Children today are growing up in a world where digital interactions begin before they fully understand risk. From sharing passwords to engaging with unknown platforms, most online behaviors are learned informally and often too late, after mistakes are made. This talk challenges the traditional approach to cybersecurity education, which focuses primarily on professionals and reactive awareness. Instead, it introduces the idea of building digital citizens early by equipping children with the mindset, habits, and decision-making skills needed to navigate the digital world safely and responsibly. Drawing from real-world cybersecurity experience and insights from building DigiArmorX, Nidhi will explore how risk-based thinking can be simplified for young learners through storytelling, behavioral cues, and adaptive learning. She will highlight gaps in current education systems, the role of parents and schools, and how technology, especially AI, can personalize cybersecurity learning at scale. The session leaves audiences with a clear takeaway. Cybersecurity is not just a technical discipline. It is a life skill, and the earlier we start, the safer our digital future becomes. Speaker(s): Nidhi, Agenda: - 7:00 PM – 7:05 PM | Welcome and Opening Remarks - 7:05 PM – 7:50 PM | Technical Talk: Building Digital Citizens: Cybersecurity as a Life Skill for Children Speaker: Nidhi Srivastava - 7:50 PM – 8:00 PM | Q&A and Discussion Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/558274
