"i-FILTER®" with integrated alert system introduced at the Saitama City Board of Education
～Implementing a system to ensure children’s safety by combining "i-FILTER®" and an alert notice system～

TOKYO, Japan (April 3, 2018) – Digital Arts Inc. (headquartered in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan; CEO: Toshio Dogu; hereinafter referred to as “Digital Arts”; Code 2326), a leading provider of information security software, has implemented a new notification system for the Saitama City Board of Education (headquartered in Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture, Education chair: Mayumi Hosoda, hereinafter referred to as “Saitama City Board of Education”). The system makes use of “i-FILTER” to alert schools when students attempt to access suicide related web pages, allowing schools to respond immediately.

Saitama City in Saitama Prefecture is known across Japan as a local government that puts strong emphasis on ICT education. At the center of taking charge of those measures is the Saitama City Board of Education’s Education Research Institute, which is part of their School Education Department. The institute is involved in things like advising on educational content, carrying out research, and the planning and implementation of faculty and staff training. This covers city elementary schools, municipal junior high schools and special support schools within Saitama City

One such effort includes internet filtering of educational computers with access to the Internet. If the filter detects that a student has accessed a site related to suicide, it is necessary not only to promptly block access, but also to quickly take appropriate measures. In accordance with the proposal from NTT East, when access to a suicide related site is detected and blocked from a school computer, the person in charge of the institute is notified by e-mail. This then employs a mechanism in real time that triggers an alarm sound and warning light to alert all staff in the school office.

How "i-FILTER" and the alarm device work in tandem

With the introduction of real-time voice notification via an alarm device, as soon as the notification mail arrives the alarm sounds at a loud volume, prompting the staff to immediately make a telephone call to the teacher of the school, who then promptly rushes to the computer room to identify the student who attempted to access the suicide related site. By paying special attention to these students and having an instant response system with warning devices in place, school principals and vice-principals can be kept in the loop on several fronts. As a result, the number of notice mails that had been on an upward trend has since started to gradually decrease.

We at Digital Arts hope that this system of alerting school staff and the Board of Education though internet filtering will contribute to the quick discovery and solution of problems like bullying and school children suicides.

Digital Arts aims to realize a society with secure internet for all, and as part of that cooperates with educational institutions nationwide through the provision of internet filtering solutions to prevent dangers associated with internet access. We aim to continue providing solutions to realize these goals.