International Ict Experts To Gather In Auckland

International Ict Experts To Gather In Auckland

**Social impact of communication technologies to be addressed**

More than 30 internationally--respected experts on topics as diverse as information security, cybersafety education, child pornography and online victimisation of children will speak at the groundbreaking conference NetSafe II: Society, Safety & the Internet.

The event will be held in Auckland from 9 -- 12 July. More than 300 delegates are expected to attend from around the country and overseas.

The conference will address the social impact of communication technologies such as the Internet and the mobile phone. It is a joint initiative between the New Zealand Police, NetSafe (the Internet Safety Group) and the University of Auckland.

Attendance at NetSafe II: Society, Safety & the Internet is open to the public and registrations are being taken now. Conference chair Liz Butterfield says that due to the variety of speakers and topics, the conference will appeal to all sections of the community.

"We believe interest in this cutting edge conference will come from a wide range of society," says Ms Butterfield. "There are many concerned parents and teachers out there, business people who wish to address commercial and workplace safety issues, as well as child advocates, IT lawyers, law enforcement officers and security experts who will find the topics are increasingly relevant to their jobs."

Speakers at the conference are from a broad range of industries, educational facilities and government departments from as far afield as the US, the UK, Australia, Japan, Canada and Bulgaria. The extensive list of presenters includes three keynote speakers: Dr Rachel O'Connell, Professor William Caelli and Ruben Rodriquez.

Dr Rachel O'Connell is the director of research at the University of Central Lancashire's Cyberspace Research Unit. Dr O'Connell has played a leading role in designing web-based educational tools to help children safely navigate the internet. She is also well--known for researching online criminal activity and investigating these activities using forensic computing and criminal profiling.

Ruben Rodriquez has been the director of the Exploited Child Unit at the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children since 1990. Prior to this appointment Rodriquez was a detective with the intelligence division of the Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department and has worked as an intelligence liaison officer for the FBI on organised crime. He is highly regarded for his addresses on missing and abducted children and child sexual victimisation at the FBI training academy, Interpol and the British Senior Police College.

Named a "Pioneer in the Computer Industry" Professor William Caelli is the head of Australia's largest university IT department at Queensland University of Technology's School of Software Engineering and Data Communications. Professor Caelli has been awarded numerous Australian and international awards for his work in computer and telecommunications security and has written many research and technical publications.

Other speakers include Michael Berson, the associate professor of Social Science Education at the University of South Florida in the US and Commander Barbara Etter of the Australasian Centre for Policing Research.

New Zealand district court judge, Judge David Harvey will share his extensive knowledge of legal issues in cyberspace, while John Carr, the associate director at London's National Children's Home Children and Technology Unit, will speak about both mobile phone safety and content control.

A number of other international and New Zealand speakers are also involved with the conference that will include presentations, keynote addresses and panel discussions.

Registrations are now open with a special early-bird discount of $600 for those who register before 31 May 2003. After this date tickets for the four-day event are $700 and student discounts and one-day tickets are available. Full details and registration forms can be found at http://www.netsafe.org.nz/conferences/conferences_default.asp

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