Crisp Offers the First Network Layer Child Protection

The world's first system designed to provide robust Internet protection for children at the network layer has been launched by UK specialist, Crisp Thinking. The Child Protection Gateway (CPG) is designed to be installed by ISPs and offers parents a simple way to monitor all internet traffic in a household.

Leeds, England (PRWEB) July 18, 2006 -- The world's first system designed to provide robust Internet protection for children at the network layer has been launched today by UK specialist, Crisp Thinking. The Child Protection Gateway (CPG) is designed to be installed by ISPs and offers parents a simple way to monitor all internet traffic in a household.

By providing protection at the network layer, the CPG is the first system that cannot be circumvented, overcoming the problems of PC-based software. It also means the protection does not need to be installed by the parent and is available immediately to the whole family. The gateway authenticates each user, even behind firewalls, and records all traffic, including full logging for IM (MSN, Yahoo, AOL, ICQ) and chat traffic with reports for each individual child, including the ability for a parent to be alerted by email or text when a child enters into potentially dangerous conversations.

The system provides each customer with a web-based control panel and is designed to be very easy to use – the controls allow parents to set protection levels for each member of the household and to view activity. Every session is rated for content and alerts are issued according to preset parental thresholds.

The system is currently being evaluated by two major UK ISP’s and is expected to go live in the late summer.

"This is the first truly robust solution to provide child protection on the internet," said Adam Hildreth, Founder and CEO of Crisp. "Other products are PC based and have major flaws which allow children to avoid monitoring, such as using a different PC, uninstalling client software, or moving to a new chat room."

"This is a true value-added proposition for ISPs that does not involve repackaging client side software. With online grooming of growing concern to parents and ISPs, this technology will allow them to provide a proper solution and we hope to see rapid take-up by ISPs wanting to add real value to their service provision."

Privacy issues
Crisp recognises that a child’s privacy is also important. The control panel has the ability to use a “Dual Key” approach for older children. A parent can view all the activity that has taken place, including its traffic light rating, but they cannot view the actual content unless their child consents. This also encourages more open communication between the parent and child.

Offering controls within a network that an ISP can ‘switch on’ drives one of the key aspects of an ISP’s revenue model; value added services. With child protection being one of the few available mass-market value added services this becomes particularly important. Network-level protection also gives an ISP huge brand differentiation within the market; a consumer’s perception is potentially immediately changed if their ISP is actually pro-actively protecting their family.

About Crisp
Crisp Thinking Limited was established by industry entrepreneur Adam Hildreth to fill the gap which currently exists in the online market place surrounding protecting children and teenagers using the internet. After years of research into the market, Crisp’s goal is to develop solutions for the ISP market place that meet the needs of children, teenagers and parents.

Over the last 5 years the threat to children and teenagers changed significantly. No longer is it about young people being able to access explicit or sexual content but the threat of ‘predators’ accessing them. Both Chat and Instant Messaging have become the biggest communication tools for kids; unfortunately this has also lead to adult ‘predators’ befriending them in chat rooms, pretending to be the same age and share similar interests. This is referred to in the media as ‘online-grooming’.

Crisp is considered the centre of expertise when it comes to online protection for children and have devised one of the first answers to dealing with the problem. The first solution developed by Crisp is the world’s first ‘anti-grooming’ engine that protects both children and teenagers on the internet from online predators. It acts like a ‘virtual bubble’ protecting kids on their travels through the net. Crisp takes a completely different approach to the traditional Parental Controls market in that it focuses on protecting children from external threats, rather than on moderating what children can and cannot do on the net.   

Contacts for information
Peter Linton
Media Link
+44 118 984 3386

Adam Hildreth
Crisp Thinking
+44 113 242 1165

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