Published: Tue 2 Feb 2016
The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) starts its 20th Anniversary Year by welcoming five new companies into its membership. The latest to be announced is CYREN, a global cloud-based security company.
CYREN deploys Web, email and anti-malware products globally to fellow IWF members such as Dell, Google and Microsoft. CYREN is interested in taking the IWF Image Hash List service once it’s launched later this year.
The Image Hash List is a list of unique identifiers for images of child sexual abuse. Each image is converted into a unique code called a hash. Hashes automatically identify known child sexual abuse images without needing to examine each image individually. This can dramatically improve the ability to prevent online distribution of these images.
Dan Maier, vice president of marketing at CYREN, said: “CYREN strongly supports IWF’s mission. We are excited to be working with them to help stop the dissemination of child sexual abuse images. Armed with IWF’s upcoming feeds, CYREN will be able to provide its customers with a more effective way to block these materials in email and on the Web.”
Susie Hargreaves, IWF CEO, said: “It’s great to see an influx of new Members so early in 2016. CYREN will be just one of our Members who will begin using the Image Hash List. For companies like CYREN, the new technology is a valuable addition to their safety products, but more importantly it will bolster our global efforts to disrupt access to child sexual abuse material online.”
Contact: Lisa Stacey, IWF Communications Manager +44 (0) 1223 203030 or +44 (0) 7929 553679.
1. The just under 19,000 Hash List figure relates to the collation of Category ‘A’ images between June 2015 and October 2015. The CSAM was sourced from the Home Office CAID database.
2. IWF have three categories of CSAM, A, B and C. A is the most severe.
3. All other figures source IWF, for additional information: www.iwf.org.uk
CAID went live at the end of 2014 and contains indecent images of children as well as hashes of those images. All police forces across the UK are due to be connected and using CAID by the end of 2015.
The Police have shared data from CAID with the IWF in order to assist our work with internet companies. Home Office’s new Child Abuse Image Database (CAID).
The IWF and NSPCC say tech platforms must do more to protect children online as confirmed sextortion cases soar.
A major 18-month trial project has demonstrated a first-of-its-kind chatbot and warning message can reduce the number of online searches that may potentially be indicative of intent to find sexual images of children.
