responsible manner and know how to protect their digital identity.

Besides cyberspace, the third topic brought many practical lessons about drugs, school violence, and self-protection skills. The speakers warned about seemingly harmless temptations like "try it once to know", while emphasizing the serious consequences that drugs can cause to the future of each person.

Through a number of typical cases, Senior Colonel Le Quang Toan also noted that the children should not subjectively think that being young means they will not have to bear responsibility before the law. Acts such as property extortion, intentional injury, or participating in school violence can all be strictly handled according to regulations, leaving heavy consequences for the future of the violators themselves.

Sharing more at the program, Major, Dr. Nguyen Duc Huynh said that even the Police force can be the target of cybercriminals. From there, the speaker emphasized the importance of protecting personal information and maintaining connection with family during the process of participating in the digital environment.

After the topics, the Q&A exchange section received enthusiastic response from the children at both the direct and online broadcasting hubs. Many practical questions were raised, showing the positive interest and absorption capacity of the children. Meaningful gifts on the occasion of June 1 from the Organizing Committee contributed to making the program atmosphere more exciting and memorable.

Closing after more than 3 hours of lively work, the program brought a lot of useful knowledge, contributing to raising legal awareness and self-protection skills for the children of Vietnam Airlines officers and employees. Representatives of the Corporation's Youth Union presented souvenirs to the speakers and took souvenir photos with the attending delegates. The bright smiles of the children and parents are proof of the program's success, while opening up a safe, rewarding, and meaningful summer for the future generation of the great VNA family. Furthermore, the success of the program also marks a proactive step of VNA's young generation on the journey of "Flying high sustainably" along with the sustainable development commitment of the National Airline.