McAfee today launched its Online Safety for Kids programme in Ireland: stakes and opportunities.

In addition of this launching, McAfee also released results from its ‘DigitalDivide’ Study, an Irish study that looks at how teens are keeping their parents in the dark about what they’re doing online. 

Connectikpeople has observed that, according to the Digital Divide study, more than half of the Irish teens surveyed admitted to wiping their browser history to hide what they’re doing online from their parents. Alarmingly, 11 per cent of teens said they had actually met up with someone they met online. The survey

demonstrates that many Irish teens are accessing inappropriate content online, despite being trusted by their parents to do what’s right when surfing the Web.

To try to tackle this issue, McAfee aims to leverage the youth in the non-formal education sector via its partnership with Foroige.

“As an organisation that works with close to 60,000 young people across the country, we know how fundamentally important this initiative is. Foróige is committed to empowering young people to use technology to make the world a better place, but this can only happen if we fortify our young people with the knowledge and skills to navigate the online world safely.” Said Seán Campbell, CEO Foróige says.

Connectikpeople has also observed that, over the next year, McAfee also plans to create materials that can be used by teacher organisations, the Department of Education and Skills and initial teacher education providers. The Company’s goal is to train the next generation of teachers in Ireland. This includes primary and secondary teacher education colleges, such as Mary Immaculate College, Limerick and University College Cork.

Finally for those who unfamiliar, the McAfeeOnline Safety for Kids Programme is a free school initiative that utilises McAfee and Intel employees, as well as McAfee partners and customers, who volunteer to train school-age children and parents on ways to stay safe and secure, as well as maintain good ethics in their online behavior.

About McAfee

McAfee, a wholly owned subsidiary of Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC), empowers businesses, the public sector, and home users to safely experience the benefits of the Internet. The company delivers proactive and proven security solutions and services for systems, networks, and mobile devices around the world. With its Security Connected strategy, innovative approach to hardware-enhanced security, and unique Global Threat Intelligence network, McAfee is relentlessly focused on keeping its customers safe. http://www.mcafee.com