What is ctrl?
Why ctrl?
Creating tomorrow's digital leaders through student-driven cyber resilience education
What is ctrl?
The ctrl – Cyber Teens Resilience & Leadership Program isn’t your average school initiative. It’s a 10-week, hands on experience that gives students the knowledge, skills and leadership to take control of their digital world.
Forget boring lectures, ctrl is student-driven and project-based. Every term, students design real resources: guides, posters, toolkits and campaigns that get published into the ctrl Playbook - a living cyber platform built by students, for students.
This isn’t a one-off project. The ctrl Playbook grows every term, every year, leaving the school with a powerful, student-made legacy that stays relevant and keeps evolving.
Student Empowerment
Active creation of resources through project-based learning
ctrl Collective Playbook
Living cyber platform built by students for the entire school community
Leadership Recognition
ctrl Collective badges and certificates for outstanding participants
Why ctrl?
Today’s digital landscape presents unprecedented challenges for students and their communities. The statistics highlight just how critical cyber resilience has become.
$30,700
Average Cost Per Incident
What cybercrime costs Australian individuals annually
1/6 Minutes
Report Frequency
How often cybercrime is reported to authorities
40%
Cyberbullying Jump
Increase in child cyberbullying reports in the past year
Key Teen Cyber Statistics in Australia
Understanding the specific risks facing Australian teenagers is crucial for developing targeted interventions:
64%
Online Risk Exposure
64% of Australian teens experienced an online risk in the past year
40%
Cyberbullying & Harassment
40% jump in reports to eSafety - 2,383 in one year vs 1,700 the year before
67%
Victimisation (12-15 years)
67% of reports concerned children aged 12-15
91%
Digital Device Use
91% of teens (14-17 years) own a smartphone; 36% give false ages or share personal data unsafely online
450%
Increase Over Time
Cyberbullying reports surged by 450% over five years
71%
Negative Experiences
71% of young Australians face harmful content during their online lives
These statistics demonstrate that the majority of Australian teenagers face significant online risks, making comprehensive cyber awareness programmes not just beneficial, but essential for their safety and wellbeing.
Why These Statistics Matter to Schools
High Prevalence of Risk
Most teens are exposed to online harm, making comprehensive awareness program absolutely essential for their safety and digital wellbeing.
Rising Trends
Cyberbullying and scams are rapidly increasing, requiring early intervention strategies that evolve with emerging threats.
Awareness Gaps
Teens own devices but lack strong safety practices, highlighting the need for practical, hands-on education that bridges this gap.
Peer Influence Power
Students prefer advice in plain language, created by teens for teens, making peer-to-peer education incredibly effective.
These insights form the foundation of ctrl's approach: student-led, practical and responsive to the real challenges facing young Australians in the digital world.
ctrl Program Objectives
Student Objectives
  • Build cyber awareness and resilience with practical strategies
  • Foster leadership and empowerment through the ctrl Collective
  • Develop collaboration and communication skills via group projects
  • Gain real-world project experience through the ctrl Collective Playbook
  • Strengthen responsibility for peers, families and community
School Objectives
  • Establish a sustainable cyber awareness program
  • Create a student-built Cyber Playbook as lasting resource
  • Enhance your school's digital citizenship framework
  • Embed ctrl Collective leadership recognition
  • Strengthen parent and school partnerships through engagement
Community Objectives
  • Equip families with student-created resources for home safety
  • Foster peer-to-peer learning beyond classrooms
  • Build long-term community resilience against online harm
  • Contribute to the future cyber workforce pipeline
"ctrl creates a movement of student-led cyber resilience."
Career Pathway Integration
ctrl not only builds digital safety but also introduces students to the growing field of cybersecurity and digital careers. Australia faces a shortage of 30,000+ cyber professionals by 2030. ctrl gives students an early head start and equips all participants with digital literacy, teamwork and resilience valued in every career.
1
Exposure to Cyber Skills
Foundational practices like protecting data, spotting scams and managing digital identity provide essential building blocks for future cyber careers.
2
Pathways Awareness
Awareness of diverse roles: cyber analyst, penetration tester, digital forensics, policy development, and awareness training. Links subject choices (ICT, Media, STEM) to future opportunities.
