Kathmandu Metropolitan City launches ambitious cybersecurity training initiative

KATHMANDU: In a bid to enhance cybersecurity awareness and employment opportunities, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City has unveiled a comprehensive plan to provide cybersecurity training to 4,000 individuals. This initiative falls under the ambitious ‘Employment and Income Growth, Prosperity of Kathmandu’ pride project, aiming to train 15,000 individuals and employ 5,000 of them. The training is scheduled to commence from the month of Magh (Jan 15).

The Kathmandu Metropolitan City has partnered with the Council and Gap Technologies to conduct the cybersecurity training. Engineer Shailendra Jha, a member of the Urban Planning Commission, announced a significant collaboration involving a scholarship fund of five crore rupees.

He emphasized that cybersecurity education is job-oriented, offering both protection against potential cybercrimes and increased employability in the job market.

“Students and professionals interested in cybersecurity will receive knowledge and skills to safeguard against cybercrimes through education and scholarships,” stated Engineer Shailendra Jha.

As part of this collaboration, the metropolitan city introduced the Cybersecurity Certificate, recognized globally as ethical credentials. This initiative comes in response to reports indicating a 59% increase in cybercrimes in Nepal, making the training program crucial for controlling and mitigating such threats.

Engineer Shailendra Jha underscored the growing challenges of cybersecurity with the widespread use of the internet. He emphasized the need for internet-based security, even for ordinary individuals using smartphones, while acknowledging the current lack of awareness on this issue.

“Personal information can be misused, and even government systems can face problems. It’s essential to work now to protect citizens from internet-based risks. We have initiated this campaign,” said Jha.

The cybersecurity training will cover various topics, including the privacy of messages and information on smartphones, tools connected to the internet, the legitimacy of applications, programming, networking, and data storage in cloud-based systems. Additionally, the training will address compliance with vertical farming and gardening.

Following the cybersecurity program, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City plans to roll out training sessions for electricians, entrepreneurship development, cooperative management, fashion designing, and tailoring, further contributing to skill development and employment opportunities in the region.