Tampa Bay, FL, Oct. 15, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- KnowBe4, the provider of the world’s largest security awareness training and simulated phishing platform, joins Center for Cyber Safety and Education (Center) as a Partner Sponsor for Cyber Safety Day Tampa Bay providing 2,000 third grade students with the award-winning Garfield’s Cyber Safety Adventures program.
“KnowBe4 is very supportive of community initiatives that bring important cybersecurity information to students,” said Stu Sjouwerman, CEO, KnowBe4. “It’s sad to see that children are targets of cyber criminals because kids are more vulnerable and trusting of what they see on the internet. This day presents a unique opportunity to educate them about the dangers they can face online.”
Founded by the Center, Cyber Safety Day Tampa Bay is a one-day event to celebrate Data Privacy Day on January 28, 2020. The day is for schools and the community join forces to ensure elementary receive the education to become a responsible digital citizen, through children’s educational resources.
“Research shows that elementary students are talking to strangers online every day, and in some cases even meet in person. This is a serious problem and a threat to our children,” said Patrick Craven, director of the Center for Cyber Safety and Education. “We are excited to have partners like KnowBe4 that understand the need for cyber safety education in our Tampa Bay community.”
Forty percent of children have chatted with a stranger online, according to the Children’s Online Internet Study. With 30,000 third graders in the Tampa Bay area, the Center is looking for socially responsible companies to step up and help educate every one of them about internet safety.
“Last year we had a serious concern with our third through fifth grade classes continuously going to unsafe sites or attempting to download inappropriate information and music,” said a Hillsborough County elementary school teacher who registered for the initiative. “Many of our fourth and fifth graders have admitted to speaking to strangers online, especially through gaming and anonymous apps, such as Kik.”
Introduced in the fall of 2016 by the Center and legendary cartoonist Jim Davis, Garfield’s Cyber Safety Adventures include cartoons, activity comic books, trading cards, stickers and posters that show Garfield and friends tackling cyber safety issues such as privacy, the dangers of posting on social media, online etiquette, and how to avoid cyberbullying.
Garfield’s Cyber Safety Adventures series received the national Learning® Magazine 2019 Teachers’ Choice Award and 2019 Academics’ Choice Smart Media Award. Teachers chose the Garfield materials for their ability to engage elementary children and foster retention of core cyber safety lessons.
Tampa Bay area elementary schools can register here by December 1st. Companies and individuals can pledge their contribution here.
About KnowBe4
KnowBe4, the provider of the world’s largest security awareness training and simulated phishing platform, is used by more than 28,000 organizations around the globe. Founded by IT and data security specialist Stu Sjouwerman, KnowBe4 helps organizations address the human element of security by raising awareness about ransomware, CEO fraud and other social engineering tactics through a new-school approach to awareness training on security. Kevin Mitnick, an internationally recognized cybersecurity specialist and KnowBe4's Chief Hacking Officer, helped design the KnowBe4 training based on his well-documented social engineering tactics. Tens of thousands of organizations rely on KnowBe4 to mobilize their end users as the last line of defense.
Number 161 on the 2019 Inc. 500 list, #34 on 2018 Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500 and #2 in Cybersecurity Ventures Cybersecurity 500. KnowBe4 is headquartered in Tampa Bay, Florida with European offices in England, the Netherlands, Germany and offices in Brazil, Australia, Japan, South Africa and Singapore.
About Center for Cyber Safety and Education
The Center for Cyber Safety and Education (Center), is a non-profit charitable trust committed to making the cyber world a safer place for everyone. The Center works to ensure that people across the globe have a positive and safe experience online through their award-winning educational programs, scholarships, and research. Visit www.IAmCyberSafe.org to learn more.