Part 2: Experts Share The Importance Of Teaching Young People Cybersecurity And AI

The World Economic Forum reports 95% of data breaches in 2024 were linked to human error. Right now more than ever, online safety needs to be taught, because just using software or systems is no longer enough to ensure safety in the digita world… When people understand how to handle data safely, they can avoid costly mistakes.

With that being said, experts at the Forum say cybersecurity and tech training must begin early. Children should learn to treat online spaces as carefully as physical ones. Lessons in privacy, recognising fake messages or learning how to protect passwords, can become habits that last a lifetime. The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre has already taken this idea forward through its CyberFirst initiative, which teaches pupils from age 11 how to stay safe online and understand how their data is collected.

This early training is needed because cybercrime is a threat that is already affecting young people. McAfee found that 48% of UK children have experienced cyberbullying or harassment online. A third have come across fake social media giveaways and 27% have faced scams linked to online gaming. Teaching digital safety gives them tools to protect themselves from scams and harassment before these issues escalate.

 

How Serious Is The Skills Shortage?

 

The Fulcrum reports that cybersecurity jobs will most likely grow by 33% from 2023 to 2033. The demand for qualified professionals exceeds the available workforce by far. The World Economic Forum also warns that the global shortage of skilled cybersecurity staff continues to GO UP faster than the supply.

This shortage affects both governments and businesses. Many of their staff aren’t adequately trained, which increases risk. Building these skills in schools could help fill future positions and strengthen online defences worldwide. If students learn digital safety and ethical technology use early, they will be better prepared to take on technical careers.

The idea is to produce more professionals and to make cybersecurity awareness part of every profession. Every industry needs safe digital practices. Building this understanding early helps create a workforce that treats cybersecurity as part of everyday responsibility.

 

McAfee also gave some tips for parents to stay informed and in turn safe…

 

“Pair tools with talks: Combine parental controls with regular, judgement-free conversations about harmful content, coercion or bullying so your teens know they can come to you. Explain what cyberbullying and scams might look like, and that it’s okay to block or report people.”

“Teach “trust but verify”: Show balanced digital habits yourself as young people copy what they see. Show them how to pause, check sources and ask for help when something feels off – especially with AI-altered media.”

“Talk about the risks of oversharing: Remind young people to never share personal information such as their name, school, address or phone number. Encourage strong passwords and explain two-factor authentication.”

“Set and revisit a family tech contract: Create clear boundaries with your teen about screen time, online behaviour, and device use – and update them as they grow.”

“Keep devices secure: Ensure all devices are updated with the latest security settings and include AI-powered scam protection to help spot and flag suspicious links or manipulated content before it can do harm.”

 

Experts Share The Importance Of Teaching Children Cybersecurity And AI

 

More experts have shared their thoughts on why education in these digital spaces is so important:

 

Our Experts:

 

• Barbara Donatien, Manager Of Attest Services, BARR Advisory
• Karen Aronian, EdD, Education Design & Parenting Expert, Aronian Education Design LLC
• Marcus Pierre, Executive Director, Digital Defenders Inc.
• Megan Kearns, Programme Director, picoCTF, Carnegie Mellon University
• Hanan Hibshi, Lead Research Investigator, picoCTF
• Anne Cutler, Cybersecurity Expert, Keeper Security
• Sam Whitaker, VP of Social Impact and Strategic Initiatives, StudyFetch
• Ash Allen, PhD Researcher, University of Hertfordshire
• Zahra Timsah, Co-Founder and CEO, i-GENTIC AI
• Dmitry Khritankov, Product Director, ChatOn
• Gleb Tkatchouk, Product Director, ARTA by AIBY.
• Ashish H Thakkar, Founder, Jimmy Thakkar
• Thomas Berndorfer, CEO, Connecting Software and Cybersecurity Ambassador, SME Connect
• Amanda Arambulo, PR Manager, TrustNet

 

Barbara Donatien, Manager Of Attest Services, BARR Advisory

 

“Today’s young people are growing up in a world where cyber threats like phishing, deepfakes, identity theft, and fraud are more sophisticated than ever. Teaching young people about cybersecurity and AI equips them with the awareness needed to protect their personal information, identify misinformation, and navigate the internet safely.