3
Portfolio Development
Students' projects contribute to the ctrl Collective Playbook - a professional legacy product. Certificates and leadership recognition provide evidence of transferable skills.
4
School & Community Alignment
Supports WA Department of Educations career development learning priorities. Opens pathways for guest speakers, internships and industry partnerships.
ctrl Collective: The Leadership Stream
The ctrl Collective represents our most engaged student leaders who take on peer-mentoring and advocacy roles throughout the program.
Amplifiers
Share key messages and resources across the school community
Connectors
Build bridges between students, teachers and families
Creators
Lead content development for the ctrl Collective Playbook
Voices
Advocate for peer needs and program improvements
Role Models
Demonstrate digital citizenship and inspire others
Recognition & Prestige
Leadership certificates and assembly recognition, ctrl Collective badges (visible on blazers/uniforms), newsletter mentions and legacy wall features, exclusive leadership development opportunities
The ctrl Collective makes cyber awareness student-led, visible, sustainable and impactful.
Program Inclusions
Session Material Development
Comprehensive, age-appropriate curriculum materials designed specifically for Australian teens, aligned with educational standards and best practices.
10 Week During or After School Program
Structured weekly sessions combining education, hands-on projects and peer collaboration in a supportive, engaging environment.
Student Showcase Event
Celebration of student achievements where participants present their work to peers, parents, teachers and community members.
Parent Information Night
Interactive session for parents and carers to understand the program, learn key cyber safety concepts and discover how to support their teens at home.
Creative Group Projects
Collaborative opportunities for students to create lasting resources whilst developing teamwork, communication and creative problem-solving skills.
Certificates & Recognition
Certificate of Completion for all participants, plus exclusive ctrl Collective Leadership Certificates and badges for outstanding contributors.
"Building your school's Cyber Platform, Piece by Piece."
Meet Shannon
Founder & CEO of CS-8
Making cyber awareness engaging, relatable, and fun for everyone
Shannon Pendrey is the driving force behind CS-8, a company she founded to make cyber awareness accessible, creative, and engaging for schools, businesses, and communities.
Founded in 2022 by Shannon Pendrey, CS-8 was developed to bridge a critical gap in the cybersecurity awareness landscape. While organisations were implementing simulated phishing software, employees were not receiving the necessary education to understand the reasoning behind these simulations. This lack of context led to negative onboarding experiences, employee resistance and disengagement with cybersecurity training.
Recognising these challenges, Shannon launched CS-8 to bring back classroomstyle, face-to-face learning. By fostering open conversations about cyber risks and best practices, CS-8 enables organisations to create a culture of security awareness that extends beyond the workplace into employees' personal lives.
1
Proven Training Framework
Our 10-module methodology is grounded in real-world experience, research, and leader collaboration - refined over four years to address today's top cybersecurity challenges.
2
Cyber Discovery Process
Each program begins with an in-depth discovery process, engaging stakeholders to uncover unique risk perceptions, pain points and behavioural gaps.
3
Tailored Content Development
Insights from discovery drive the development of custom learning materials, aligned with the organisations maturity and industry priorities.
4
Practical Engaging Delivery
All training is hands-on, interactive and designed to foster lasting awareness4 combining real scenarios with memorable learning experiences.
Shannon is known for her playful, down-to-earth way of connecting with people, whether it's cracking a joke to put a classroom at ease, or using real-world stories that resonate with parents, teachers, and teens alike. Her ability to make serious cyber issues approachable and even fun is what sets CS-8 apart.
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Elderly Australians are the most at risk group for online scams, typically targeted because of a lack of digital knowledge. A Perth Aged Care facility is working to change that - arming residents with the tools they need to keep safe and encouraging others to do the same. #9News

"The future belongs to our kids, and helping them navigate technology safely is one of the greatest responsibilities we have today"
With Shannon leading the way, CS-8 isn't just teaching cyber safety, it's creating a movement of resilience, creativity, and leadership for the digital age.
Contact Us
Ready to empower your students with essential cyber safety skills?
Contact us today to learn more about bringing the ctrl program to your school!