“Each portal has a unique set of instructions. The aim is for children to see first-hand how weak or predictable passwords can be effortlessly broken by hackers,” explained Ikrim Aljuli, the workshop instructor and a computer engineering expert. “What surprises us most is that while these children have grown up with tablets, many still struggle with the basic mechanics of using a laptop, mouse, and keyboard. It’s a timely reminder that exposure to technology isn’t the same as digital literacy.”
In an era where children are digital natives, one might assume that today’s youngsters are innately adept at navigating the perils of the online world. Yet, as the 16th edition of the Reading Festival reveals, there remains a critical gap in children’s understanding of cyber security - a gap that this year’s festival is working hard to bridge.
When asked about the importance of teaching cyber security at such a young age, instructor Abdullah Rfare noted, “Most kids have no idea how to protect their accounts. Through sessions like this, they learn to recognise signs of hacking and the importance of creating robust passwords. Instead of using ‘12345’, they’re encouraged to create complex passwords - blending letters, numbers, and special characters - which are much harder to crack.”
The workshop took an ethical hacking approach, allowing children to adopt the persona of ‘white hat’ hackers - those who use their skills for good, in contrast to ‘black hat’ and ‘grey hat’ hackers. The session illustrated how quickly a simple password can be compromised: “If your password is only six letters long, it can be cracked in just 11 hours. But a nine-character password? That could take a thousand years to break,” said Ikrim, as the children readied to test their new skills.
The 16th edition of the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival is brimming with such workshops, each designed to make learning urgent topics both accessible and exciting for young minds. Running until 4 May at Expo Centre Sharjah, SCRF is free to attend and promises a wealth of experiences for families and educators alike.
For more details, visit
www.scrf.ae.
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