CIPA Compliance & Becta Accreditation

The Children's Internet Protect Act (CIPA)

is a US federal law enacted by Congress in 2000 to protect children using school, college and library computers from offensive Internet content.

Guardian filters and modules all meet or exceed the requirements of CIPA.

To achieve compliance, educational establishments must implement an Internet safety policy, have technology protection measures in place to block inappropriate content and monitor the online activities of minors. Some schools must certify compliance with CIPA as a pre-requisite for federal government E-rate funding.

CIPA requires the following protection for minors;

• Block obscene pictures
• Block child pornography pictures
• Block pictures that are harmful
• Monitor online activities

For policy compliance with CIPA, Guardian also provides tools for administrators to;

• Block access to inappropriate content and harmful materials
• Provide safe and secure access to email (SmoothZap module)
• Block social networking sites and chat rooms (also required for future DOPA* compliance)
• Monitor Internet usage for detection of 'hacking', other unlawful activities by minors online (School Guardian/Firewall)
• Monitor Internet/web usage for detection of unauthorized disclosure/use/dissemination of personal information (School Guardian/Firewall)

*DOPA: Proposed US Federal "Deleting OnLine Predators Act of 2007"

The British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (Becta)

is a Government agency that is working with key partners to design a national ICT infrastructure for education that will provide significant system-wide benefits of coherence and interoperability (working to common standards), together with allowing local choice of a range of ICT services that deliver increased reliability at a sustainable and affordable price.

SmoothWall is an Accredited Filtering Service Provider, which means that our Guardian range of web filters have been tested and approved as meeting nationally-approved standards for Internet filtering products used in Education. (Click here to view certificate)

Guardian web filters also incorporate content from the Internet Watch Foundation's Child Abuse " Illegal Content Database (CAIC), which is updated automatically on a daily basis. Funded by the EU and UK Internet industry, the IWF is the only organization working internationally to combat the availability of illegal Internet content in partnership with police, governments, the wider online industry and the public. Its specific aims are to minimize content that is criminally obscene, contains images of child abuse, or incites racial hatred. For more information visit www.iwf.org.uk.