In a connected world where children are growing up socializing over the Internet, terms such as ICQ, online gaming and chat rooms are becoming increasingly popular. Parents who are not Internet-savvy, are seldom aware that what starts out as anonymous contact online, can end up as dangerous encounters in the real world. Online predators enter chat rooms and use various techniques to gain a child's trust, leading to an eventual meeting and possible abduction - or worse. Meeting others online is the same as meeting strangers on the street. Though the method in which people meet online is different, the same basic principles of common sense apply. In the Internet world, children in chat rooms is considered high risk behavior and parents are often intimidated or frightened by the technology and feel powerless to do anything, There is no quick fix to this growing problem, but proactive prevention does exist.

In fact, Internet safety has become such a widespread concern that parents, educators, police and media education organizations such as the Media Awareness Network (MNet) are all searching for ways to educate, inform and provide alternatives for children and their parents. "In order to maximize all the benefits of this resource, kids need strong media literacy skills," notes Jan D'Arcy, Co-Director of MNet.

A groundbreaking initiative in the area of Internet security, is the MISSING project sponsored nationally by Symantec Corporation, BC Telus, Industry Canada and the Canadian Association of Internet Providers. MISSING is a kit of educational tools warning parents and teachers about predators who use the Internet, while teaching valuable Internet safety skills.

At its core, the MISSNG initiative consists of five parts: a video, a workshop guide, a poster and a website. These act as supporting materials for the main component - an interactive computer game developed by LiveWires.

The MISSING computer game is based on a true story and simulates a situation where a teenager develops an online "relationship" with a predator who then persuades him to run away to the United States. The player's task is to find the teenager before the predator takes him out of the country.

"The game points out the tactics predators use to gain the trust of vulnerable children." says the Vice President of LiveWires, Colin Savage.

The Mounted Police Foundation, through the support of Symantec Canada and other national sponsors, have purchased 20,000 kits which will be made available to schools across the country, as well as parents through the Canadian Home & School Federation. "As an industry leader in Internet content security, Symantec's goal is to provide parents, teachers and businesses with the tools necessary to monitor and control access to the Internet in order to protect their children or employees from inappropriate content and malicious activity," explains Chris Illonnette, Canadian General Manager of Symantec Corporation. "The MISSING Project not only complements this strategy, but is also an excellent cause -- one that we are very excited about supporting."

Another concern revolves around the type of content ckildren are capable of accessing through the Internet. "The Internet is a wonderful, rich resource for children. It empowers kids, giving them access to a world of information their parents never had. But like any good thing, it has its perils," says D'Arcy. "For example, a student researching a World War II project could be one click away from a holocaust denial site or a neo-Nazi recruitment webpage. And a simple search for 'teen magazine' will turn up 40,000 entries - many of them related to sex and pornography."

Protecting children from the risks of the Internet cannot be accomplished without the efforts of educators and parents alike. individuals who are concerned with online safety and would like to be better prepared to take action against it, are advised to: a) get the MISSING Educational Kit to open dialogue between parents, educators and children; b) visit the Media Awareness Network's Web Awareness website at www.webawareness.org for practical information and hands-on activities designed to give kids the "cyber-smarts" they need to make wise and safe online decisions; and c) purchase an Internet protection product which is capable of filtering websites, monitoring web content and restricting access to certain areas of the Internet.

One source that helps monitor and control Internet access is Symantec's Norton Internet Security 2000. This new, personal Internet content security product protects your home computer from viruses, hackers and inappropriate use or content. In addition, Norton Internet Security 2000 lets you restrict your children's Internet access to specified websites, newsgroups and other areas of the Internet. For example, you can restrict the range of website browsing your children enjoy and prevent their use of chat programs.

Plus, by constructing a personal firewall, you can stop people from hacking onto your computer and accessing personal information. This product also prevents people from using your computer to hack into a third party, a growing trend in our wired world. In addition, you have the option to block banner ads and pop-up windows that may link to questionable websites and decrease your available bandwidth.

Implementing a content security solution is an excellent first step to protect your home computer and family members from the threats of the Internet. But more important still, is opening lines of educating children through the use of resources like the MISSING kit. To learn more about the MISSING Project, please visit the Symantec website at www.symantec.ca.