Aiming to strengthen digital safety awareness among senior citizens and school students, UMT’s Faculty of Computer Science and Mathematics (FSKM) has recently organized the first series of a community-driven programme, CyberSAFE: Digitally Resilient Community.

Faculty dean Prof. Ts. Dr. Muhammad Suzuri Hitam said the rising complexity of digital threats demands collective action across generations.

“Efforts to strengthen cyber literacy are not merely programme initiatives, but a social responsibility to protect our communities,” he said. “With the increasing cases of online fraud, data theft and digital exploitation, continuous education is the key to building a more resilient and digitally conscious society.”

The programme featured interactive learning sessions facilitated under the E3-SDG Integrated Community Engagement Model, a unique framework developed by FSKM that emphasises the Engage– Educate–Empower (E3) approach. Through hands-on activities, cyber awareness modules and real-world case sharing, participants received practical exposure on identifying online scams, protecting personal data, and navigating technology safely.

The programme received overwhelmingly positive responses, particularly from senior citizen participants who are often targeted by online scammers.

“This is truly beneficial. The data presented shows scams are increasing, and we retirees are among their targets,” said a representative from the Masjid Tok Jembal community. “This initiative is a very important step to protect society and pensioners like us.”

Meanwhile, student participants expressed newfound awareness of how fast digital crimes are evolving.

“Before joining, I didn’t realise there were so many scam types,” one of the students said. “When technology becomes smarter, scams also become smarter.”

“I also learned that if we get scammed, we can report through 997,” the student added. “That’s something I just discovered today. Now I know we don’t have to be afraid to report.”

Supported by the Ministry of Higher Education through funding from the Malaysian National Commission for UNESCO (SKUM), the initiative marked an important milestone in UMT’s ongoing commitment to safeguarding the digital well-being of the local community.

The programme was conducted in collaboration with the Digital Ecosystem Centre (PED), Centre for Knowledge Transfer, Industry and Community Linkages (PPIJIM), the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), Terengganu State Education Department (JPNT), and local community leaders.

The programme was led by Santuni Komuniti students from the mathematics programme, reflecting UMT’s strong emphasis on student-led community engagement and high-impact learning. By involving students directly in the engagement process, the programme not only strengthens public awareness but also provides high-impact experiential learning for future graduates.

The second instalment, themed S.M.A.R.T – Secure, Mindful, Aware, Responsible, Trusted, will be held in January 2026, targeting Small and Medium Industry (SME) entrepreneurs, civil servants and youth in Terengganu.

By: Tajul Ariffin Abd Manan, Assoc. Prof. Ts. Dr. Wan Nural Jawahir Hj Wan Yussof & Dr. Hassilah Salleh, Digital Ecosystem Centre and Faculty of Computer Science and Mathematics