The news
It's a fact that the internet is causing big worries for parents concerned that their young children are being bullied on line and might be being groomed by perves wanting to lure them into meeting up. Or should be. What can be done about the problems is less clear but UK-based outfit Crisp Thinking claims it's got two solutions - the Child Protection Gateway and the Anti-Grooming Engine - that can make a significant difference, if not guarantee to make kids totally secure, and also give internet service providers (ISPs) a competitive edge.
Both work within an internet service provider's network - not on the kid's PC. The Child Protection Gateway (CPG) acts as a gateway for traffic. The company claims it is "extremely hard" for even a 'well tuned' teenager to circumvent its network-level controls.
It's said to offer full logging for all instant messaging protocols and chat traffic - it lists MSN, Yahoo, AOL and ICQ but makes no mention of any others, not even Skype Chat - and is said to allow parents to be alerted when a child engages in "potentially dangerous" conversations.
The Anti-Grooming Engine (AGE) - which Crisp says is due to be installed with UK Internet Service Providers and Instant Messaging networks in the new year - is intended to give peace of mind to parents who may not understand the internet or have the time to monitor their children's activities.
It's claimed to contain hundreds of analytical and cross-referencing modules that work together to show whether an online relationship poses a threat.
AGE is also said to ensure that a young child's contacts through Instant Messaging, email and chat rooms is limited to authorised friends. If a stranger does attempt to contact the child, that communication will be intercepted at network level, Crisp says, without ever reaching the child.
Crisp's founder Adam Hildreth looks
young
enough to need protecting from online threats himself!
enough to need protecting from online threats himself!
Crisp reckons that its network-level solutions can give an ISP "huge" brand differentiation, enhancing subscribers' perceptions of the ISP if they know that it is "pro-actively protecting their family".
Check out Crisp's release on page two about the forthcoming introduction of AGE, pay a visit to the company's web site and let us know your thoughts about online child-protection in this thread in the HEXUS.lifestyle.news forum.
