Internet Watch Foundation

Bridge Broadband Services, based in Perth, has become a member of the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), the authorised UK organisation that fights illegal Internet content, specifically targeting child abuse, obscene and racist content.

 

 

Bridge Broadband, a pioneer of wireless broadband solutions, supplies a range of private and commercial customers with broadband access as well as the GuardianBox an innovative solution that secures business access to the Internet. 

 

Managing director Keith Fergie comments, “It's an important step, it means we can take a more proactive role in making the internet a safer environment for Scottish home and business users. For us as a company, membership of IWF recognises the role we’re playing as a local Internet service provider and provides us with a platform to develop greater recognition of the issues in the region”.

Peter Robbins, CEO, IWF comments “We are very pleased that Bridge Broadband Services have chosen to become members of the IWF. We need to continually encourage membership from companies like Bridge Broadband, in order for us successfully combat illegal online content. The wider our message is spread and the broader our membership base, the closer we will be in reaching our goal of an internet free from child abuse content."

 

“Already legislation is being drawn up in America that places legal responsibility for providing safe computing environments firmly in the hands of employers, regardless of size.  Given the likely onset of a tighter regulatory framework and a highly litigious environment unmonitored email and internet access could literally cost careless employers their business,” continues Fergie.     

 

One of the company’s latest projects is the innovative ‘GuardianBox’, which provides safe and secure Internet access for smaller businesses.  As a result of the IWF membership for example Guardian box users will receive active alerts when staff access inappropriate content, such as child abuse, based on the IWF’s own database of illegal content providers.

 

Keith Fergie concludes,"Even for a small business with few computers accessing the Internet at any one time, it’s the business owner who has a moral obligation ownership and responsibility for what employees do online. It’s in helping develop what is best practice that we can now play a stronger role as part of the IWF. Part of that is improving protection from cyber attacks and viruses that help business survival, but it’s also about the accountability of the resource itself where businesses need more help to take ownership.”

 

Bridge Broadband Services was formed in 1998, initially to provide high-speed broadband services for more remote areas using satellite technology.  This has seen the company develop business both locally and internationally meeting the need for secure satellite based high-speed networks in challenging and remote environments. A high profile success was with the Mobile Online Learning Initiative (MOLI) a training classroom in a coach that has travelled all over Scotland since 2003 hosting over 2000 people on the satellite broadband driven workstations. The same technology was used by Bridge to provide the connectivity for Robbie William’s European Tour. In 2004 the company launched the first version of its GuardianBox, offering secure broadband connectivity for home users and small businesses.

 

 

 

For Bridge Broadband Services contact Andrew Ball at Anderson Baillie

Tel  +44 (0)1925 217250

Mobile 07713 166172