Astaro has launched an education programme that will offer New Zealand primary and secondary schools the company’s Essential Firewall and a three-year web security subscription for free.

Dubbed the SpyderWeb SchoolGuard programme, its aim is to protect young children from cyber-threats, promote responsible internet usage and block malicious and explicit websites.

“In an increasingly cyber-connected age, it is important to educate and protect young children especially in schools where there may be lesser supervision,” said Norbert Kiss, Vice President, Astaro Asia Pacific.

“However, we find that some schools may not have the funds or resources to install sophisticated security software, a need we want to fill by offering our web security software at no cost. Parents and teachers can now have peace of mind that their children are protected by Astaro and can securely explore the Internet in their schools.”

The Essential Firewall and three-year web security subscription would usually cost in the region of US$5160 (NZ$6838). It will allows schools to monitor their students’ activities online, scan for viruses and malware, as well as block selectable categories of web usage and internet sites.

The software can block peer-to-peer (P2P) applications, instant messaging programmes such as Windows Live Messenger and social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook.

”We hope that seeing the benefits of Astaro’s robust web security software in the school will influence the teachers and parents to secure their homes and workplaces as well,” Kiss added.