Web Shield marks Safer Internet Day 2013 by joining the fight against online child sexual abuse material
05 February 2013
Web Shield Limited is marking Safer Internet Day 2013 by becoming a Member of Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) to combat misuse of online payment mechanisms by criminals seeking access to child sexual abuse images.
Web Shield Limited supports the due diligence and monitoring procedures of acquiring banks, payment service providers and credit card schemes and is focusing on the detection of fraudulent or brand damaging websites.
"Access to IWF services will enable us to improve our new software that we are running with the support of a large software organization and in cooperation with the Fraunhofer IPK (Berlin) to automatically detect images of child abuse in file-sharing platforms. We are glad to support the IWF in their fight against online sexual child abuse," said Christian Chmiel, Chief Operating Officer of Web Shield.
Susie Hargreaves, IWF Chief Executive, said: “I am delighted Web Shield has become an IWF Member on this really important day.
“Since 2009 a significant portion of our work has been tracking websites which seek payment for images and videos of the worst crimes imaginable. By working with organisations like Web Shield we can disrupt the ability of criminals to profit from images and videos of child sexual abuse.”
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Contact: IWF Membership team on 01223 203030 or members@iwf.org.uk.
About Internet Watch Foundation membership
IWF Members have access to a range of services designed to combat online child sexual abuse images and videos. These services are designed to help reduce the ability of criminals to exploit legitimate services and speed up the removal of child sexual abuse content hosted anywhere in the world.
Working with the IWF aids the removal of online child sexual abuse content wherever it is hosted.
For information about becoming a member of the IWF please visit
www.iwf.org.uk/join-us or email: members@iwf.org.uk.
About the Internet Watch Foundation
The IWF is the Hotline to report:
- child sexual abuse content hosted anywhere in the world;
- criminally obscene adult content hosted in the UK;
- non-photographic child sexual abuse images hosted in the UK.
For more information please visit www.iwf.org.uk.
To be kept up to date with the IWF’s activities throughout the year you can:
Sign up to our regular e-newsletter - Newsletter
Like us on Facebook - www.facebook.com/InternetWatchFoundation
Follow us on Twitter - www.twitter.com/IWFHotline
About Web Shield Limited
E-commerce merchants selling illegal or noncompliant products are becoming an increasing challenge for merchant acquirers and internet payment service providers (IPSPs). As the customer stock grows, controlling their web contents effectively becomes impossible. It is banks and retailers who bear the ever-increasing cost, which runs to millions of dollars every year.
On the basis of the “Investigative Risk Analysis” a due diligence software tool called “Shield” was developed that has the capability to automatically conduct the time consuming risk queries in the boarding process. In addition to the Shield a monitoring software was developed that does not only focus on the content part of a website but also on the “environment”. It is capable of screening a merchants’ website for text changes, the IP address for the addition of new URLs and the online reputation of a merchant and his websites (e. g. to identify complaints as soon as they arise).
For more information please visit www.webshieldltd.com.
About Safer Internet Day
Safer Internet Day (SID) is organised in the UK by the UK Safer Internet Centre in February of each year to promote safe responsible use of online technology and mobile phones for children and young people. Safer Internet Day 2013 – the tenth edition of the event – will take place on Tuesday 5th February 2013, with the theme of Online Rights and Responsibilities, encouraging users to ‘Connect with Respect”.
The UK Safer Internet Centre is a partnership of three leading charitable organisations, Childnet International, the South West Grid for Learning (SWGfL) and the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF). These organisations are committed to working to make a safer and better internet). All partners recognise the unparalleled opportunities the internet offers and actively encourage its positive use for social, leisure, economic and educational advancement. The partners all work towards the Childnet target; to make the Internet a great and safe place for children. The UK Safer Internet Centre is online at www.saferinternet.org.uk.
