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Mailout is Latest Addition to NetSafe Support for Early Childhood Sector      
 
First Steps to Cybersafety and Net basics Pamphlets
 
NetSafe has been working collaboratively with the Ministry of Education's Early Childhood Unit throughout 2007 to increase awareness of cybersafety and online security in the early childhood sector.
 
NetSafe Education Sector Manager Richard Beach says “2007 has seen us continue to support early childhood sector in a number of ways. Last year we released free templates for services to use to help them to set up cybersafety use agreements and policies. Earlier this year we launched an online training module for services wanting to learn about cybersafety and security. And just this month we have mailed out safety and security information to over four and a half thousand services and playgroups in New Zealand.”
 
The most recent mail out included the Net basics and First Steps to Cybersafety  pamphlets (pictured) in a bid to help raise awareness of the need for services to address safety and security for their centre. 
 
ICT like computers and digital cameras are now commonly used to enhance childrens’ learning, and to help with the administration of services.  Security of that ICT is important in protecting the children themselves as well as their family’s information which may be stored on a computer.
 
“Any computer used for the business or with children should have regularly updated firewall, anti-virus and anti-spyware software, as well as an operating system which is kept up-to-date (patched).  At NetSafe, we call these measures the Net basics, and much like a warrant of fitness for your car, your computer is not safe to hit the information superhighway without them” says Richard.
 
To further support early childhood services, NetSafe will be sending out the NetSafe Kit for ECE services in early 2008.  This kit will provide comprehensive guidance on topics such as developing an information communication technology (ICT) policy, information security, and educating young children to be safe users of ICT. The kit will be free and will include useful strategies, templates, checklists and links to other resources.
 
For more information about how NetSafe can support cybersafety in your early childhood service or playgroup, contact NetSafe’s Contact Centre on queries@netsafe.org.nz
     
         
 
New mobile phone designed for young children
A new mobile that is compatible with the Vodafone NZ network has been launched recently for 'very young children'. The Teddyfone is designed as a first mobile phone and has limited functionality to reduce the ways a child can use it. The phone allows the child to dial four (pre-set) numbers, has limited text capability, and includes parental monitoring capability using GPS. NetSafe has reservations about parental monitoring - see Executive Director's Message.

New internet browser foils internet ‘history’ function
Freeserve has launched a new internet browser that allows people to 'surf the internet without leaving a history of websites visited' and stops personal details being left on the computers they use to access the internet.
 
The browser is Free and does not require any installation or registration and does not save information from any websites visited while using it. Cache, history, cookies and auto-complete forms are all automatically deleted.
     
         
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