Canadian students to learn digital safety strategies through new Intel Security and Discovery Education Program

-- Initiative provides student certification along with tools for educators and parents to enable children to make safer decisions on the Internet --

MARKHAM, ON, Nov. 13, 2014 /CNW/ - Intel Security, in partnership with Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital content and professional development, today announced the Intel^® Security Digital Safety Program, a three-year education initiative designed to teach children to "Think Before You Link" and make safer decisions when using the Internet. The first and only Discovery Education-supported initiative focusing on cybersecurity education, the Intel Security Digital Safety Program will equip educators, students and parents with the tools they need to be confident, safe digital citizens. 

"Teaching our kids to be safe and savvy online is one of the most important things we can be doing," said Michelle Dennedy, chief privacy officer of McAfee. "If we're successful in these kinds of endeavours, we'll be contributing not only to kids' personal well-being but also to their future education and careers – all of which will spur economic development."

"We are delighted to begin this multi-year partnership with Intel Security, bringing the power of their expertise in cybersecurity to bear in creating first-of-its-kind cyber-safety curricula," said Bill Goodwyn, President and CEO of Discovery Education. "This engaging, new approach to security education will empower students to be responsible digital citizens, and provide them with the skills needed to recognize possible online threatening situations."

The Intel Security Digital Safety Program will provide educators with standards-aligned resources, including self-paced lessons for use in the classroom to help engage students on timely, relevant topics like Internet safety and security.  At the conclusion of each module, students will receive a cybersecurity certificate acknowledging they've completed the program and will act as a responsible cyber citizen.  Additionally, parents can access the program's at-home family resources to further reinforce the importance of online safety to their children.

Through Intel Security and Discovery Education's partnership, the Intel Security Digital Safety Program offers resources designed to teach students ages 8-11 in Canada and the U.S. ways to keep personally identifiable information (PII) private online, create stronger passwords and how to deal with cyberbullies. In the partnership's second year, the program is planned to expand to reach ages 11-14, and in its third year the program is expected to expand globally to offer its resources in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The first module, available today, will be focused on cyber safety and will teach children how to keep their devices and personal information safe. According to the McAfee "2014 Teens and the Screen¹" study, conducted by Intel Security June 3, 14 per cent of youth between the ages of 10 and 18 have posted their home address online, while only 61 per cent have enabled privacy settings on their social profiles.

"Canadian youth have some potentially risky habits when it comes to their digital activities," said Brenda Moretto, Canadian consumer manager at McAfee. "They would clearly benefit from a program that teaches them how to use the Internet more securely." 

According to the Intel Security "Digital Deception in Canada^2" study, 76 per cent of youth admitted to hiding online behaviour from their parents, 56 per cent had viewed Web sites their parents would disapprove and 25 per cent said their parents don't monitor their online activities.

"In this ever changing digital world, it is vital that we prepare our students to act responsibly and protect themselves online," said Sandy MacDougall, Technology Integration Leader at Halifax Regional School Board. "The program Intel Security and Discovery Education have partnered on will provide educators with important resources to help inform students about appropriate online behaviour."

Intel Security has already had huge success in equipping members of the community with some simple Internet safety tips. Since 2011, more than 250,000 school-aged children and parents worldwide have participated in the McAfee Online Safety employee volunteer program (McAfee is now a part of Intel Security). In Canada, McAfee has trained 2,856 school-age children and 296 adults on ways to stay safe, secure and maintain good ethics in their online behaviour. With the support of Discovery Education, Intel Security hopes to make its curriculum available to millions of children, parents and educators around the globe.

For more information, please visit: Ca.ThinkBeforeYouLinkInSchool.com.

About Intel Security

With its Security Connected strategy, innovative approach to hardware-enhanced security, and unique Global Threat Intelligence, Intel Security is intensely focused on developing proactive, proven security solutions and services that protect systems, networks, and mobile devices for business and personal use around the world. Intel Security combines the experience and expertise of McAfee with the innovation and proven performance of Intel to make security an essential ingredient in every architecture and on every computing platform. Intel Security's mission is to give everyone the confidence to live and work safely and securely in the digital world. www.intelsecurity.com.

McAfee Canada, part of Intel Security, is headquartered in Markham, Ontario, with regional offices across Canada. The company's Consumer Software Research and Development facility is based in Waterloo, Ontario.

About Discovery Education

Discovery Education is the global leader in standards-based digital content and professional development for K-12, transforming teaching and learning with award-winning digital textbooks, multimedia content that supports the implementation of Common Core, professional development, assessment tools, and the largest professional learning community of its kind.  Available in over half of all U.S. schools and primary schools in England, community colleges and in 50 countries around the world, Discovery Education partners with districts, states and like-minded organizations to captivate students, empower teachers, and transform classrooms with customized solutions that accelerate academic achievement. Discovery Education is powered by Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the number one nonfiction media company in the world. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.

1. Teens and Screen by Intel Security, June 2014
2. Digital Deception in Canada, Intel Security and Leger Marketing, January 2014

Note: McAfee is a trademark or registered trademark of McAfee, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others. Intel Security, the Intel logo, the Intel Security logo are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.

McAfee Canada maintains a website called "The State of Consumer and Enterprise Security in Canada" (http://mcaf.ee/canadastats) in order to provide a one-stop shop for writers looking for information on trends affecting the Canadian security landscape.

SOURCE: McAfee, Inc.

Contacts: Ryan Patrick/Mike Martin, StrategicAmpersand Inc., 416-961-5595, [email protected], [email protected]