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Campbell, Calif. – (Sept. 6, 2012) – Given the proliferation of iPads and other mobile devices used in education, Barracuda Networks Inc. today announced the availability of the Barracuda Safe Browser iOS application, offered free of charge to Barracuda Web Security Service customers. Barracuda Safe Browser helps schools safely deploy iPads by ensuring that students do not access unsafe and inappropriate Web content on these devices at any time.

“Schools have strict requirements for protecting children,” said Stephen Pao, vice president of product management for Barracuda Networks. “Barracuda Safe Browser is a simple tool to help them do that by securing school-issued iPads no matter where they go online. It protects kids from unacceptable content—and it protects schools from potential liability.”

Schools are realizing the benefits of using mobile devices and applications as learning tools with iPads and iPhones leading the charge. In a 2011 report, Apple published that over 600 school districts in the U.S. have 1-to-1 iPad initiatives1, and also disclosed that U.S. K-12 education customers purchased twice as many iPads as Macs in the second quarter of 20122. While these devices can empower young minds, schools and parents are concerned about the adverse implications of allowing students to take these devices home and browse the Web over unregulated networks.

"We recently deployed a 1-to-1 iPad program from our headquarters and remote campuses to expand our students' learning possibilities and to help create a fun and engaging learning environment," said Althea Ramsammy, director of technology at the Atlanta Adventist Academy. "One of the major concerns we have is keeping our students safe while they browse online, reducing risks associated with our students always being connected at school, at home and everywhere in between. We are excited about implementing the Barracuda Safe Browser with its ability to block unwanted and malicious content so that our students can browse the Web safely from their mobile devices."

Barracuda Safe Browser is transparently integrated with the Barracuda Web Security Service, an award-winning cloud-based solution that provides Web content filtering and usage policy enforcement with centralized management and aggregated reporting. The iOS application extends the protection and visibility offered by the service to iPads issued to students. Schools and districts can enrich students’ learning experiences with the latest mobile devices while protecting students from unsafe Web content, such as pornography, illegal acts and other inappropriate or malicious content. This enables schools to meet compliance requirements and monitor Web usage even when the devices are used outside the school network.

Additional highlights of the Barracuda Safe Browser include:

• Easy to install – Replaces default Safari browser on iPads and iPhones
• Robust authentication – Full LDAP / AD integration with user/group-based policy enforcement and usage monitoring
• Real-time monitoring – Complete visibility into network activity
• Always-on protection – Web filtering and policy enforcement without VPN or proxy configuration
• Centralized management and configuration – Intuitive cloud-based control panel

Barracuda Safe Browser augments the Barracuda Web Security Agent also used by educational institutions today to protect Windows and Mac laptop users on and off the network, enabling centralized policy management for all issued devices through the Barracuda Web Security Service.