ICDL praises national and regional police authorities for advocating digital literacy among personnel

ICDL has announced that its digital literacy standard is increasingly being adopted as a requirement for the police force across the country and the region, as an awareness program and foundation for investigating and resolving computer-related crimes.

The implementation agreement of the ICDL standard by the Academy is in line with similar agreements with many other police agencies throughout the region that are implementing various programs to educate both cadets and officers about abuse, crime and law enforcement in the digital world.

The accreditation of the Academy conforms to the directive of H.H. Sheikh Seif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Interior Minister of the UAE, who has instructed that every police officer be equipped with the skills to protect the safety of communities, individuals, government entities and businesses against hacking, fraud and other illegitimate use of information technology.

Jamil Ezzo, Director General, ICDL GCC Foundation commented: "Technology offers many benefits to society, yet it can also present opportunities for abuse and criminal behaviour. The benefits of technology in law-enforcement will not only be realized when utilized by specialist roles but also when it is accessible to all officers and support staff. Digital literacy awareness among officers triggers ongoing knowledge and curiosity about evolving technologies. We welcome the Abu Dhabi Police Academy into the ICDL program and look forward to extend the program to the police force family members and the general community."

The 21st century presents many new challenges for ensuring a safe, secure and ethical digital society. Cybercrime has become one of the fastest growing criminal activities which include financial scams, hacking, virus attacks and pornography.

To meet these challenges, the burden does not only lie on law enforcement authorities to gather evidence, investigate and prosecute offenders, but also on corporate and personal Internet users, to protect themselves, their children and their interests from cyber-predators.

The ICDL program is being offered to police officers and their families across the region as well as around the world to raise their awareness on the benefits and risks of cyberspace.