ORLANDO, FLA. -- (ISC)2 Security Congress -- (ISC)2, one of the industry's largest associations of security professionals, today launched a charitable foundation that will offer education and awareness programs for end users and children.

The (ISC)2 Foundation is focused on three core areas: Safe and Secure Online, a program that engages security professionals as volunteers to conduct online security education programs for children, parents, and teachers; a scholarship program for students studying cybersecurity at the high school through post-graduate levels; and a research program designed to help clarify the security issues facing governments, private industry, educators, and the security industry.

Safe and Secure Online already has reached some 65,000 school-age children, according to (ISC)2. At a press conference here, David Melnick, a principal in security and privacy services for the Audit and Enterprise Risk Services practice at Deloitte & Touche, offered insight on his experience as a volunteer.

"What I found was that a lot of teachers and administrators in the schools didn't feel prepared to talk about online security because they haven't been trained themselves," Melnick said. "Many parents felt the same way. So you have children using a computer by themselves in their rooms late at night, and they run the risk of getting into trouble because they haven't been taught, either."

Under the program, security professionals go to schools and teach children about issues such as cyberbullying, social networking awareness, and basic skills for protecting one's identity and one's computer.

"In many families, the kids are the computer experts," Melnick observed. "If anybody is going to implement antivirus and other basic security practices, it's going to be the kids."

In addition to Safe and Secure Online, (ISC)2 will be offering scholarships for women and young people, the organization says.

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