Media Release: AFP, Pacific Island Chiefs of Police and NRL join forces on cyber safety

Release Date: Wednesday, February 01 2012, 12:00 PM

This is a joint media release between to the AFP and the NRL

The Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police (PICP), along with the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and National Rugby League (NRL) will launch the first cyber safety ‘trainer the trainer’ course as part of ‘Cyber Safety Pasifika’ for Pacific Island law enforcement on the Gold Coast today.

‘Cyber Safety Pasifika’ aims to equip police in the various Pacific Island Countries with the knowledge and resources to educate their communities, including young people, teachers and parents, in all aspects of cyber safety. The program draws on Australia’s ‘ThinkUKnow’ program and New Zealand’s ‘NetSafe’ program, which help young people to safely navigate the internet.

It has been recognised by the PICP that as cyber use in the Pacific increases, there is a growing importance for cyber safety education for communities in the Pacific.

Representatives from the Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa, Tonga and the Federated States of Micronesia will attend today’s event. These five nations will pilot the new program, which may eventually roll out to include the entire Pacific region.

Research indicates that Internet usage varies vastly across different Pacific Island countries, from an estimated 2 per cent in Kiribati to 84 per cent in Niue. With this in mind, the course will be tailored to meet the very different needs of each country involved, bridging the gap between cyber use, awareness and education.

AFP Manager Cyber Crime Operations Commander Grant Edwards said while the growth of Internet use across Pacific Island communities presented a number of opportunities, Internet users needed to be informed of how they can still enjoy the benefits and minimise risks online.

“This course is an integral part of building the capacity of Pacific Island law enforcement to deliver cyber safety messages to their communities,” Commander Edwards said.

“The AFP is dedicated to preventing Internet users from becoming victims of crime no matter where they are located.”

The AFP also works collaboratively with a number of organisations, including the NRL, to provide the community with valuable information and advice about cyber safety and security.

The NRL, represented by NRL Education and Welfare Manager Nigel Vagana and the Gold Coast Titans, will officially open the course.

“Through our Education and Welfare programs, the NRL has worked with the AFP across all the NRL clubs and we have seen how valuable these programs have been with our players and staff,” Mr Vagana said.
 
"The players wanted to share their knowledge to help educate their communities. This new Pacific program is exactly what the players have been looking for and there was no hesitation in working again with a familiar partner in the AFP.
 
“With some of our high profile Pacific players already involved in the pilot, this new Cyber Safety program will continue to support the work done already and help promote positive and safe messages, not only throughout the Pacific, but the wider community."

NRL players have worked with the AFP since 2009 in areas of social media and reputation management, and will continue to work as ambassadors for cyber safety.

Media enquiries
AFP National Media Team
Phone: (02) 6131 6333

Tracie Edmondson
NRL Public Affairs Manager
Phone: 0416 258 342