Trend Micro Launches Cyber Academy to Keep Kids Safe Online

As children's screen time doubles during the pandemic, new courses teach the basics of internet awareness and safety

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Oct 05, 2021, 08:00 ET

DALLAS, Oct. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704), a global cybersecurity leader, today announced that it is launching the new Trend Micro Cyber Academy this month, giving teachers and parents a powerful tool to improve children's safety and awareness online. As part of the Internet Safety for Kids and Families education program, the Cyber Academy will offer a series of video-based lessons and learning materials designed to improve children's digital literacy skills in a way that's meaningful and engaging.

"While the internet has given children enormous academic and social support during this challenging time, we still need to equip them with the skills to use it safely and responsibly ," said Lynette Owens, global director, Internet Safety for Kids & Families initiative for Trend Micro. "Our goal over the last 13+ years has been to provide as early as possible those online skills which we believe are essential to their well-being and future success."

According to research from early 2021, children have doubled their screen time during the pandemic, and are more likely than ever to be exposed to online threats such as exposure to adult content, phishing, and scams. Digital literacy skills are crucial to helping children avoid risks to their privacy and security and learn how to identify what is trustworthy or not online. At the same time, the internet provides great opportunities for children and 63% of parents believe the internet has been beneficial to their children's social and emotional well-being. Digital literacy skills helps children realize the benefits of technology while also keeping it safe and positive for them.

Aimed at children 7–10-years-old, the Cyber Academy will initially consist of five internet safety lessons that focus on passwords, two-factor authentication, security, privacy and healthy habits. The lessons can be delivered on-demand by a teacher in the classroom or a guardian at home in just 10–15 minutes and are offered completely free of charge. Future lessons which to be released in the coming months will cover topics such as cyberbullying, media literacy skills and managing screen time. The lessons will be also available in additional languages over the coming months including Spanish, French, and Mandarin.

Each lesson consists of:

A three-minute animated video
A conversation guide with Questions & Answers for kids
A Kahoot! Quiz to reinforce learning
A downloadable activity sheet as homework
Further resources for parents, guardians and teachers

For more than a decade, Trend Micro's Internet Safety for Kids & Families initiative has been working to address the often-neglected cybersecurity imperative of educating kids on how to be safe and responsible in their digital lives. As the challenge has become even more urgent during the Covid-19 pandemic, the company is committed to improving child safety and awareness in cyberspace.

About Trend Micro

Trend Micro, a global cybersecurity leader, helps make the world safe for exchanging digital information. Fueled by decades of security expertise, global threat research, and continuous innovation, Trend Micro's cybersecurity platform protects hundreds of thousands of organizations and millions of individuals across clouds, networks, devices, and endpoints. As a leader in cloud and enterprise cybersecurity, the platform delivers a powerful range of advanced threat defense techniques optimized for environments like AWS, Microsoft, and Google, and central visibility for better, faster detection and response. With 7,000 employees across 65 countries, Trend Micro enables organizations to simplify and secure their connected world. www.TrendMicro.com.

About Trend Micro Internet Safety for Kids & Families

Trend Micro's Internet Safety for Kids and Families (ISKF) program was launched to help kids around the world become great digital citizens. Founded in 2008, the ISKF mission is to empower kids to use the internet in safe, positive, and productive ways through educational programs, key partnerships, and a wide range of resources for communities. To date, the program has reached almost 3 million children, parents, and teachers in 20 countries. For more information as well as safety tips, tools and advice, visit: https://internetsafety.trendmicro.com.

SOURCE Trend Micro Incorporated