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The CyberEthics Project: News Update - May 13, 2004

Alexandria. Dr. Mary L. Radnofsky, president and CEO of the non-profit educational corporation, The Socrates Institute, is pleased to announce that the first juvenile cybercrime case study script is ready for filming in the institute's educational program, "The CyberEthics Project."

"This is a major milestone for us. It launches our K-12 cyberethics educational project, which will feature a web-based role-play game based on six 15-minute video case studies of juvenile cybercrimes Student internships and teacher training will also be provided," according to Dr. Radnofsky. She says: "Currently, many young people don't realize that their online behavior can threaten security, hurt consumers, financially ruin a business, or jeopardize personal safety. So to help make them aware of such issues, we've created a cyber ethics curriculum to increase students' awareness of the safe, legal and ethical use of the Internet and other electronic data."

This unique educational project will complement the work of other cyber security and safety programs by providing compelling case histories of recent juvenile cybercrimes. This program will also provide a full curriculum from which teachers in both formal (classroom) and informal (community, home, club, library, scouts, etc.) settings may choose the most appropriate materials for their population. The videos will be a major part of the curriculum.

There will be six cybercrime case studies covering the following topics: 1) Identity Theft & Unauthorized Purchases, 2) Hacking, Spreading Viruses & Worms, 3) Downloading Copyrighted Music & Videos, 4) Software Piracy & Illegal Distribution, 5) Plagiarism, and 6) Cyberterrorism.

Support for the project continues to be strong. We have received donations from the private sector, most of whom are in Alexandria, Fairfax County, and the District, but we are also seeking wider support as well as appropriations at the state and federal levels to field test the program throughout Virginia and nationally." Dr. Radnofsky adds, "I am confident that the CyberEthics Project will fill a gap in current K-12 technology curricula by educating students and teachers in the definitions and consequences of different cybercrimes. And we'll be doing so with engaging materials and only a minimum of class time."

Socrates has also joined with the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), a partnership between the federal government and leading private sector companies to educate Americans on the need for computer security in homes and small businesses. The CyberEthics Project will become part of the NCSA K-12 Toolkit, since it will provide essential educational materials for teaching state, national, and international standards in computer technology and security, civics, and character education across the entire country.

For more information, contact Nancy at The Socrates Institute
PHONE: (703) 823-2135 E-MAIL: info@socratesinstitute.org
WEB: www.socratesinstitute.org FAX: (703) 823-2178
ADDRESS: P.O. Box 23751, Alexandria, VA 22304.

CyberEthics Project