For students, the new school year means tons of book reports, term papers and research work, but thanks to the Internet, a student’s workload becomes easier and more manageable. With Internet cafés in almost every street and the number of Internet users growing exponentially every year, we can say that the Internet is fast-becoming a staple educational resource.

However, researching in the Internet both has a good and bad side. With an abundance of information that is readily available and easily accessible, users, especially students, are exposed to threats that are present online. There are also instances where the youth, when caught unaware, may be tempted to plagiarize or download files that are not meant for sharing. This is why it is important to educate the youth on cyber ethics and cyber safety.

This new school year, students, educators and parents have a partner in making the online experience safer and more enriching. The Business Software Alliance (BSA), a non-profit organization that aims to promote a safe and legal digital world, created B4USurf, a resource website advocating cyber ethics and cyber safety.

The youth will find the website fun and helpful with quizzes and games on the proper use of the Internet as well as the dangers lurking in cyber space. Educators and parents can also get valuable information from a wide array of resources available on the site, which they may use to reinforce the value of cyber ethics to their students and children.

www.b4usurf.org is the weblink that provides access to resources that will contribute to fostering responsible Internet usage. Tarun Sawney of the BSA enthused, “With B4USurf, we are not only teaching students about rules, we are also taking part in molding the youth into informed, honest and responsible individuals.”

Sam Concepcion, DepEd role model for the youth and official B4USurf spokesperson in the Philippines encourages the youth to check out the website. “We spend a lot of time online and it’s good to know the proper way of using the Internet – this way, using the Internet will not only be fun, but more importantly, safe.”

“To all students, educators and parents, this website was made for you, to use as a guide whenever you go online, and a resource center on cyber ethics and cyber safety. Your online experience will soon be more enriching and secure.

The Business Software Alliance (BSA)

The Business Software Alliance (www.bsa.org) is the foremost organization dedicated to promoting a safe and legal digital world. BSA is the voice of the world's commercial software industry and its hardware partners before governments and in the international marketplace. Its members represent one of the fastest growing industries in the world. BSA programs foster technology innovation through education and policy initiatives that promote copyright protection, cyber security, trade and e-commerce. BSA members include Adobe, Agilent Technologies, Altium, Apple, Autodesk, Avid, Bentley Systems, Borland, CA, Cadence Design Systems, Cisco Systems, CNC Software/Mastercam, Corel, CyberLink, Dell, EMC, Frontline PCB Solutions - An Orbotech Valor Company, HP, IBM, Intel, INUS Technology, McAfee, Microsoft, Mindjet, Minitab, Monotype Imaging, PTC, Quark, Quest Software, SAP, SAS Institute, Siemens PLM Software, SolidWorks, SPSS, Sybase, Symantec, Synopsys, Tekla, The MathWorks and Trend Micro.

In the Philippines, the BSA maintains a Memorandum of Understanding with the Philippine Software Industry Association, Philippine Internet Services Organization, the Institute of Internal Auditors, the Association of Government Internal Auditors, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines, the Pilipinas Anti-Piracy Team and the Intellectual Property Coalition.