BOE proclaims October Cybersecurity Awareness Month

The proclamation, signed last Oct. 2, was witnessed by Education Commissioner Dr. Lawrence F. Camacho and several public education personnel, with various schools, partner agencies, community members, and other stakeholders joining virtually. It was held at the PSS Office of the Commissioner on Capital Hill on Wednesday last week.

The education chief reaffirmed the district’s commitment to provide a safe and secure digital learning environment for public school students, staff, and other stakeholders during the proclamation.

The proclamation officially started the many activities that are scheduled throughout the month of October. Planning and organizing these activities were put together by the school district’s Statewide Longitudinal Data System Program, State Infrastructure Technology Office, and the Instructional Technology and Distance Education Program.

In ensuring that the message of digital safety is further understood and reaches every member of the community, these efforts also included translating the official proclamation into the indigenous Chamorro and Carolinian languages in partnership with the CNMI Language Commissioner and the PSS Chamorro Carolinian Language and Heritage Studies Program.

In his remarks, Camacho reiterated PSS’ commitment to cybersecurity as both an essential and critical component to student learning, safety and security.

“I am pleased to share that 20 schools have successfully completed cybersecurity training, ensuring that educators, staff, and parents are better equipped to safeguard the digital and physical well-being of our students,” said Camacho.

The education chief also took the proclamation as an opportunity to reinforce his support of PSS’ ongoing cybersecurity, safe online communications, and digital learning initiatives.

“Professional development remains at the core of what we do, and I am thrilled to report that 664 professional development certificates were awarded during the 2023-2024 school year. These certificates reflect our unwavering dedication to elevating our educators and staff, providing them with the knowledge and tools to meet the challenges of today’s educational landscape,” added Camacho.

PSS SIT director Jesse Tenorio stressed the critical role of cybersecurity in today’s education landscape. “With technology now deeply embedded in our teaching and learning processes, it is more crucial than ever to prioritize cybersecurity.”

Ferdinand Ngirmekur, PSS Data Privacy specialist, said: “Cybersecurity Awareness Month gives us a chance to ensure that all members of our PSS community—students, educators, and staff—are informed and equipped to handle online risks and data security incidents.”

As part of this month-long initiative, all members of CNMI PSS are encouraged to take proactive measures to protect both personal and institutional data.

Dr. Riya Nathrani, ITDE coach, who has been working on consolidating all the month’s events into a calendar, emphasized: “These steps include using strong, unique passwords, enabling multifactor authentication, keeping devices and software up to date, adhering to cybersecurity best practices, and promptly reporting any suspicious activities to the appropriate administrators and the SIT office.”

Jeaniffer Cubangbang, SLDS Technical manager; Geralyn Dela Cruz, Data Governance manager, along with P12 SLDS Data Governance members Dr. Riya Nathrani, Gus Loste, Ruth Calvo, and D’Anna Tudela, worked closely to coordinate various activities under the leadership of Ferdinand Ngirmekur.

“We’ve organized training sessions, best practices, and are launching awareness campaigns aimed at engaging students, teachers, staff, parents, and the broader community,” Dela Cruz explained. “Our goal is to enhance the cybersecurity knowledge and skills of everyone within the PSS community, ensuring we all contribute to a safer digital environment.”

Tenorio added that he will be broadcasting at least one cybersecurity resource with PSS staff each week throughout October.

Randee-Jo Barcinas-Manglona, PSS Communications & Media Program manager, said this month’s activities will be promoted through media outlets and social media to bring greater awareness to the community.

For more information on Cybersecurity Awareness Month events and resources, please visit slds.cnmipss.org/what-we-do/data-security-privacy or contact [email protected] to request training.

The CNMI SLDS Program is a state office that collects and integrates the CNMI’s education and workforce data that bridges the gap between information and action so that policymakers, practitioners, and the public can make the best decisions possible.

The SLDS is a joint effort of the U.S. Department of Education, state education agency, and other stakeholders, including educators, researchers, and policymakers. The SLDS website is just one of the many tools that the system provides to help education professionals make informed decisions and improve educational outcomes.

To learn more about the Statewide Longitudinal Data System, visit slds.cnmipss.org. (PR)