CRAIG FORD Cyber Enthusiast, Ethical Hacker, Author of A hacker I am vol1 & vol2, Male Champion of Change, Special Recognition award winner at 2021 Australian Women in Security Awards
C O L U M N
Let’s make 2023 a year to remember! I don’t know about you, but 2022 was a big year for
project I worked on in 2022 with the amazing Caity
me. I had challenges. I had wins, accomplishments
Randall. Cyber awareness and education need some
and a few failures. If I am to be completely honest, it
development. We have been trying hard as an industry
was exhausting, but I feel it to have been rewarding
to help increase individuals’ cyber knowledge, to help
on many levels. After three years locked up, isolating
make everyone a little safer online. But, if we look
ourselves from each other, we came out in a big way.
closely, we see we are not making a great difference.
Conferences, events, business; all were thriving and
Caity and I feel cyber education is being offered much
alive with activity.
too late in children’s schooling. So we have produced a book to educate mid-primary through to early high
I am working with Baidam, a 100 percent Australian-
school students about the online world.
owned and operated First Nations business delivering network and application security
The book is called “The Shadow
expertise. I can say with no
World” and will be available in
doubt whatsoever, I love the
May. Get ready. We believe if we
organisation. It is not perfect. It
can teach students along with
is hard work, but we all have the
their teachers or parents all will
same ambition to make a real
learn together and we will make a
difference so, when we move on,
difference to the cyber education
we will leave it better than when
of the entire population, not only of
we came.
young people. To this end we plan to give away 5,000 copies of the
Making a difference; what does
book to primary schools around
that mean really? In the context
the country.
of Baidam it means helping to build and support Indigenous representation in ICT
That’s right, five thousand copies, for free! I will let
and in the cybersecurity industry in particular. The
that sink in for a second because it is huge, right?
company is succeeding in that mission, but slowly. It is a marathon, not a 100 metre sprint. Some big plans
Yes, it is huge, and it is only possible because of an
for 2023 will help give this mission a huge shot in the
amazing organisation that will fund the initial pilot, a
arm. They are plans I am proud to be a part of, and
proof of concept you might say. I will not reveal that
I hope to truly make a difference, not just to Baidam
organisation because I want it to have the opportunity
and its development, not just to the clients who are
to announce its support, and gain the kudos it
our biggest supporters, but to aspirants trying to
deserves from this amazing initiative.
make their way into our sector. Things are going to change, and we will lead the way. Watch this space!
SCHOOL CYBER EDUCATION INITIATIVE The idea is to find fifty primary schools that want to
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MAKING A SPLASH IN 2023
take part. Each school will receive approximately 100
What about outside Baidam? My writing is going
copies to enable it to give one book to each student in
to make a splash in 2023 (maybe even a tsunami).
either year five or year six. Teachers and students will
Some of you may be aware of a co-authored
be able to use the books to learn together. Students
W O M E N I N S E C U R I T Y M A G A Z I N E
M A R C H • A P R I L 2023