Importance of Cyber Security Awareness for Kids to be Highlighted by Infosecurity Experts

March 1, 2010 - PRLog -- RSA Conference 2010, Booth 222 & 224, March 1, 2010 – (ISC)2® (“ISC-squared”), the not-for-profit global leader in educating and certifying information security professionals throughout their careers with more than 71,000 credentials issued to 66,000 members worldwide, today announced it will hold a special session at RSA 2010 to train member volunteers for its Safe and Secure Online program.

The (ISC)2 Safe and Secure Online program is a global initiative designed to teach children ages 11-14 how to protect themselves in an increasingly cyber-connected world by tackling such concerns as social networking, cyberbullying, viral emails, spam, identity theft and more.  Using compelling materials developed by former school teachers and presented by certified information security professionals, the program is offered to schools at no cost.

Scheduled for March 3 from 5 to 6 p.m. in Green Room 123 of the Moscone Center and co-sponsored by Microsoft and RSA, the orientation session is designed to give volunteers a greater comfort level with the materials and tips on presenting them to schoolchildren.  They will also have the opportunity to have their questions answered after the session by both experienced volunteers and (ISC)² staff.

“(ISC)² is not only committed to the safety of children online; we believe educating kids on cyber safety can have a tremendous impact on the security posture of all society,” said W. Hord Tipton, CISSP-ISSEP, CAP, CISA, executive director of (ISC)2.  “We believe the basic security and privacy concepts taught to schoolchildren will filter up to their parents and help make homes and workplaces more secure.”

The RSA 2010 volunteer session will kick off with remarks from Jacqueline Beauchere, director, Trustworthy Computing Group at Microsoft, with results from a recent survey commissioned by the company that gauged how online reputations have impacted people’s lives.

“People of all ages and backgrounds are sharing more of their lives today through social networks, blogs, photo- and video-sharing, and other online services,” Beauchere said. “A program such as (ISC)2’s Safe and Secure Online offers kids tools and guidance to help provide a safer, more secure online experience for them and their classmates.”
Initially launched in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2006 and in Hong Kong in 2007, the U.S. (ISC)2 Safe and Secure Online program began in October 2009.  To date, nearly 1,000 (ISC)2 certified members have signed up to volunteer for the U.S. program.  (ISC)²’s Safe and Secure Online volunteers have reached approximately 22,000 children worldwide since the program’s inception.

Education officials who wish to request a Safe and Secure Online presentation at their school should e-mail safeandsecure@isc2.org or visit http://cyberexchange.isc2.org/safe-secure.aspx for more information.

About (ISC)² ®
(ISC)² is the largest not-for-profit membership body of certified information security professionals worldwide, with over 66,000 members in more than 135 countries.    Globally recognized as the Gold Standard, (ISC)² issues the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and related concentrations, as well as the Certified Secure Software Lifecycle Professional (CSSLP), Certification and Accreditation Professional (CAP), and Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP) credentials to qualifying candidates. (ISC)²’s certifications are among the first information technology credentials to meet the stringent requirements of ANSI/ISO/IEC Standard 17024, a global benchmark for assessing and certifying personnel. (ISC)² also offers education programs and services based on its CBK®, a compendium of information security topics. More information is available at www.isc2.org.

© 2010, (ISC)² Inc. (ISC)², CISSP, ISSAP, ISSMP, ISSEP, and CSSLP, CAP, SSCP and CBK are registered marks of (ISC)², Inc.

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