Group Wants Obama to Name Officer to Fight Online Dangers

Online safety advocates are urging President-elect Barack Obama to put more resources toward protecting children from crime, harassment and predators on the Web. In a report to be released today, the Family Online Safety Institute, a Washington nonprofit organization, is urging the new administration to appoint a national safety officer to serve under the chief technology officer, a position Obama has promised to create. The group is also asking for $100 million a year to fund education and research, an annual White House summit on safety issues, as well as the creation of a national council to coordinate efforts among federal agencies and advocacy and industry groups. Samuel McQuade, a professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology who has studied cybercrime, said education is the key. Many young people, from first-graders to college students, are not aware of the information security risks of the mobile devices and Web sites they use every day, he said. Parents and teachers should also be taught responsible online behavior.