The book offers advice to concerned parents looking to protect their children online. Computer Associates (CA) cited a study by the Crimes Against Children Research Center which found that, of children who used the Internet regularly during a one-year period, one in four was exposed to unwanted pictures depicting nudity or sexual acts and one in five received a sexual solicitation or approach.
Written by Internet security expert Simon Johnson, the book includes an offer for a free copy of CA’s eTrust EZ Antivirus 2005 security software, one of the products reviewed in the book. The product provides protection, detection and elimination of thousands of computer viruses, worms and Trojan Horse programs.
With the antivirus product retailing at $29.95 per copy, CA’s software commitment is valued at $1.05 million for the first print run alone and is expected to increase over the life of the book. Philip Ruppel, vice president and group publisher of McGraw-Hill Professional, stated that by including the eTrust EZ Antivirus, we are offering our readers greater value by enabling them to act immediately on Simon Johnson’s urgent advice that parents install and update antivirus software.
Advances in technology have resulted in many positive changes in our society, said Lina Liberti, vice president of product marketing at CA. At the same time, I am keenly aware that the introduction of technology into our homes via the Internet has been problematic. Parents everywhere are looking for guidance and the necessary tools to help them safeguard their children in the online world with the same effectiveness as they do in the real world.
Parents should take an active interest in what their children are doing on the Internet, said Johnson. By putting the computer in the family room and going on the Internet together, parents can guide their children toward safe activities.
