SENTRY PARENTAL CONTROLS JOINS THE IWF

SENTRY STENGTHENS ITS BATTLE AGAINST ONLINE PREDATORS

Internet safety experts, Sentry Parental Controls have strengthened their offering and joined forces to become official members of the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) .

Sentry Parental Controls offers an innovative new way of protecting children online, around the clock, from anywhere in the world. It allows parents to be alerted to any inappropriate online activity as it happens, as well as blocking any unsuitable websites, web chat and applications.

Sentry monitors all online activity (surfing, chat logs and email, protects children from negative situations (such as peer pressure, alcohol and drug abuse) and controls time usage and settings.

In addition to having access to a child?s computer and personal usage logs from anywhere in the world, Sentry Parental Controls allows parents to get alerts sent to their mobile phones, iphone or computer.

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) is the UK internet 'Hotline' for the public to report their inadvertent exposure to online child sexual abuse content hosted anywhere in the world, criminally obscene content and incitement to racial hatred hosted in the UK.

Through working closely with the online sector, the Government and public, the IWF aims to foster trust and confidence in the internet among current and future users; assist service providers in combating the abuse of their systems and to assist law enforcement in the fight against online illegal content.

By linking together with the IWF Sentry Parental Controls is helping its users to report any potentially illegal content and enabling the work that aims to shut down child sexual abuse sites and prevent access to them, reducing the risk of exposure to this content.

Rebecca Fuchs, founder of Sentry Parental Controls, comments; "The IWF do such fantastic work in protecting the online community that it was a natural fit for Sentry to join forces.

"Becoming members of the IWF only strengthens the work we are doing to protect children online and will help us to move even further forward in the fight against illegal content and monitoring online danger for children."

Peter Robbins OBE, QPM, Chief Executive of the IWF, said: "We are delighted to welcome Sentry as a member of the Internet Watch Foundation. Without the support of a diverse industry membership the UK could not maintain its excellent record at providing one of the most hostile online spaces for the hosting of child sexual abuse content. Sentry?s contribution to our work and adherence to our aims and principles denote good industry practice and we look forward to working with them."

In a recent survey by Sentry Parental Controls, it was revealed that a staggering 90% of parents of 6 to 16 year olds tell their children not to talk to strangers if they pull up in a car, but only 68% offer any forms of advice to children on how to protect themselves online and even less ? 43% have any form of protection software to monitor their children?s online activity.

Sentry has been available in the US for two years and is currently used by more than 30,000 American parents. It has been available to buy in the UK since April 2008. Sentry Parental Controls costs £49.99 for three licenses ? equating to just £1.40 per month - a small price to pay for the safety of a child.

This Press Release can also be accessed via the IWF website .