Crisp Thinking introduces Child Protection Gateway for ISPs

A system designed to provide Internet protection for children at the network layer has been introduced by Crisp Thinking Limited, a UK company developing solutions for the ISP marketplace to meet the needs of children, teenagers and parents.

According to Crisp Thinking, the Child Protection Gateway (CPG) enables parents to monitor all Internet traffic in the home and is intended to be installed by ISPs. It said the CPG provides protection at the network layer and claimed it is the first system which cannot be circumvented, resolving the problems presented by PC-based software.

The CPG is available to the entire family, does not need to be installed by the parent, and authenticates every user, recording all traffic including logging for instant messenger services such as AOL, ICQ, MSN and Yahoo. It enables parents to be alerted by text or e-mail when their child enters what might be a dangerous conversation.

The CPG provides a web-based control panel for each customer, enabling parents to set protection levels and view activity for each member of the family, and rates content and alerts for each session. It also offers a 'Dual Key' approach for older children, helping to protect the privacy of the child, and allowing actual content to be viewed by parents only after their child has consented.