Joins Family Online Safety Institute in its mission to make the online world safer for kids and families
SAN DIEGO, Nov. 9, 2020 – ESET, a global leader in cybersecurity, today announced the launch of Safer Kids Online, a new resource platform for kids, parents and educators dedicated to building a safer online environment for children. The website and corresponding newsletter features blogs, vlogs, parental guidance and expert insight that helps children enjoy the full potential of the internet in a secure digital world.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, some 94 percent of 3- to 18-year-olds have home internet access. While the internet can be a valuable resource for information and news and provide a vital connection to the outside world – especially as many children are now learning from home – it can also expose children to cyberbullying, unsolicited attention and inappropriate or unsafe content. It can also expose children to identity theft. According to a 2018 study by Javelin Strategy & Research, more than one million children were the victims of identity theft in 2017, with two-thirds of those children under the age of eight and 20 percent between the ages of eight and 12.
“Today’s kids are growing up with the internet at their fingertips, and many are spending a considerable amount of time online,” said Tony Anscombe, chief security evangelist at ESET. “Yet understandably, many parents have a hard time not just monitoring their kids’ screen time but making sure their kids are practicing safe behavior while online. Given ESET’s in-depth knowledge and experience monitoring and addressing cybersecurity threats, Safer Kids Online aims to make parents’ jobs a little less difficult by providing easy-to-use tips and resources to help them better navigate their kids’ online lives.”
In addition to drawing on the knowledge of ESET’s cybersecurity professionals, the content on Safer Kids Online will be developed in consultation with child internet safety experts and feature a variety of topics, including social media, cyberbullying, creating strong passwords, how to recognize malware, and how to stay safe while gaming online. To find out more or to sign up for Safer Kids Online monthly newsletter, visit https://saferkidsonline.eset.com/en-us.
To further support its efforts to foster a safe internet for kids, ESET has become a member of the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI), an international, non-profit organization that convenes leaders in industry, government and the non-profit sectors to collaborate and innovate new solutions and policies in the field of online safety. On Nov. 18, ESET will participate in FOSI’s virtual 2020 Annual Conference, where Tony Anscombe will speak in a breakout session titled, “Technology Innovation: Challenges and Opportunities.” ESET and FOSI will also collaborate on webinars and ESET’s podcast, “Speakeasy Security.”
“We’re thrilled to welcome ESET into FOSI membership,” said Stephen Balkam, FOSI CEO. “Cybersecurity is one of the most important elements of online safety, and it’s vital that kids have an awareness from a young age of how to protect themselves. Safer Kids Online is a great example of how companies can support and empower parents to pass these lessons on to their families.”
For more information, visit https://saferkidsonline.eset.com/en-us.
About ESET
For more than 30 years, ESET® has been developing industry-leading IT security software and services to protect businesses, critical infrastructure and consumers worldwide from increasingly sophisticated digital threats. With solutions ranging from endpoint and mobile security to encryption, multi-factor authentication and endpoint detection and response, ESET’s high-performing, easy-to-use products unobtrusively protect and monitor 24/7, updating defenses in real time to keep users safe and businesses running without interruption. Evolving threats require an intelligent IT security company that enables the safe use of technology. This aim is backed by ESET’s R&D centers worldwide, working in support of our shared future. For more information, visit www.eset.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.