STATE OF ALABAMA
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Ed Richardson Interim State Superintendent of Education
Alabama State Board of Education
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 22, 2018
CONTACT: Communication 334-242-9950
[email protected]
Governor Kay Ivey President
Jackie Zeigler District I
Betty Peters District II
Stephanie Bell District III Vice President
Yvette M. Richardson, Ed.D. District IV
Ella B. Bell District V
Cynthia McCarty, Ph.D. District VI President Pro Tem
Jeff Newman District VII
Mary Scott Hunter, J.D. District VIII
Ed Richardson Interim Secretary and Executive Officer
The Alabama State Department of Education and the Office of the Attorney General Join Forces to Fight Cyber Bullying and Other Online Concerns Investigators Provide Training for Teachers and Parents on Students and the Cyber World Montgomery, Ala. – The advent of social media and online communities have created both incredible learning opportunities and real and viable threats for students. From cyberbullying and inappropriate connections to using modern Apps and securing personal data, investigators at the Alabama Attorney General’s Office have created training that enables teachers and parents to fight back! Working In partnership with the Alabama Department of Education, investigators plan to offer training for parents, as well as faculty and staff, about the dangers that lurk online and ways to prevent Alabama students from falling victim. Training for parents will include understanding how quickly children can be contacted by non-age appropriate predators online; working cell phone applications and formats (SnapChat, Instagam, etc.) and other less known video chatting platforms used to lure students; indicators that a student may be a victim, and how to respond in that event; laws pertaining to the cyber world, and much more. Investigators will also train faculty and staff on how school environment is important when dealing with online issues and ways to develop policies that address problems before they start. Subjects like the preservation of evidence for law enforcement, when to contact law enforcement, and what should be prepared when making a report for law enforcement will be covered as well. Ed Richardson, Interim Alabama State Superintendent of Education, said the safety and welfare of Alabama students is the single most important issue there is – followed closely by making sure students receive a quality education that prepares them for life. He said he welcomes the Attorney General’s investigators providing this training and encourages schools and school systems to take advantage of this opportunity. -moreGORDON PERSONS BUILDING P.O. BOX 302101 MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA 36130-2101 TELEPHONE (334) 242-9700 FAX (334) 242-9708 WEB SITE: www.alsde.edu
“Modern technology, in the right hands, brings the world to our children’s front door and enables them to live and learn limitlessly. However, as parents, educators, and law enforcement, we all have a unique responsibility to keep them safe,” Richardson said. “All those involved have a shared vision of keeping our children shielded from the ills of society. This training will assist in that effort.” Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said arming parents with information is the best way to combat online threats. “I would like to thank Dr. Ed Richardson and the Alabama State Department of Education for their partnership in empowering parents and teachers with the ability to protect our children from online threats,” said Attorney General Marshall. “We have been working together for several months to develop cyber training that helps parents and teachers determine if children are being targeted and how to report it to law enforcement. Our training is focused on protecting our children and our schools.” The primary instructors for this training are seasoned veterans in law enforcement and are skilled in cyber world safety issues. They are: Sterling “Jake” Frith - Jake Frith is a Special Agent in the Investigations Division of the Alabama Attorney General's Office, responsible for Computer Forensics and Cybercrimes. Before coming to the AG's office, Agent Frith served with the Prattville Police Department and Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office. He began working in the cyber realm 8 years ago, with 18 years in Law Enforcement. Agent Frith is a Certified Ethical Hacker, Certified Hacking Forensic Investigator, Access Data Certified Examiner, Seized Computer Evidence Recovery Specialist and an Open Source Practitioner. He has over 600 hours of training in cybercrimes and cyber forensics to go along with his experience. Agent Frith has an Undergraduate Degree in Criminal Justice and a Graduate degree in Information Security and Assurance. Agent Frith serves as a member of the lnternet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the United States Secret Service Electronic Crimes Task Force, and the Federal Bureau of lnvestigation's Cybercrime Task Force. Robert “Bobby” Moore - Bobby Moore is a Special Agent in the lnvestigations Division of the Alabama Attorney General's Office. S.A. Moore has over 10 years of experience as a law enforcement professional, with a majority of his experience as an investigator assigned to handle Cyber and White Collar Crimes with a focus on sexual crimes against children that involved technology. S.A. Moore is also a certified digital forensics examiner, holding the Certified Computer Forensics Examiner, Access Data Certified Examiner, and Certified Fraud Examiner certifications related to digital forensics and fraud investigation. He holds degrees from The University of Southern Mississippi Undergraduate in Accounting and Finance and Graduate Degrees in Criminal Justice with a focus on Cyber Criminology. He has taught courses in digital forensics and cyber-related crime for Troy University, Auburn University at Montgomery, The University of Mississippi and Loyola University of New Orleans. For more information, call 334-242-9950 or email
[email protected]. ###
