Wireless Devices Challenging CIPA Compliance for Schools

Orange, California, USA (October 5, 2010) – With hundreds of thousands of students returning to school over the past week, Internet cloud security vendor iSheriff says schools are increasingly looking for solutions to secure wireless networks and the use of mobile Web-capable devices such as iPhones.

“The power and popularity of Smartphone devices are raising some serious IT security and compliance challenges for the schools we talk to,” said iSheriff CEO, Oscar Marquez.

“The Children’s Internet Protection Act requires that schools and libraries receiving E-Rate funding operate a filter for computers with Internet access to prevent access to content that may be harmful to minors. The question we are hearing all the time is how do you apply that protection to an iPhone or a student using a wireless network connection with their laptop?”

Cell phone use amongst K-12 students is growing rapidly. An MRI study of cell phone ownership amongst children from January 2010 found that ownership has increased 68 percent since 2005. A similar Pew Internet study from 2008 reported that 71 percent of US teenagers owned a cell phone, with 83 percent of 17 year olds owning cell phones. With wireless networking and Internet support increasingly common features on today’s cell phones and laptops, schools face major obstacles in preventing students from accessing harmful Web content.

“This is a key reason why cloud-based security services such as iSheriff are proving their value in the Web 2.0 age,” continued Marquez.

“Unlike typical in-house Web filtering appliances or software, iSheriff protection is applied to Web traffic in the cloud; regardless of the device being used to access the Web. We can secure browsing on a Wi-Fi enabled mobile device just as easily as a networked workstation,” commented Marquez.

“For iSheriff, filtering of mobile and laptop devices is a standard feature of our service and this is a key factor in helping education customers maintain their CIPA compliance obligations in a rapidly changing online world,” said Marquez.

More information on iSheriff Security as a Service can be found at:
http://www.isheriff.com/isheriff-saas/saas-overview

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About iSheriff
iSheriff is the first company to provide a proprietary, integrated Security as a Service solution for cloud-based Web and email security featuring a common Web management and reporting console. Our mission is to provide clients with accessible, easy to understand security services that secure their Internet world and enable them to complete their business in safety and privacy – whether their enterprise is large or small.

Our security services utilize sophisticated, patented, real-time content analysis technologies developed and refined over the last 10 years to ensure maximum threat protection. Our approach to how we deliver this technology and enable clients to access, manage and report on their email and Web usage is to provide simple, easy to use services. This is the key to ensuring that our clients understand and receive the maximum returns and benefits of iSheriff SaaS.

For more information visit www.isheriff.com

iSheriff Contact:
Adrian Duigan, Head of Marketing
pr@isheriff.com
+1 (714) 408 7789

Contact Information

Adrian Duigan

Head of Marketing

iSheriff Ltd

Contact via E-mail