6.21.2006 - 05:00pm ET

(CSRwire) Washington, D.C. and Cupertino, Calif.) - At the Capitol today, the Internet Keep Safe Coalition and Symantec Corp. announced the launch of a new, interactive tutorial designed to help educate parents about online security for children. The tutorial, Parents' Top 10 Technical Questions: What Every Parent Must Do to Keep Children Safe Online, is part of a new Parent Resource Center on iKeepSafe.org that provides parents with valuable information on how to keep their children safe online from a variety of Internet threats and risks, such as cyber-predators, online fraud and viruses.

The Coalition also awarded today the 2006 Internet Keep Safe Award to Senators Blanche Lincoln (D-Arkansas) and Bob Bennett (R-Utah) for their exceptional contribution to protecting the children of America online. This award is given annually to public figures who have shown an extraordinary commitment to protecting children from the growing, and often lethal, threats they face on the Internet and through other connected technologies.

More than 30 million children currently cruise the Internet, with the number of kids spending two or more hours online per day doubling during summer months. This opens up opportunities for kids to run into viruses, spyware, online fraud and predators. According to a December 2005 survey by the Polly Klaas Foundation, 56 percent of teens and 12 percent of tweens have been asked personal questions online, and 42 percent of teens have posted information about themselves on the Internet for other people to see and contact them.

"You don't have to be a computer expert to protect your child online," said Jacalyn Leavitt, Internet Keep Safe Coalition founder and wife of Health and Human Services Secretary, Mike Leavitt. "We want every child to enjoy the benefits of safe Internet use. The new tutorial we created in partnership with Symantec and the new Parent Resource Center provide parents with the skills and tools they need to keep their children safe on the Internet. It's a snap."

"Parents regularly educate their children about how to be safe when interacting with others in person, but the topic of online safety and how to be good cybercitizens is not often broached by parents," said Dave Cole, director, Symantec Security Response. "Since kids are now growing up using email, instant messaging and surfing the web, it's essential they know how to protect themselves during these and other Internet activities. The tutorial we created with the Internet Keep Safe Coalition helps parents teach their children the fundamentals of online safety."

The Coalition's campaign features the 3 KEEPsSM of Internet safety: Keep Safe • Keep Away • Keep Telling. SM This message is reinforced through the Faux Paw the Techno Cat Internet Safety Series for Children, which includes colorful children's books and animated films, written by Jacalyn Leavitt. The Faux Paw series teaches children--in a fun, non-threatening way--the essential rules that will keep them safe online.

About the Internet Keep Safe Coalition (iKeepSafe.org) and Faux Paw the Techno Cat

The Internet Keep Safe Coalition is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to helping parents, educators, and caregivers by providing guidelines and tools to teach children the safe and healthy use of technology and the Internet. Faux Paw the Techno CatSM is the brain child of Jacalyn S. Leavitt, wife of Health and Human Services Secretary, Mike Leavitt, and it continues her lifelong work to promote public health and education. This summer, the Coalition will release the second children's book in its Faux Paw the Techno Cat series, Faux Paw Meets the First Lady. The companion film features the voice of First Lady Laura Bush who recorded the voice of the First Lady in the film. Coalition members include:

First Ladies/Gentlemen or Governors of 50 states
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Medical Association
American Medical Association Alliance
Cable in the Classroom
Childhelp
D.A.R.E America
Enough Is Enough
FBI, Internet Crimes Taskforce
GetNetWise
InfraGard
National Association of Broadcasters
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
National Crime Prevention Council, McGruff the Crime Dog®
National Education Association
National PTA
The National Cable and Telecommunications Association
Newspaper Association of America
Optimist International
US DOJ, Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce
Web Wise Kids
Wired Safety
Wired Kids

Corporate Sponsors
Adobe
America Online
BearingPoint
Convergys
Dell
Disney Online
Intel
McDonalds
Oracle
Siebel Systems
Symantec
Target
Yahoo!

About Symantec
Symantec is the world leader in providing solutions to help individuals and enterprises assure the security, availability, and integrity of their information. Headquartered in Cupertino, Calif., Symantec has operations in more than 40 countries. More information is available at http://www.symantec.com.

To preview Symantec's interactive tutorial, PARENTS' TOP 10 TECHNICAL QUESTIONS: What Every Parent Must Do to Keep Children Safe Online, go to the PARENT RESOURCE CENTER at www.iKeepSafe.org.

For more information please contact: