A new partnership will help children, carers, parents and teachers across Australia to stay safe online.
IT services company and business process specialist Datacom has formally joined ThinkUKnow Australia by signing an agreement with the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) centre and the Australian Federal Police (AFP), announcing this new collaboration on Safer Internet Day.
ThinkUKnow is a partnership between the AFP and Microsoft and is proudly supported by ninemsn and now Datacom.
Safer Internet Day is an Insafe initiative celebrated every February to promote safer and more responsible use of online technology and mobile technology, especially among young people across the world.
AFP Assistant Commissioner Neil Gaughan said awareness is the best weapon for online security and today is a timely reminder to be aware of the risks associated with online and mobile technology and how to manage these risks.
“Developing effective partnerships with those who maintain and carry out business on the internet is a vital step in protecting children and making the internet a safer place,” Assistant Commissioner Gaughan said.
“The AFP remains dedicated to this task and places a strong focus on collaboration with industry partners around the world.
“I welcome Datacom to the ThinkUKnow collaboration, which also includes the AFP, Microsoft and ninemsn.
“This is a great example of collaboration between law enforcement and the private sector. Together, we can work towards making the internet a safer place for children.”
Since the roll out of the ThinkUKnow program across Australia in 2010, it has proven to be a valuable resource.
During 2011, more than 4,300 parents, teachers and carers across Australia participated in ThinkUKnow presentations. These presentations were delivered by trained AFP, Microsoft and ninemsn volunteers and cover topics such as cyber bullying, sexting, online grooming, scams, and identity theft.
The presentations are supported by cyber-safety resources available on the ThinkUKnow website (see www.thinkuknow.org.au).
“We currently have over 3300 online members to the ThinkUKnow website,” Assistant Commissioner Gaughan said.
“While Safer Internet Day is celebrated across the globe today, the ThinkUKnow program aims to make every day a safer internet day.
“I encourage all adults and young people to visit the ThinkUKnow website, which hosts valuable cyber-safety information on social networking, instant messaging, mobile phones and gaming, and allows people to report abuse.”
Datacom’s expertise as a technical solutions specialist will assist the ThinkUknow program to improve online bookings and logistics, meaning greater ease and access to the ThinkUKnow program for users. The addition of Datacom’s employees as volunteers will take the number of ThinkUKnow volunteers to over 200.
Datacom Group CEO Jonathan Ladd said Datacom is very excited to be working with the AFP, Microsoft and ninemsn on the ThinkUKnow program.
“Datacom is proud to be associated with the ThinkUKnow program. We are thrilled to be a partner, actively supporting greater community access to the program and providing volunteers to help deliver internet safety messages,” said Jonathan Ladd.
“Our business is IT, so our people understand technology. We are in the perfect position to educate people about the online environment and the associated risks.
“Through the Datacom offices and contact centres across the nation, we hope that the support that we provide will mean that even more parents and carers will be equipped with the knowledge to keep children safe online.”
ThinkUKnow was originally developed in the UK by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre in 2006.
For further information and resources on the ThinkUKnow initiative or to register your school for a presentation, go to www.thinkuknow.org.au.
Safer Internet Day is supported in Australia by the Australian Communications and Media Authority: http://www.cybersmart.gov.au/SID2012.aspx
Media enquiries:
Assistant Commissioner Neil Gaughan will be available for interviews. To book an interview, to request material or for further information, please contact the AFP National Media Team: (02) 6131 6333.