“AI should be seen as a core skill and not just a niche tool. AI is now embedded in search engines, education tools, creativity platforms, and workplaces, so it impacts all of our lives. Understanding AI is no longer reserved for computer scientists—it’s a fundamental skill that we all should learn and understand. Teaching AI literacy ensures the next generation doesn’t just consume technology but understands how it works to help them think critically and use it to solve real-world problems. This knowledge helps the next generation become innovators and not just consumers of the technology.

“Cybersecurity and AI are also among the fastest-growing career fields. Early exposure gives students a competitive advantage and opens pathways to future opportunities across technology, healthcare, finance, public service, and beyond. Building these skills today ensures students are not left behind in tomorrow’s digital economy.

“Investing in cybersecurity and AI education is about more than teaching technical skills, it is about shaping informed and capable digital leaders. As we navigate an increasingly complex digital world, we must ensure young people are prepared not only to participate in it, but to lead it into the future.”

 

Karen Aronian, EdD, Education Design & Parenting Expert, Aronian Education Design LLC

 

 

“Teaching young people about cybersecurity and AI is now topping the list of educators and parents’ priorities, and rightly so!

“We are ablaze in a tech takeover of society, and as our youngsters inherit the earth, they are to contend with radical new questions in their daily decision making-is this a human made situation or a tech generated situation. This is now a pre determination when they read, answer a phone, and interface in society.

“This generation must be dually prepared, keen and decipher the world differently than the generations before for their protection and their surrounding family and peers. We must, as their trusted guardians prepare them ito.meet the challenge of the Gen AI surge and educate our youngsters on essential cyber skills to elevate and safeguard their lives.”

 

Marcus Pierre, Executive Director, Digital Defenders Inc.

 

 

“Technology education will soon be as fundamental as reading and writing, and an understanding of cybersecurity and AI will be essential building blocks of that foundation. Today, many young people don’t fully grasp how technology systems and AI can collect, influence, and even predict their behaviour online.

“By teaching cybersecurity hygiene and AI literacy early, we can close the gap between use and understanding — empowering kids to explore and innovate responsibly in an increasingly digital world. As AI becomes integral to modern life, understanding how it operates and how to engage with it safely will be key to building a generation of informed, confident, and ethical digital citizens.”

 

Megan Kearns, Programme Director, picoCTF, Carnegie Mellon University

 

 

“We’re not teaching cybersecurity to create more hackers, we’re teaching it to create more critical thinkers.

“Over the past eight years leading picoCTF, I’ve learned when a learner cracks their first buffer overflow, they’re not just learning about memory allocation, they’re learning to question how systems work. They learn to seek what is beneath the surface, to ask “what if someone tried to break this?” This is the curiosity the industry needs to foster right now.

“We’re living in an era where AI writes our emails, algorithms curate our reality, and a single vulnerability can compromise millions. Younger generations aren’t just using these technologies but inheriting them from us. Do we want them to be passive consumers, or informed architects?

“When students learn how systems can be attacked, defended, and ethically designed, something shifts in their thinking. They stop seeing technology as magic and start seeing it as something they can understand, critique, and improve. As designers and developers, we aren’t strictly interested in workforce development, we are developing digital citizenship for a generation that will face challenges we can’t yet imagine.

“To date, 900,000 learners have gone through picoCTF to learn or upskill cybersecurity. As a trusted programme, we are leaning into AI systems and emerging technologies. We don’t want to train people who simply understand how to use these systems, we want to teach people to understand how to build, secure, and critique them, to ensure they work for humanity, not against it.”

 

Hanan Hibshi, Lead Research Investigator, picoCTF.

 

 

“Technology surrounds us in our daily lives—we rely on it for everything from schoolwork and job applications to connecting with friends and ordering food. With AI now embedded in nearly every software we use, it’s essential to teach younger generations not only how these technologies work, but also how to assess their reliability and apply human judgment when needed.

“As technology continues to evolve, so do cybersecurity threats. This makes it crucial to start early in raising awareness among younger generations about the importance of staying informed, recognising deceptive tactics used by bad actors, and protecting both their own data and others. Most importantly, they must learn to act ethically in a world where powerful tools are readily accessible.

“Just as access to sharp tools teaches us to handle them with care, access to advanced technology demands a similar sense of responsibility. Teaching responsible use is key to ensuring that technology empowers rather than harms.”

