Online Safety Workshop Calls More Attention to Online Security
- Sisters of Code
- Nov 3
- 4 min read
On Saturday, 1 November 2025, Sisters of Code successfully hosted the "Online Safety for All" workshop at IT Academy STEP Cambodia, Olympic Branch. This workshop was organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications (MPTC) and with the support of the Liechtenstein Development Service (LED) and IT Academy STEP Cambodia Institute.
The workshop was joined by two experts in the field of online safety and cybersecurity, who shared valuable insights into Cambodia’s online safety landscape. Their presentations covered current mitigation efforts, protection mechanisms, and practical steps that participants could immediately apply in their daily lives to stay safe online.
First, the session began with Mr. Chan Pheakdey, Deputy Director of the Department of ICT Industry at the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications (MPTC). With years of experience in online safety and child protection in Cambodia, Mr. Pheakdey delivered a comprehensive overview of the country's online risk environment. He discussed the Ministry’s roles and emphasized the importance of ethical practices that digital technology companies are encouraged to follow.
Mr. Pheakdey shared that online risks are classified into six main categories according to the World Economic Forum: threats to personal and community safety, harm to health and well-being, hate and discrimination, violation of dignity, invasion of privacy, and deception and manipulation. In Cambodia’s context, he highlighted that the most widespread and harmful risk is inappropriate online content. Such content, often created by ill-intentioned individuals, can severely affect emotional and mental well-being and damage the reputation of innocent people.
More importantly, he noted that, according to UNICEF’s 2022 report, “Disrupting Harm in Cambodia: Evidence on Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse,” 81% of Cambodian children aged 12-17 use the internet. Against this backdrop, many are exposed to risks such as online grooming, cyberbullying, cyberflashing, live online child sexual abuse, sextortion, and exposure to child sexual abuse materials (CSAM), exploitation, and trafficking.
In recognition of these issues, the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications (MPTC) has made ongoing efforts to promote online safety ensure child online protection. According to Mr. Pheakdey, MPTC has actively organized workshops to raise awareness and promote the enforcement of child protection principles among digital technology companies. Other initiatives include awareness campaigns on important platforms such as Kitkoukon and reporting helplines for those in need of support.
Mr. Pheakdey repeatedly reminded the 48 participants, whose ages ranged from 11 to 35, to take their online safety seriously and to report any issues to trusted friends, family members, or relevant institutions.
His insights on online safety, with a strong focus on protecting children in the digital space, helped participants become more aware and thoughtful about how they present themselves online. In appreciation of his time and contribution, Sisters of Code's Project Leader, Ms. Chin Dalin, presented him with a small token of gratitude.
Following the first session, Ms. Phen Phallideth, Cybersecurity Specialist at the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications (MPTC) took the stage with enthusiasm to discuss online safety from a cybersecurity perspective. First, she defined online safety as "the ability to understand and recognize potential threats online, and to possess the skills and knowledge to avoid them." According to her, the common threats to online safety in Cambodia include scams, malware, phishing, and data leaks.
She went on to explain the characteristics of each threat and shared ways to identify them. Additionally, she engaged participants with a short quiz called "Are You Smarter Than a Scammer?", which allowed them to practice their observation skills on the spot.
Ms. Phallideth also shared practical tips that participants can use to protect themselves from online threats. She started by reminding everyone to keep their browsers and devices up to date, as updates often include important security fixes. She encouraged using private browsing and being careful when downloading files, advising participants not to open unexpected files, to avoid unknown .exe files, and to keep antivirus software active and updated.
She also explained how to create strong, secure passwords. Participants learned that passwords should be at least 12 characters long, include a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters, and be unique for each account. Using passphrases, avoiding personal information, and keeping passwords safe in a password manager were all practical ways to stay secure. She also encouraged enabling two-step verification (MFA) for an extra layer of protection.
Beyond technical tips, Ms. Phallideth reminded participants to back up important data, be careful using public networks, and stay informed about new online threats. Through these steps, she emphasized that everyone can take simple but effective actions to stay safer online and protect themselves from scams, malware, phishing, and other online risks.
Following her presentation, she organized a short Kahoot quiz to reinforce participants’ understanding and provide an interactive way to practice key concepts. Four participants who achieved the highest scores and actively engaged during the session were recognized and each received a Sisters of Code tote bag.
In appreciation of her time and valuable contribution to the Online Safety for All workshop, Sisters of Code Project Leader, Ms. Chin Dalin, then presented Ms. Phallideth with a token of appreciation.
Finally, the workshop was concluded with a memorable group photo. Sisters of Code was proud to host the “Online Safety for All” workshop, welcoming 48 participants from diverse age groups, with 73% being female.
This workshop reinforced our belief in the power of education to safeguard the online presence of our communities. As we continue our mission, Sisters of Code remains committed to raising awareness about online safety and promoting digital literacy, empowering Cambodian citizens to navigate the digital world confidently and responsibly.
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