The Cyber Hero of Nepal

One bright morning in Kathmandu, a boy named Bikash was sitting at his computer and playing his favorite game.

He was winning.

“Ha! I am the best player in Nepal!” Bikash shouted.

Just then

PING!

A new message appeared on his screen.

It said:

“Congratulations! You have won 1 crore rupees! Click here NOW!”

Bikash's eyes became as big as momo plates.

“ONE CRORE?” he shouted. “I am rich!”

He quickly moved the mouse toward the big red button.

But before he could click it

“STOP!”

His little sister, Mina, jumped in front of the computer.

“Hey!” Bikash said. “Move! I am about to become a millionaire!”

Mina crossed her arms.

“Wait a minute. Did you enter any contest?”

Bikash stopped.

He thought.

“Umm... no.”

“Did you buy a lottery ticket?”

“No.”

“Did anyone tell you that you won?”

“No.”

Mina pointed at the screen.

“Then why would someone suddenly give you one crore rupees?”

Bikash scratched his head.

“Maybe because I am very handsome?”

Mina burst out laughing.

“Nice try, Mr. Handsome. That's a scam!”

Bikash looked confused.

“What is a scam?”

Mina explained,

“A scam is a trick. Someone may send a fake message to fool you and steal your money or personal information.”

Bikash looked at the message again.

“So I didn't win one crore?”

“No.”

“Then what did I win?”

Mina smiled.

“One crore rupees worth of trouble!”

Bikash quickly closed the message.

“Goodbye, fake money!”

Mina's Three Cyber Safety Rules

Mina decided that Bikash needed some cybersecurity training.

She held up one finger.

Rule One: Keep Your Password Secret

“Never share your password with other people,” Mina said.

“Not even my best friend?” asked Bikash.

“No.”

“Not even my dog?”

Mina stared at him.

“Your dog cannot even type!”

Bikash looked at his dog.

The dog looked back.

Bikash whispered,

“I knew I could trust him.”

Mina laughed.

“Your password should stay secret.”

She held up two fingers.

Rule Two: Don't Click Strange Links

“If you get a strange message telling you to click a link, don't click it,” Mina said.

“What if it says, ‘Click now or a monkey will come to your house?’” asked Bikash.

“Still don't click!”

“What if the monkey brings momo?”

“Definitely don't click!”

Bikash nodded seriously.

“Okay. Strange links are dangerous, even when monkeys are involved.”

Mina held up three fingers.

Rule Three: Stop, Think, and Check

“Before you trust a message, stop and think,” Mina said.

“Ask yourself three questions:

Who sent it?

Do I know this person?

Does the message make sense?”

Bikash looked at the fake prize message.

“Someone I don't know sent it. I never entered a contest. And they are giving me one crore for doing nothing.”

Mina nodded.

“Exactly. That is a big warning sign.”

Bikash smiled.

“I think I am getting good at cybersecurity!”

The Cyber Hero

That afternoon, Bikash made a big sign for his bedroom door.

It said:

STOP. THINK. CHECK.

Under it, he wrote:

Keep your password secret.

Don't click strange links.

Ask for help when something looks wrong.

From that day on, Bikash became known as the Cyber Hero of Kathmandu.

But there was one small problem.

That evening, his mother came into his room.

“Bikash, I heard you are studying Cybersecurity course in Nepal.”

Bikash smiled proudly.

“Yes, Mom! I am now a Cyber Hero.”

His mother looked at him.

“Really?”

“Yes!”

“Then why did you spend ten minutes searching for the password to the TV remote yesterday?”

Bikash became very quiet.

Mina started laughing.

“Cyber Hero needs more training!”

Bikash shook his head.

“Okay, okay. Nobody is perfect.”

Then he looked at his computer and said,

“But at least I didn't click the one-crore scam!”

Mina smiled.

“That is true.”

And from that day forward, Bikash remembered three important rules:

Think before you click.

Keep your passwords secret.

And never believe a free one-crore prize from a stranger.

Because online, not every message is a gift.

Sometimes, it is a trap wearing a very shiny hat.