 

Anne Cutler, Cybersecurity Expert, Keeper Security

 

 

“Teaching those growing up in a connected world about cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is critical to preparing them for the realities of modern life. As digital natives, our youth are already on the front lines of the digital battlefield, and we have a responsibility to equip them with the knowledge and confidence to navigate technology safely.

“Cybersecurity education isn’t about instilling fear, but rather about fostering open dialogue and providing the resources to make smart digital decisions. Keeper’s research showed that 86% of schools now allow students to use AI tools, yet only one in four educators feel confident identifying AI-related threats like deepfakes or AI-powered phishing scams. Additionally, over 40% of educational institutions reported experiencing an AI-enabled cyber threat first-hand. This data clearly shows that awareness and training must keep pace with the rapid development of modern technology.

“Free resources like Flex Your Cyber help bridge that gap, making cybersecurity education engaging and accessible for students of all ages. With interactive lessons tailored for different age groups and practical guidance for parents and teachers, public service initiatives like this can turn awareness into action and empower young people to take an active role in their digital safety. When cybersecurity becomes a regular part of everyday conversations, young people can build lasting awareness and confidence that will protect them well into the future.”

 

Sam Whitaker, VP of Social Impact and Strategic Initiatives, StudyFetch

 

 

“We have to teach these things now because we have a narrow window of opportunity to get it right. These technologies will define their adult lives, and if students don’t learn responsible and safe use of AI along with the fundamentals of cybersecurity now, they may never learn it. If we do it right and we do it right now, it will become second nature – like riding a bike or swimming.

“Without these foundational skills, young people face real dangers: falling victim to sophisticated scams, being unable to identify deepfakes and misinformation, becoming targets of social engineering attacks, and missing out on the economic opportunities that digital fluency unlocks. These aren’t distant threats – they’re happening now.

“If we wait too long or we don’t provide thoughtful, purpose-built solutions, we risk widening the opportunity gap not only here in America but relative to our global competitors like China, who is mandating responsible AI education for students starting at six years old.

“Educators, parents, administrators, politicians, and companies need to join together as one to implement comprehensive solutions – curriculum standards that scale, teacher training programs, and accessible, purpose-built tools that work for every student, everywhere.”
 

 

Ash Allen, PhD Researcher, University of Hertfordshire

 

 

“Teaching young people about basic cybersecurity and how to deal with the AI age is vital. Even more than my generation, much of their lives are lived online, which means the potential for malicious actors to cause them harm is much greater.

“There are direct harms, such as grooming, extortion, and loss of data, but with AI there are now new threats such as how to identify misinformation online and how to properly identify those who you are communicating with. As the first AI-native generation today’s young people have to negotiate an online landscape that is significantly different from even five years ago. We should be teaching them to question everything they read and everything they see online so that it becomes second nature.”

 

Zahra Timsah, Co-Founder and CEO, i-GENTIC AI

 

 

“The next generation will build and manage systems that operate under significant ethical, legal, and regulatory scrutiny, so understanding the boundaries within which technology must function is as important as learning how that technology works.

“Introducing cybersecurity and AI literacy early helps students grasp why data protection, informed consent, and algorithmic fairness are essential. These principles form the foundation of public trust and sustainable innovation. Governance, when taught well, ensures that progress remains aligned with societal expectations, legal requirements, and human values.

“Compliance should never be reduced to a checklist. Tomorrow’s innovators must learn that it is a continuous practice that adapts to new risks, technologies, and contexts. Understanding why responsible data and AI practices exist is what will distinguish effective leaders from those who focus only on technical solutions.

“Preparing the next generation to design, deploy, and oversee technologies that society can rely on requires more than technical skills. It demands integrity, adaptability, and a strategic understanding of how governance safeguards both individuals and institutions in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.”

 

Dmitry Khritankov, Product Director, ChatOn

 

 

“In today’s world, young people naturally embrace AI and digital tools with remarkable speed and fluency — far greater than previous generations. However, the same pace of adoption also increases their exposure to online risks and misinformation.

I’ve seen how quickly these tools spread among younger audiences—and how easily the line between real and synthetic content blurs. The emergence of powerful video-generation models like Veo 3 and Sora 2 shows how AI can blur the lines between reality and fiction. Platforms make efforts to label such videos as AI-generated, but it doesn’t work effectively, and many creators still find ways to bypass safeguards. As a result, distinguishing truth from fabrication becomes more complex than ever.

