FOSI Says G'Day! To The Cyber Guardian

WASHINGTON, DC - The Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) today announced that The Cyber Guardian (TCG) has joined as a member. The company, based in Australia and Singapore, brings an important international viewpoint about online safety to an increasingly globally-focused FOSI membership.

The Cyber Guardian is a secure environment created to protect users from pornography, online predators and other sites that may be harmful to kids. This network-based parental control system is different from other software that attempts to filter and blacklist sites dynamically. Traditional filters are ineffective because sites pop-up more quickly than they can be filtered. TCG uses a unique patent pending process based on a "whitelist," which contains tens of millions of pre-screened sites. TCG is comprised of a search engine, user interface and a Parent's Dashboard, which parents can use to configure filters for individual children. The system provides individual logins for each family member, allowing a customized experience for all.

"We applaud The Cyber Guardian's work to provide tools for parents that help foster trust and confidence in the Internet," said Stephen Balkam, CEO of FOSI. "While Internet safety starts at the family and individual level, success is dependent on the collaboration of a number of stakeholders, involving government, industry, families and schools. FOSI looks forward to working with TCG to promote technological innovation while making the online world a more positive place."

"The Cyber Guardian is a response to increased interest in Internet safety for children and a desire to innovate and improve upon existing parental control and site-filtering systems," said Max Thomas, CEO of The Cyber Guardian. "We admire FOSI's work to promote the ways in which technology has empowered the world's citizens, yet educate parents and kids about Internet safety and elevate the discussion internationally. The Cyber Guardian is so pleased to have the opportunity to continue this good work as a FOSI member."

About FOSI

The Family Online Safety Institute is an international, non-profit organization that works to make the online world safer for kids and their families. FOSI convenes leaders in industry, government and non-profit sectors to collaborate and innovate new solutions and policies in the field of online safety. Through research, resources, events and special projects, FOSI promotes a culture of responsibility online and encourages a sense of digital citizenship for all. FOSI's members include: AOL, AT&T, BAE Systems Detica, BT Retail, Comcast, Disney, Entertainment Software Association, Facebook, France Telecom, Google, GSM Association, Microsoft, Motion Picture Association of America, NCTA, Nominum, Optenet, RuleSpace, Sprint, Symantec, Time Warner Cable, Telecom Italia, Telefónica, TELMEX, USTelecom, The Wireless Foundation, Verizon and Yahoo!.