Children’s University of Applied Sciences 2024 – A cyberhero transformation for children to protect against the risks in the digital world

Children and teenagers are among the most vulnerable target groups on the internet and are increasingly exposed to numerous risks due to their early access to digital media, e.g. cyberbullying and cybergrooming, phishing and inappropriate content. To protect young users, it is important to educate them about the dangers in the digital space and give them the skills they need to navigate the digital world safely.

On March 6, 2024, 30 children from 4th to 6th grade became cyberheroes at the FHNW Children’s University 2024 in Basel. Janine Jäger and Hermann Grieder from the Digital Trust Competence Center at the School of Business FHNW discussed with the children their experiences in the digital space, introduced them to the biggest risks on the internet and showed them how they can protect themselves effectively.

Topics such as liars and scammers, cyberbullying, the risk of online shopping on dubious websites, the spread of viruses, and how to deal with suspicious messages, links and attachments were covered. The children also learned how to create and test secure passwords.

A special highlight was the demonstration of artificial intelligence, in which realistic portraits were generated together with the children to show how easy it is to forge identities in social media and thus deceive vulnerable people. At the end, the children received their well-deserved certificates as «Cybersecurity Defenders».

The mission of the Competence Center «Digital Trust» team is clear: to protect children and other target groups from cybercrime by imparting knowledge and skills and to equip them for the digital challenges of the future.