Press Release

May 23, 2019
Digital Arts Inc.

Making protecting children's lives from danger a priority
i-FILTER® linked alert device to be offered as an option starting this summer When students access suicide-related sites, teaching staff are notified immediately and can take swift action

Information security solution provider Digital Arts Inc. (headquartered in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan, CEO: Toshio Dogu, hereinafter referred to as "Digital Arts", Code 2326) is pleased to announce that it will begin to offer an optional alarm device that works together with i-FILTER's alert notification to promptly let school faculty know when a student attempts to access a suicide-related website, so that they can take swift action.

According to information*1 from Japan's National Police Agency, Japan has experienced an overall decline in suicides from year to year in the nine years since 2010. However, in the same time period the number of suicides by minors has risen since 2016. The biggest cause for suicides by minors is "school related issues" at over 30%.

With the reality that suicides by minors for school related issues is a serious social problem, Digital Arts will link an optional alarm device with web security solution i-FILTER to offer a new way to combat this trend.

Using the device's real time audible notification function allows the following to be possible.

If a student tries to access a website related to suicide from the computer room at a school, i-FILTER first blocks the site, then alerts both the relevant faculty member via e-mail and sends a notification to the device. As soon as the device receives this e-mail it emits a loud warning sound so that faculty can rush to the student's side immediately, making it possible to discover*2 students who may be considering suicide. This allows extra care to be taken with the student before their worries and distress become more serious. In this way, this device allows faculty another way to watch over and protect children.

The first to trial the i-FILTER linked device was the Saitama City Board of Education, in cooperation with Nippon Telegraph and Telephone East Corporation (NTT East)*3. The results of over one year of use was a measured reduction in the number of students attempting to access suicide-related sites. After seeing successful results, Digital Arts will now offer this device as an official option for i-FILTER so that schools across Japan have the ability to implement this system.

Outline of available linked options

Option name
Child Safeguard Service (provisional)
Option price
Costs extra
Compatible with i-FILTER versions 9 and 10
Alert device
Can be purchased directly through Digital Arts (*customers can also purchase independently)
Endorsement

We received the following endorsement from the Saitama City Board of Education on the launch of i-FILTER linked alert device as an option.

Saitama City Board of Education, School Education Department, Educational Research Institute, Head of ICT Education Promotion, Masanori Goto

We are extremely pleased that Digital Arts is going to offer the i-FILTER linked alert device as an option. We have seen real results from it, with a measured decrease in the number of alert e-mails of students trying to access suicide-related sites, which had increased right after the introduction. We sincerely hope that boards of education around the country will implement this option, and that it will lead to the complete eradication of the serious social problem of suicide by minors.

Plans going forward

We will consider offering this option as part of the entire i-FILTER range of products, including i-FILTER Browser & Cloud and others going forward, so that not only PCs and tablets inside the school, but also those that are taken home by students for study, will work together in a system for parents and educators to monitor access both in and outside the school.

We are also considering the option of having an i-FILTER chat bot pop up on the block screen when a student tries to access a suicide-related site, along with a real time voice notification. This would work to avoid times when a faculty member is not present to follow up with the student, and to give students a way to express feelings that they might not otherwise be able to directly to an adult or another person.

At Digital Arts, with the goal of realizing a safer internet community for all, we plan to work together with national and individual educational organizations around Japan and other relevant parties to continue swiftly implementing solutions towards this goal.

  • *1 National Police Agency - Suicide data, 2018
  • *2 Depending on network structure, some devices used by students are not compatible
  • *3 Digital Arts' April, 2018 press release "i-FILTER" with integrated alert system introduced at the Saitama City Board of Education
About i-FILTER

"i-FILTER" is a proxy type internet security software that, in a single product, combines countermeasures against targeted external attacks with countermeasures against information leakage from within the organization. It has become number one in the sales share of internet filtering software by a vendor in Japan (issued by ITR Inc. "ITR Market View: Cyber Security Measures Market 2019" URL Filtering Market: Individual Vendor Proceed Share (2016-2017) (published January, 2019)). It boasts the industry's largest internet filtering database, and blocks targeted attacks via non-registered URLs by treating them as malicious, to realize a safe internet environment. Furthermore, it blocks access to inappropriate sites during work hours, and using this database it is possible to prevent leakage of information via the internet via web-based e-mail, online bulletin boards, and others. When doing so, it can also record, confirm and save the content, making it an effective solution for internal control measures.

https://www.daj.jp/bs/ifmf/i-filter/
Digital Arts

Digital Arts is an information security manufacturer that deals with the provision of security software such as those for the web, mail, and files.

We are at a leading company for presenting Japanese web filtering software to the world for the first time at the dawn of the internet in 1998, and based on the knowledge we have gained we present cutting-edge information security products that implement measures against cyberattacks such as information leaks and targeted attacks.

While making use of our strength as a domestic manufacturer, we consistently provide every phase from product planning through development, sales, and support. Our web filtering database, which is the greatest level in Japan for supporting the foundation of products, and our technological strength, with patents acquired in 27 countries and areas of the world, are highly regarded. Our record of over 95% contract renewal rate is the proof of our high customer satisfaction.

Our product lineup, centered on the web security software "i-FILTER" that has over 50% market share in Japan, includes "i-Filter" for individuals and households, the email security software "m-FILTER," and the file encryption and tracking solution "FinalCode," so we can provide web security measures for the web, mail, and files in one stop.

Under the concept of "contributing to a more convenient, more comfortable, and safer internet life," Digital Arts continues to grow as a company that is listed on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange and that is trusted by all stakeholders.

https://www.daj.jp
  • ※ DIGITAL ARTS, i-FILTER, info board, ARS, Active Rating System, ACTIVE RATING, ZBRAIN, D-SPA, SP-Cache, NET FILTER, White Web, m-FILTER, m-FILTER MailFilter, m-FILTER Archive, m-FILTER Anti-Spam, m-FILTER File Scan, Mail Detox, FinalCode, DigitalArts@Cloud, Chat@Cloud, D Alert, D Content, and related logos and icons are trademarks or registered trademarks of Digital Arts Inc.