International Anti-Cybercrime Day 2026

Ideas for schools and colleges

• Examine a fictional message. Discuss what would need checking before replying or following a link. Use examples approved by the setting’s digital-safety lead.
• Identify trusted help. Find the school’s reporting contact and the relevant official guidance. Practise explaining a concern without sharing sensitive information publicly.
• Explore digital evidence. Older learners can discuss why accurate records and authorised reporting matter, without attempting to investigate a real incident.
• Compare information sources. Ask who wrote a piece of advice, when it was updated and whether it applies to the device or service being discussed.

Workplace and community activities

A workplace can use the occasion to make its existing reporting process easier to find. Ask colleagues whether they know how to contact the IT or security team, including outside normal hours where relevant. Clarify what information that team requests and where its current instructions are stored.

A library or community centre could arrange a short information session with an appropriate local service. Focus on one achievable skill, such as finding official advice or checking a contact independently. Keep any hands-on support within the provider’s role and avoid asking participants to disclose account credentials.

Because the observance falls on 24 December, many organisations may prefer to hold a session earlier and publish a concise reminder on the date. Describe the local session’s actual date accurately. The annual observance remains 24 December regardless of when a school or workplace chooses to participate.

How the day was established

The General Assembly designated 24 December through resolution A/RES/79/243, adopted on that date in 2024. The resolution also adopted the Convention against Cybercrime. The observance’s stated purpose connects public awareness with international cooperation and the Convention’s role.

The day is distinct from other internet-safety occasions. Its title refers specifically to cybercrime, while a local activity might focus on recognising suspicious messages, finding an official reporting route or understanding how an organisation responds to an incident. Choose a scope that the audience can use rather than attempting to cover every digital risk.

Make information practical and current

Start with advice from the relevant national cyber-security or law-enforcement authority and the organisation’s own IT team. Check the publication date and intended audience. A resource designed for a business incident-response team may be unsuitable for a primary classroom, even when the underlying subject is relevant.

Use realistic but fictional examples. A training exercise should not reveal an actual person’s messages, passwords or account details. Explain how participants can raise questions privately, and make sure they know which existing route to use if they think something has gone wrong.

Follow through after the activity

Choose an outcome that can be checked: a clearer reporting page, a refreshed contact list or a set of accessible instructions approved by the responsible team. Give the work an owner and a review date. Ask a colleague unfamiliar with the process to try finding the information, then use their feedback to improve its location. Awareness is more useful when people can find the right support after the event has ended.

For wider digital learning, see Safer Internet Day and International Day for Universal Access to Information.

Source check: 23 October 2026. The designation, annual date and stated purpose were verified in the official UN resolution record. No particular 2026 theme is assumed.