Lehrer Online, Media Competence, May 2002  (translated from German)

"SaferSurf School" for Schools in Leipzig
 

(dpa/sa)

Leipzig's pupils are looking forward to more internet during lessons. From the 7th of May on the new software "SaferSurf School" of the Nutzwerk company in Leipzig provides children and young people with a fast, simple, and secure internet access. "Our data filter that was patented for Germany, Europe and the USA is going to be part of the future security standard in 60 schools in Leipzig", says Nutzwerk CEO René Holzer. This makes the famous trade fair city the pioneer for the use of the internet in schools in Germany. As part of a pilot project the program will be tested by pupils during lessons over two months. "The software 'SaferSurf School' is already being used at various schools and was found practical and feasible", says the spokesperson of the action group 'Protection for Young People' in Saxony, Anne Uhlig.

The students can only reach the internet pages that were preselected by the teacher on their computers. Misuse is impossible. The data stream is cleaned directly at the internet provider. At the same time the user does not need to install and maintain an anti-virus program on his PC any more. "The data filter prevents for example that students are sending SMS via internet during lessons or look at the Playboy pages instead of following the biology lesson", says Holzer about the advantages of the software.

Protection for young people required
"Currently the internet is used in only about 5 percent of the schools in Germany, because teachers are worried about the protection for young people", says Holzer. "Our software is supervising the internet for the teacher." Nutzwerk offers the SaferSurf security software also for private use. "Our product can be found at www.safersurf.com and installed on every computer with only three mouse clicks", says Holzer. The network security costs one euro per month. With SaferSurf parents do not have to be worried any more if their children are looking at internet pages that display pornography or glorification of violence.

But users can still have fun while surfing. The software identifies ad banners on ordinary pages as well as viruses, unwanted e-mail advertisements, pages of sects and problematic games. It also allows to block the use of services that are subject to charges, protecting families against astronomically high phone bills.