Cyber Safety

🛡️ Cyber Safety Workshops for Older Adults in Dublin Libraries 🛡️

Michelle O'Keeffe (PhD) and Anne Ryan-Duffy recently travelled to Dublin to deliver two Cyber Safety workshops for older adults in Ballyogan and Dundrum Libraries.

The level of engagement and the variety of questions throughout both sessions really highlighted the growing need for cyber safety advice to be shared within communities. These workshops are designed to be accessible and welcoming, requiring no prior technical knowledge, with information delivered in clear and simple language.

At the end of each session, participants received an information booklet created by our team in collaboration with older adults, allowing them to revisit the key advice and guidance at home.

Topics covered included:
🔹 Scams
🔹 Passwords
🔹 What to do if you’ve been hacked
🔹 Safe online shopping
🔹 Artificial Intelligence (AI)
🔹 Misinformation
🔹 Cookies and online privacy

If you would be interested in us visiting your local library, community centre, active retirement group, or Men’s/Women’s Shed, feel free to get in touch at: [email protected]

Delighted with the feedback from our recent Cyber Safety Workshops in libraries across County Cork 👏

Michelle, Ashley and Elaine had a fantastic time delivering workshops in Bantry, Clonakilty, Mallow, Newmarket, Mitchelstown, Millstreet and Midleton libraries.

✅ 85 attendees

The topics people found most helpful included:
🔹 Spotting scams & fake websites
🔹 Safe online shopping
🔹 Password protection & privacy settings
🔹 AI awareness and fact-checking
🔹 Understanding cookies and online tracking

Some lovely attendee feedback:
💬 “Very informative”
💬 “Great hearing the real life stories and the open conversations between the trainer and the participants”
💬 “Keep doing these workshops, they are necessary”
💬 “Speaker was lovely and helpful”
💬 “Come back again to update us please!”

Thank you to everyone who attended and shared such thoughtful feedback 🙌

These workshops show how important practical digital safety education is for our communities, and we hope to organize more workshops across Ireland in July. Thank you to the Skills for Life programme for working with us to organize these workshops.

For more online safety information visit our website: www.cybersafety.ie

The MTU Cyber Safety team will deliver free cyber safety talks in libraries across Cork, in collaboration with the Skills for Life Programme. 💻📚

These talks will cover key topics including:
-Scams
-Privacy
-Passwords
-Online shopping
-Handling cyber attacks

The talks are open to all and designed to provide practical, easy-to-understand guidance on staying safe online.
The MTU Cyber Safety Project is a research initiative established to address the lack of accessible cybersecurity support available to people across Ireland.

Sign up for free today by emailing: [email protected]

Jacob Camilleri from the Cyber Safety team presented his poster, “Your Voice is Lost": How Migrant Community Workers Navigate Digital Safety Challenges in Ireland, at CHI in Barcelona 📍

The ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems is the leading international conference on Human-Computer Interaction, bringing together global research on how technology can be designed to better serve people.

Across the conference, Jacob engaged with research focused on making digital spaces safer and more inclusive. Key themes included scam awareness and prevention, responsible AI use, dark patterns, responsible online gambling, and protecting vulnerable and marginalised groups.

He also gained insights into inclusive cybersecurity research methods, including work on:

-tackling health misinformation on TikTok

-understanding recovery and resilience after cybercrime

-fraud prevention for older adults using simulation-based approaches

-improving accessibility in digital wallets

Overall, CHI highlighted how human-centred design and co-design can play a powerful role in building safer and more inclusive digital environments 💡

Thank you CHI for the opportunity to present our research and engage with such an inspiring global community 🙏

Michelle from our team recently delivered an in-person Cyber Safety workshop in Ennis, Co. Clare for adults with intellectual disabilities. On the same day, she also facilitated an online session with participants from centres across the country.

Our Cyber Safety workshops are designed to support a wide range of groups, including older adults, adults with intellectual disabilities, schools, parents and teachers, migrants, and supporters of survivors of domestic violence. Each workshop is tailored to the specific needs and topics most relevant to your group. 💡

We are committed to building a more cyber-safe society by empowering individuals with the knowledge and confidence to navigate the online world safely.

If you would like us to deliver a workshop in your organisation or online, please contact [email protected].

🛡️Cyber Safety – Supporting a Cyber Safe Society 🛡️

Dr Ashley Sheil from our team recently visited Bantry’s hub to test our resources designed for adults with intellectual disabilities.

It’s always valuable to hear directly from participants, their perspectives, ideas, and evolving interests continue to shape and strengthen our approach. This is a group we have worked closely with over time, and it’s been especially rewarding to see their confidence grow. 🌱

From having little interest or awareness of AI, participants are now asking thoughtful questions and engaging with these tools in a meaningful way. With the right guidance, they are building the skills to use technology safely and in ways that can genuinely support their daily lives. 🦾

We are proud to continue working with these groups, helping to empower individuals to confidently navigate the online world and feel included in it.

A big thank you to Jason Holland from the Cyber Resilience team for supporting Ashley on the day. It’s great to see the collaboration across teams within the MTU Cybersecurity Research and Innovation Group. 🌐

If you would like to support our research in helping these groups stay safe online, please contact [email protected].

Michelle and Jacob from the team, recently delivered a “Think Before You Click” lecture at Cork Prison as part of the Munster Technological University Prison Lecture Series. 💡

During the session, they engaged with participants on key online risks, including:

• Scams

• Misinformation

• Unsafe digital behaviours

• Cyber threats- how to recognise and respond

The session encouraged participants to think critically about their online activity and develop safer, more informed digital habits. There was strong engagement throughout and it was particularly insightful to hear participants’ perspectives on the digital world, alongside a growing interest in AI and what it means for the future.

As individuals prepare for reintegration, building awareness of cyber safety is increasingly important. It will support them with activities such as housing applications, employment, and online banking. We hope the knowledge and skills shared will empower them to navigate these areas with greater confidence. 👨‍💻

A sincere thank you to Stephanie Fogarty for her support in the lead-up to and during the session, and to Christine Nolan for organising this impactful lecture series.

Great to see the next generation of innovators in action 👏

Anne from Cyber Safety recently attended the Microsoft Ireland Dream Space Showcase in Longford, where over 700 primary school students presented impressive STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Maths) projects focused on real-world sustainability challenges.

It’s inspiring to see such enthusiasm for STEAM at an early age. Even more encouraging is the continued growth of Computer Science at Leaving Certificate level across County Longford, opening up greater access to technology education and helping students explore future career pathways in tech. 🌐

It was a fantastic opportunity to connect with peers across industry, including teams from Ericsson, EY, KPMG Ireland, Storm Technologies and GlobalLogic.

A huge thank you to Danny Lynch for inviting us to this brilliant event!🌟

The Cyber Safety team had a fantastic time delivering a cyber safety talk to adults with intellectual disabilities at the Caritas Centre in Cork.

The conversation covered everything from AI, cyberbullying, and social media, to scams and staying private online. The group asked brilliant questions about AI and parental controls on platforms like YouTube.

We felt truly welcomed and fueled by homemade lemonade and biscuits! 🍋🍪

A huge thank you to the amazing participants at the Caritas Centre!