Australia will soon embed a cybersecurity adviser within Samoa’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s digital security capability.

The announcement was made in the keynote address by Australia’s Deputy High Commissioner to Samoa, Simon Dawkins, during the launch of the Cyber Safety Outreach Week at the Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi (TATTE) building in Sogi on Sunday evening.

“We’ll soon have an Australian Advisor on cyber security embedded in the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology,” Dawkins said. He said the initiative followed this year's signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on cyber cooperation between Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Samoa.

Under the Samoa-Australia Policing Partnership, Dawkins said the Australian Federal Police had also supported the Samoa Police, Prisons and Corrections Services in launching a cybercrime unit last year.

“Under the Samoa-Australia Policing Partnership, the Australian Federal Police supported the Samoa Police Prisons and Correction Services to launch their cyber crime unit, ensuring that Samoa is prepared, equipped and capable of protecting its people in the digital space,” he said.

Dawkins said cybersecurity and cybersecurity threats continued to grow across the region and stressed the importance of cooperation between Pacific nations and development partners. He also spoke about the risks young people face online, including cyberbullying and online exploitation.

“As the father of two young boys, I’m certainly alert to the risks emanating from the online domain,” he said. Dawkins cited Australia's social media minimum-age regulations to ban all under-16s from using age-restricted platforms.

Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt, in his keynote address, said technology continued to shape how people live, learn and connect, but warned there were also growing online dangers affecting communities. He said, "Times are different from those of previous generations", and highlighted growing concerns surrounding illicit drugs globally and within Samoa.

“Samoa is the heart of the Pacific,” the Prime Minister said, adding there was concern over illicit drugs entering the country and spreading around the world, including “cocaine, ice, marijuana.”

“This program is about raising awareness, building understanding and equipping our people with the knowledge to make safe and responsible choices online,” he said. Acting Police Commissioner Leiataua Samuelu Afamasaga acknowledged the “long-standing partnership and continuous support” from the Australian Federal Police and Cyber Safety Pacifica to Samoa and the Pacific region.

The outreach program includes cyber safety workshops, youth discussions and community awareness activities across Samoa throughout the week.

The event also marked 15 years of Cyber Safety Pasifika’s work in promoting cyber awareness and online safety across the Pacific, with representatives from 11 Pacific countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Nauru, and the Cook Islands.