IBM releases free internet security training tools to educate students, teachers and parents on digital responsibility

IBM today announced that in conjunction with Safer Internet Day (SID2012), it will release free Internet safety training tools for students and have thousands of volunteers working to help raise awareness and educate students and businesses on Internet safety and digital responsibility. 

 IBM is donating to the world three valuable resource and volunteer kits to better educate students, parents and teachers: 

- Control Your Online Identity - A volunteer education kit is designed to help teenagers learn to protect personal data online and reputation online. Teenagers are typically savvy about how to use the Internet, but often unaware about what happens to personal data once it's shared. This presentation and volunteer information helps students learn how to protect personal data and control how they present themselves online.

- Internet Safety Coaching - Aimed at teachers or adults working with children, this is a general primer on Internet safety providing basic information about common Internet activities by young people including instant messaging and social networking.   This kit is designed to raise awareness of Internet safety and how to have meaningful and open dialogue with children on this topic.

- Cyberbullying -- Aimed at parents or adults who work with children, this activity helps adults learn about how young people use the Internet today and how to recognize cyberbullying symptoms, how to prevent online bullying from happening and how to intervene if it does happen.

“IBMers are committed to help educate people on the responsible ways to use the Internet in a safe and secure fashion,” said Harriet Pearson, IBM Security Counsel and Chief Privacy Officer. “The resources we are donating to the world today are a step to partner with teachers and parents to raise awareness that most Internet-based threats to individual and computer security can significantly be reduced by actions that informed users take themselves."

In conjunction with today’s announcement, IBM volunteers around the world are educating communities about Internet safety. Some select activities include:

- In Egypt, IBMers and their families will attend a speech by Dr Khaled Negm, IBM Technical Security Sales Leader, Security & Privacy, who is leading a task force to train Egyptian Counselors on Internet Safety.

- In Finland, IBM’s local volunteer leader focused on cyberbullying will participate in a national summit at Helsinki City Hall. This summit follows the introduction of Cyberbullying awareness workshops for parents run by more than 60 IBM volunteers in 100 schools across Finland.

- In Germany, IBM will work with Klicksafe, the national partner of the Insafe Network to expand a partnership between the two organizations that focuses on the Manage Your Identity initiative in which more than 500 IBM volunteers have delivered over 100 interactive workshops on the topic to more around 3,000 students around the country.

- In Italy, an IBM team will conduct 13 events in local schools using both the IBM materials and a film from Safer Internet Day to discuss Internet safety and cyberbullying.

- In Romania, IBM volunteers are partnering with NGOs APDETIC and Junior Achievement Romania to deliver an Internet Safety session to students focusing on controlling your online identity and Facebook usage.

- In the United Kingdom, IBM volunteers will partner with non-profit YPNGlobal on their initiative called Cyber Champions which aims to promote online safety awareness in schools and youth organizations using young professional volunteers motivated to make a difference to their local communities.

Last year IBM employees donated more than three million hours of volunteer service. The company has donated 34 volunteer kits to help both IBMers as well as community members have meaningful activities and dialogues in the community about various issues.

Since its inception in 2004, Safer Internet Day interest has grown to reach all five continents and almost 80 countries, from Canada to South Korea and Russia to Kenya, including all 27 countries of the European Union. The goal of the day is to help make the Internet a better place for our children and young people.