Annual Poster Contest Helps Teach Kids About Cyber Safety; ITS Now Accepting Poster Submissions from Students Across State
Friday, September 2, 2022
The New York State Office of Information Technology Services (ITS) today launched the Annual New York State Kids Safe Online Poster Contest to engage young people in thinking about cybersecurity and to help promote safe online practices in every corner of our state. The contest, which is part of the National Kids Safe Online Poster Contest organized by the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC), is open to New York State students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The deadline for submissions is December 16, 2022.
"With the dramatic increase in the use of technology among young people in recent years, online safety is more critical than ever, as is the importance of teaching online safety in our schools and in our homes," said Angelo 'Tony' Riddick, New York State Chief Information Officer. "Under the leadership of Governor Hochul, New York State is well positioned to respond to cyber threats, but through education and awareness we can all play a role in keeping information safe and secure. We are pleased to partner with the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center on the Kids Safe Online Poster Contest to further engage our children in discussion around cyber safety and best practices."
"Students' lives are more digitally connected than ever, and the more we encourage them to weigh cyber risks and rewards, the safer they will be online," said Chris DeSain, New York State Chief Information Security Officer. "The NYS Kids Safe Poster Contest encourages students to take a proactive role in their digital lives--and teaches them cyber safety tools that will last a lifetime."
"Advancements in digital and computer technology afford our students endless opportunities to learn," said State Education Commissioner Betty A. Rosa. "However, they do come with risks to children's safety, and that is why it is so important to teach our students of online dangers. This creative opportunity allows students to build on the lessons they have learned from their parents and school communities and engage with their fellow students to share tips for safe digital learning and social interaction online. I look forward to seeing the creative ways New York's students portray this important message.
"The digital world is constantly evolving and new dangers lurk in every corner of the internet," said Karen Sorady, Vice President of the MS-ISAC at the Center for Internet Security. "The Keep Kids Safe Online poster contest empowers students by teaching age-appropriate ways to identify those potential dangers and report them, as well as making smart choices to keep their personal information safe, whether they are in virtual classroom settings, using social media, or gaming online."
The winning posters will be announced in early 2023 and will be featured in the New York State Kids Safe Online Calendar. The winners will be automatically entered in the CIS MS-ISAC national poster contest. Last year, New York State had six students selected in the national contest, including 1st place overall.
The goal of the contest is to educate students about cybersecurity by encouraging them to creatively depict what cybersecurity means to them through artwork. The contest also serves as a tool to encourage teachers across New York State to reinforce cybersecurity best practices such as the appropriate use of text messaging, safe sharing on social networking and protecting their personal information.
For more information on the New York State Kids Safe Online Poster Contest or for additional information on how to stay safe online, please visit https://its.ny.gov/2022-2023-kids-safe-online-poster-contest.
About ITS
The New York State Office of Information Technology Services (ITS) was created in 2012 to transform IT services in an effort to make New York State government work smarter for its citizens and enable the state to be accessible for businesses through the use of technology. ITS provides statewide IT strategic direction, directs IT policy and delivers centralized IT products and services that support the mission of the State. ITS operates data centers 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to support statewide mission-critical applications for over 50 Agencies, over 17 million citizen accounts, 120,000 employee accounts, 60,000 phones, 99,000 desktops and laptops, and 3,433 Virtual Desktop remote connections. ITS operates a secure network of over 1,600 miles of fiber to deliver telecommunications, Internet and Intranet services, enterprise email systems and support, IT training, networking, data storage and processing to State government entities in addition to developing new services in support of citizens, businesses and State Agencies.
For more information, visit https://its.ny.gov and follow us on Twitter @nysits.
