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
BREAKING Bob Cole, veteran CBC broadcaster and former voice of 'Hockey Night in Canada,' dead at 90
Bob Cole, legendary CBC broadcaster and former voice of Hockey Night in Canada, has died. He was 90.
Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction overturned by N.Y. appeals court
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren't part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.