Community-based organizations in Sudbury receive provincial funding to prevent cybercrime
The Ontario government is investing $1.6 million into 18 community-based organizations as a way to stop fraud, human trafficking and hate crime from happening. Two organizations in Greater Sudbury are on the list to receive funding.
Spark Employment Services in Sudbury is one of the recipients.One of the recipients in Sudbury is Spark Employment Services. The organization is receiving over $70,000 which they will use to create a Cyber Security Awareness Training program in the form of a two day workshop. (Molly Frommer/CTV News Northern Ontario)Spark is receiving just over $70,000 and that money will be going into creating a Cyber Security Awareness Training program, which will be a two day workshop.
“The program will be designed to support job seekers who are interested in job searching online, and or working remotely and looking for those opportunities online,” Chantal Makela, the CEO of Spark Employment Services in Sudbury, told CTV News.
“It’s for anyone seeking employee support and it’s also targeting the employers. So, how to promote it online, how to safely do that and attract individuals online so we’re open to everyone.”
Makela said having a program like this in place is vital, especially these days.
“We know that there are many victims to cyber crime and fraud online,” she added.
“We know especially since the pandemic a lot of individuals are now spending a lot of their time online and looking to change their way of work and therefore wanting to work remotely and for this reason educating individuals about cyber crime security, frauds, scams that are unfortunately circulating online will be really important in order to protect them.”
Spark said it has partnered with both the Ontario Provincial Police and the Greater Sudbury Police Service on this initiative and is currently putting the curriculum in place.
They plan to launch the program in the new year.
More information about Spark and their upcoming events can be found on their Facebook page.
The other area recipient is Sudbury & Area Victim Services.Sudbury & Area Victim Services will be receiving a total of $110,000 and working with other local organizations will focus on youth education and prevention about human trafficking, online luring and sexual exploitation. (Supplied)The organization will be receiving a total of $110,000 and it will be working with other local organizations.
“So, the Sudbury Women’s Centre, Crime Stoppers and Greater Sudbury Police Services,” Tiffany Pyoli York with Sudbury & Area Victim Services explained to CTV News.
“We’re planning on doing some very specific branding, such as a social campaign as well as creating some online tools in terms of education and prevention around human trafficking, online luring and sexual exploitation.”
Pyoli York said the efforts will be aimed at youth in our community as well as their caregivers. She added that having these prevention skills in place is crucial.
“In our case studies and our statistics youth are targeting as young as the age of 13, it’s the average of age of entry into human trafficking. So, when we look at that statistic we want to look at getting that information out to the kids younger than 13,” said Pyoli York.
Those involved said the goal is to share this information with elementary schools, with the hope of the empowering youth.
More information about Victim Services can be found on their Facebook page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'