TORONTO — Todd McCarthy, Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery, issued the following statement: “Ontario is raising awareness about the importance of online safety by joining the international community in recognizing October as Cyber Security Awareness Month. As a global leader in the digital space, Ontario is always working to strengthen our cyber security practices and protect the data entrusted to us by our people and businesses.
Thanks to our Cyber Security Centre of Excellence, the government is able to provide guidance, best practices, and education on cyber security to our many valued partners across the broader public sector. This ensures that our schools, hospitals, municipalities, and even children’s aid societies, have the best and most reliable access to every resource Ontario has to offer to prevent and respond to cyber threats and attacks.
This year, I am excited to announce the launch of our new K-12 Zone, an online resource for students, teachers, and parents to learn about the importance of online safety. Our website features games, interactive articles, and videos on cyber bullying, online privacy, and password safety designed to help our future generations stay protected as they grow up in our ever-evolving digital world.
Cyber security awareness and training through all stages of learning is an important part of Ontario’s Cyber Security Strategy, and a key recommendation in our Cyber Security Expert Panel’s final report, released in October 2022. Our government takes its commitment to cyber security very seriously, and we are making every effort to ensure the people of this province are empowered to work and play online securely and confidently. I urge everyone to take full advantage of our many online resources, to learn more about how to better protect your personal information online, and what our government is doing to keep you cyber-safe.”