Computer Associates Joins McGraw-Hill in Urging Parents to 'Keep Your Kids Safe On The Internet'

Computer Associates Joins McGraw-Hill in Urging Parents to 'Keep Your Kids Safe On The Internet'

ISLANDIA, N.Y., Dec. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Computer Associates International, Inc. (NYSE:CA) has partnered with McGraw-Hill Professional to offer free consumer security software with the publisher's newly released book, "Keep Your Kids Safe on the Internet." To address the growing risk that accompanies increased Internet use, the book offers important advice to concerned parents looking to protect their children online. According to a study by the Crimes Against Children Research Center, of children who used the Internet regularly during a one-year period, one in four was exposed to unwanted pictures depicting nudity or sexual acts and one in five received a sexual solicitation or approach.

Written by Internet security expert Simon Johnson, the book includes an offer for a free copy of CA's eTrust EZ Antivirus 2005 security software, one of the products reviewed in the book. The award-winning product provides protection, detection and elimination of thousands of computer viruses, worms and Trojan Horse programs. With the antivirus product retailing at $29.95 per copy, CA's software commitment is valued at $1.05 million for the first print run alone and is expected to increase over the life of the book.

"Advances in technology have resulted in many positive changes in our society," said Lina Liberti, vice president of product marketing at CA. "At the same time, I am keenly aware that the introduction of technology into our homes via the Internet has been problematic. Parents everywhere are looking for guidance and the necessary tools to help them safeguard their children in the online world with the same effectiveness as they do in the real world."

"'Keep Your Kids Safe on the Internet' contains important information for parents," said Philip Ruppel, vice president and group publisher of McGraw- Hill Professional. "By including an offer for CA's eTrust EZ Antivirus, we are offering our readers greater value by enabling them to act immediately on Simon Johnson's urgent advice that parents install and update antivirus software."

"Parents should take an active interest in what their children are doing on the Internet," said Johnson. "By putting the computer in the family room and going on the Internet together, parents can guide their children toward safe activities." In his book, Johnson offers advice on a variety of Internet-related topics including this list of points for parents to discuss with their children:

1. Just as you need to be careful around strangers in the real world, you
shouldn't talk to strangers on the Internet.

2. You should avoid anyone who says rude things to you, asks you for your
real name, wants you to send them a photo, wants to speak with you on
the phone, or asks to meet you in person.

3. Never give anyone, or any website, personal information such as your
name, address, phone number, or the name of your school.

4. With the exception of your parents, never give anyone your password.

5. Never have a face-to-face meeting with a person you have talked to on
the Internet.

6. Never send or post photos of yourself or anyone else on the Internet.

7. Never turn on your camera or microphone and chat with a person who you
do not know.

8. Never run or save any files or games from a person you do not know.
These could really be computer viruses or software programs that could
damage the computer.

9. Don't respond to message boards, chat requests, or websites that
contain rude language.

10. Don't believe everything you read on the Internet.



"Please don't skip any of these points in discussions with your children," said Johnson. "And don't presume that they already understand the risks."

To help drive home these messages, CA is donating copies of "Keep Your Kids Safe on the Internet" to the parents of the 20,000 children attending CA's Digital Schoolhouse (DSH) classrooms this year in Islandia, N.Y., Herndon, VA, Lisle, IL and Ditton Park, UK. An initiative of the non-profit Computer Associates Digital Schoolhouse Foundation, the DSH is a technology- based learning environment that uses the Internet to foster education and career-awareness for elementary school students. McGraw-Hill Professional and the author are also supporting this initiative.

About McGraw-Hill Professional

McGraw-Hill Professional is a leading global provider of general interest, business, multimedia and computer titles, and reference works that include materials for the scientific, technical and medical communities. It is a unit of McGraw-Hill Education, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, (NYSE:MHP), a global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor's and BusinessWeek. Founded in 1888, the Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2003 were $4.8 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/ .

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20021111/CALOGO )

About CA


Computer Associates International, Inc. (NYSE:CA), the world's largest management software company, delivers software and services across operations, security, storage, life cycle and service management to optimize the performance, reliability and efficiency of enterprise IT environments. Founded in 1976, CA is headquartered in Islandia, N.Y. and serves customers in more than 140 countries. For more information, please visit http://ca.com/. For more information about CA's Community Relations programs, please visit http://ca.com/community .

All trademarks, trade names, service marks, and logos referenced herein belong to their respective companies.

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20021111/CALOGO
Source: Computer Associates International, Inc.

CONTACT: Lynne Mahoney of CA, +1-631-342-2973, lynne.mahoney@ca.com

Web site: http://ca.com/
http://ca.com/community
http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/

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