• Funding boost to help Wagga Wagga schools navigate online safety 
  
• Charles Sturt University experts will implement the program in seven Riverina high schools
• The program will empower high school students to protect themselves from leakage of sensitive information from their smartphones

Charles Sturt University information technology experts will play a part in empowering high school students in Wagga Wagga to protect themselves from smartphone information and data leakages.

University academics will assist to implement the program, titled ‘Protecting children from smartphone leakage of security sensitive information’, which is supported by the eSafety Commissioner with funding of $87,870 under Round 3 of the Online Safety Grants Program.

The successful recipient of the grant, Associate Professor in Information Technology with the Charles Sturt School of Computing, Mathematics and Engineering Yeslam Al-Saggaf (pictured, inset), said the program is designed to encourage children to use smartphones safely and understand the risks associated with smartphone leakage.

“On one hand, children want to be safe online, but on the other they let their smartphones leak a substantial amount of sensitive information about themselves,” he said.

“This project will show them how to change their device settings to stop the leakage of their sensitive information, thus empowering them to protect themselves from their smartphones.”

The program will commence in January 2023 and finish in December 2023.

The Charles Sturt research team will distribute technological resources to measure smartphone leakage, run successful proven behavioural change interventions, and conduct evidence-based training workshops.

The program will reach a total of 5,000 students from these Riverina schools:

• Kooringal High School
• Wagga Wagga Christian College
• Mount Austin High School
• The Riverina Anglican College
• Wagga Wagga High School
• Kildare Catholic College
• Mater Dei Catholic College

The project is one of nine initiatives to share in $2.25 million in funding in the third and final round of the grants program, which is led by the eSafety Commissioner and complements its existing education programs.

Minister for Communications, the Hon. Michelle Rowland, MP, said the not-for-profit sector plays an important role in supporting government to address complex social issues.

“These grants will help unlock each recipient’s unique expertise to create new channels and content addressing specific issues and age groups, helping us to reach more Australians with vital online safety education,” she said.

eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said she is excited to welcome nine new partners in online safety that share her passion for helping Australians to have positive and safe experiences online.

“We need to keep developing fresh ways to reach and educate Australians if we’re to keep pace with technology,” Ms Inman Grant said.

“Working with partners means more voices, more insights and more ways to inspire a generation of young people to scroll with safety online.”.

To find out more about the program, visit Online Safety Grants Program. For online safety advice for all Australians, visit esafety.gov.au.