Kaspersky Lab has launched a campaign in the Asia Pacific to educate the public and spread awareness of internet safety. — Photo firstpost.com

Kaspersky Lab has launched a campaign in the Asia Pacific to educate the public and spread awareness of internet safety.

Known as the Goondus Awards, the campaign is inviting submissions from the public on internet mistakes that have led to reputational, financial or property damage or loss for individuals.

The awards website, which features the submissions anonymously, highlights real life incidents where a naïve or ill-informed internet practice led to some form of misfortune.

The criterion for the entries is that they must be based on actual events leading to tangible or intangible losses related to internet use.

The winning stories will be selected by a panel of judges, with the winners standing a chance of winning an iPad Mini or a Tablet and even monthly prizes like a Kaspersky Lab premiums hamper.

The “Tips” section of the website features articles from the Kaspersky Lab blog and are categorised based on the various issues and forms of scams highlighted in the website. This educational content serves to advise users on how to prevent such incidents from occurring.

“We want to educate people about safer internet behaviours and showcase real world examples of missteps leading to some form of loss or damage,” Sylvia Ng, the company’s general manager for Southeast Asia, said.

“While some stories may be humorous and even incredible, the repercussions and damage were real and in some cases severe.

“As our entries are entirely anonymous, we’re encouraging a community-led campaign to drive home the message that only safe practices will make the internet safer for users.” — VNS