Parents get the power to tackle cybercrime

Oct 19 2009 by Adam Jupp, The Journal

A PROGRAMME aimed at helping parents protect their children from cybercrime is set to be launched in the region.

Newcastle University has designed the scheme in response to the rise in offences such as internet grooming and online bullying in recent years.

The university’s Centre for Cybercrime and Computer Security has developed a nationwide training programme to teach parents and carers how to help youngsters use the internet safely.

Examples include the use of "checksticks" which can download a trace of every website visited by your child, time-out settings preventing children using the web late at night and a guide to the dangers of using social networking sites.

The team has joined forces with the North East Fraud Forum, Microsoft and the Northern Grid for Learning for the initiative, which will be rolled out to schools, learning centres and organisations across the UK.

Heading up the initiative is Newcastle University’s Phil Butler, a former Detective Chief Inspector with Northumbria Police and founding member of the North East Fraud Forum.