Be safe... Look for the Kitemark.
The Kitemark's integrity means that parents and carers will know they are getting a safer and more reliable product, which has been independently tested and will offer the most consistent level of protection currently available on the market.
The Kitemark scheme has been launched today and Microsoft, AOL and BT Internet have already stated their intention to apply. Other manufacturers have expressed interest and we look forward to being able to announce new Kitemark licensees and available products in a few months' time.
What is different about Kitemark products?
- They have been rigorously and independently tested to a high standard for usability and effectiveness.
- They will provide parents and carers with ongoing support to ensure that their concerns and needs continue to be met after purchase.
- The product or service will be automatically updated to ensure that they continue to be effective.
- They will be easy to install via a disk or selection from an ISP subscription.
- They will be simple to set up so that it meets the needs of every family.
- They are the best way to ensure that children can access the internet safely.
What will the Kitemark products or services filter out?
All such products or services will be tested by BSI for their ability to block specified categories of websites based on the URL. These categories are:
- Adult (sexually explicit) content
- Violence (including weapons and bombs)
- Racist and hate material
- Illegal drug taking and the promotion of illegal drug use
- Criminal skills/activities
- Gambling
Maintaining the integrity and trust of the Kitemark is paramount to BSI. As such, the laboratory testing will check that the product or services:
- Does not unduly block access to suitable internet content
- Configuration settings are adequately protected so that the product or service cannot be disabled
- Security settings are not compromised by any tools provided by the hardware, operating system or browser
- Regain control procedure is effective should the security system fail, such as loss of password
By using a Kitemark-certified products or services...
- Parent-carers will have confidence in the ability of the product or service to:-
- Block inappropriate content
- Block communications via internet-based services that are inappropriate
- Prevent unauthorised users from changing or disabling the access control settings
- Provide an appropriate level of protection, either through the use of default settings or configuration
- Keep the product updated within the terms of any licensing or subscription requirements
Parent-Carers will also have confidence in their ability to:
- Uninstall or remove the product or service
- Obtain suitable system support should they encounter problems with implementing, maintaining or installing/removing the product or service
- Understand the accompanying product documentation
- Install and configure the product or service to an effective level of protection
- Gain access to user education materials providing information to enable them and their children to stay informed of the issues and risks of using the internet.