“”I’m totally sure that teaching cybersecurity and AI literacy is a foundation for critical thinking and online safety. Young people should understand how AI systems work, their limitations, and how to avoid falling victim to digital manipulation.

“Moreover, as companies shift more responsibility for content and data protection onto users, young people must recognise their own accountability when generating or sharing digital content.”

 

Gleb Tkatchouk, Product Director, ARTA by AIBY.

 

 

“Over the past few years, AI tools have confidently permeated lifestyle, entertainment, education, and other domains. The reality is that the young generation, who have grown up with a smartphone in hand, is tech-savvy and willing to try and adopt what’s innovative, trendy, and life-hacking. They will use these technologies whether we teach them about them or not. It makes education around responsible and skillful use of AI crucial, as we need to empower young people to use these tools to their true advantage. Not just as entertainment or for shallow task-solving, but mindfully, as platforms that fuel growth, creativity, and productivity.

“Teaching young people to evaluate which tools they can trust is no less important, since not all developers follow strict data privacy and ethical standards. This awareness helps protect personal information and lays a foundation for digital responsibility.

“Another big reason for taking digital literacy seriously is that the younger generations live in an uncharted era where artificial content is becoming widely present, especially across social media. Whether intentionally or not, the consequences aren’t always positive, resulting in misinformation and deception. We need to ensure our children stay grounded in reality by teaching them to understand how AI works and what it can and cannot do, so they can spot what’s real versus what’s generated. Think of it as a life skill for the 21st century.”

 

Ashish H Thakkar, Founder, Jimmy Thakkar

 

 

“It is very import to teach young people about AI and cybersecurity because AI is the future and if you are going to be using AI in work and day-to-day life without understanding the importance of cybersecurity then you’re heading for trouble.

“With the advancement of AI, the rise in cybercrime has increased drastically. The ways in which cyber attackers are using the technology to fool people has to be dealt with same level of knowledge and sophistication. Cyber criminals can create havoc by using AI for phishing and vishing which can baffle the sharpest of people.

“Young people need to understand these basics along with identifying deepfakes. When young people have gained enough knowledge in cybersecurity and AI, they can not only safeguard their digital domain but also teach other people around on the importance of cybersecurity in the world surrounded by AI.”

 

Thomas Berndorfer, CEO, Connecting Software and Cybersecurity Ambassador, SME Connect

 

 

“Good cybersecurity habits and skills are vital in the world of employment. In many, if not most, cases, major security breaches and data leaks are caused by inadvertent employee error or unauthorised workarounds. Employers are looking for employees who have the common sense and know-how to avoid cybersecurity mistakes that can be costly or embarrassing for their company.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that AI is the most significant technological innovation since the internet, and young people who are able to utilise it well will be able to outpace their peers in many aspects of their life. Conversely, it’s equally as important for them to understand its risks, to be able to accurately spot misinformation and AI hallucinations, and to know when it is appropriate to use or not.

“For young people, learning and exhibiting these skills inside and outside school will make their resume shine for potential future employers, and will set themselves up for the future.”

 

Trevor Horwitz, CISO and Founder, TrustNet

 

 

“Teaching young people about cybersecurity and AI is critical. We’re living in a fully digital world, and kids are growing up surrounded by technology from day one. They’re online, connected, and using AI tools, often without understanding the risks or how these systems work behind the scenes.

“Cybersecurity is not just something for IT teams to worry about. It’s a basic life skill. Just like we teach kids how to stay safe in the physical world, we need to teach them how to stay safe online. That includes everything from protecting their personal information to recognising scams and understanding how their data is used.

“AI brings another level of complexity. These tools are powerful, and they’re everywhere. They influence the apps we use, the content we see, and even the decisions that affect our lives. If we don’t teach the next generation how AI works and how to use it responsibly, we risk creating a future where people are more influenced by technology than in control of it.

“I taught myself to code when I was a teenager growing up in South Africa. That early exposure opened the door to my entire career in cybersecurity. But back then, we didn’t have access to the kind of education and awareness kids need today. The digital world has changed, and the risks have changed. What hasn’t changed is the importance of giving young people the tools to think critically, ask the right questions, and protect themselves.

“The goal is to give them the knowledge and awareness they need to make smart, ethical choices. We need to prepare them not just to navigate the digital world but to shape it in a way that is secure, transparent, and trustworthy.”