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Cyprus Unveils New Employment And Education Plans For People With Disabilities

by News Editor

August 4, 2026

Cyprus is introducing a broad package of measures aimed at improving employment, education and long-term support for people with disabilities, with the government seeking to create a more structured transition from school into adult life. President Nikos Christodoulides unveiled the reforms on Tuesday, saying the goal is to ensure people with disabilities can work, build careers and participate fully in the country’s economic and social life.

Personalised Support After School

At the heart of the new policy is a personalised transition plan for every student leaving special education at the age of 22. Rather than finishing school without a clear pathway, each graduate will receive an individual plan designed to support the move into employment, further education or other services. Two new employment programmes are also expected to launch before the end of 2026.

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Stronger Incentives For Employers

Financial support for social enterprises hiring people with disabilities will increase from €10,000 to €25,000, with the subsidy remaining available until 2030. Investments in social enterprises will also qualify for tax exemptions of up to €150,000. According to the government, around 460 people currently participate in state-supported employment programmes.

More Education Opportunities

The reforms extend educational opportunities beyond the age of 22 through a new Inclusion and Professional Empowerment programme at post-secondary vocational education and training institutes. Participants will be able to continue their education, receive recognised diplomas and access support from personal professional assistants and vocational teachers.

Expanding Support Services

Alongside the education and employment measures, the government plans to invest €4 million in new day centres offering 30 educational programmes for adults with disabilities. Each participant will receive a €300 transport allowance, while three new autism centres are scheduled to open in Nicosia and Ayia Napa.

Closing A Longstanding Gap

Presenting the reforms, Christodoulides said previous policies failed to create a smooth transition between education, training, employment and care, leaving many young adults with disabilities without clear opportunities after leaving school. He described the new framework as a coordinated effort involving five ministries, the Deputy Ministry to the President and the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare, with the aim of providing long-term support rather than temporary solutions.

The president said the reforms are intended to ensure people with disabilities have the same opportunity to plan their future as any other citizen.

“Inclusion means ensuring that no one is left behind and that everyone has real choices and equal opportunities,” he said.

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Ring Makes New Encryption Standard Default For Cloud-Based Features

by News Editor

August 27, 2026

Amazon’s smart home division Ring is introducing a new encryption standard that will become the default for video protection and user controls, while allowing the company to offer more cloud-based features.

The standard, called TAKE, or “Throw Away the Key Encryption,” is designed to balance privacy with features that can be limited by end-to-end encryption, including video search, descriptions and access for trusted users.

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Temporary Keys Support Cloud Features

Under TAKE, Ring uses rotating encryption keys that are temporarily stored in the cloud and accessible only when needed to provide features activated by users. Once a request is completed, the company says the relevant keys will be deleted within 24 hours.

The system allows Ring to temporarily decrypt and process videos for cloud services such as Smart Alerts, which can notify users when people, vehicles or packages appear in a camera’s view. The company said in a blog post that the encryption key is deleted after the feature has been used.

Amazon’s technical white paper says TAKE was developed using Messaging Layer Security, an open messaging standard created by the Internet Engineering Task Force.

Users Can Still Choose End-To-End Encryption

TAKE will begin rolling out to customers in September and will become the default worldwide. Ring users will still be able to manually select end-to-end encryption instead.

The new system also includes several options for recovering encryption keys. Users who lose access to their device can authenticate by standing near their Ring cameras, while passphrases, cloud backups, another approved device or passkeys can provide alternative recovery methods.

Ring said the approach is intended to preserve access to cloud features without requiring users to give up control of their video encryption keys.

Privacy Concerns Remain

The announcement comes after months of scrutiny over Ring’s use of facial recognition. Its Familiar Faces feature can identify people appearing in camera footage.

In June, a class-action lawsuit accused Amazon of storing images of people passing by Ring cameras without their consent. The introduction of TAKE therefore comes as Ring faces continued questions over how its cameras process and protect personal data.