Troy University’s Office of Information Technology has been internationally recognized with an award for helping to protect at least 190,000 Alabama children through its Cyberkids Initiative.

Computerworld named the university a 2012 Honors Laureate Award recipient because of its initiative to use information technology to promote positive social and educational change.

The program, offered through the university’s Alabama Computer Forensics Institute and Laboratory, is aimed at arming parents and kids with tools necessary to safely navigate the Internet. Cyberkids began in 2006 and is a joint-effort with the Alabama Attorney General’s Office and the Alabama Department of Children’s Affairs.

“It was certainly an unexpected surprise to be awarded the Laureate,” said Greg Price, Troy’s Chief Information Officer, who has more than 15 years of experience in internet security and cybercrime investigations.

In addition to the educational Cyberkids program the university presents at schools and conferences all over the state, the Alabama Computer Forensics Institute at Troy has trained about 100 law enforcement officers, processed nearly 500 pieces of electronic evidence and acquired more than $1 million in grants for research of Internet security and cybercrime.

“This is a wonderful, independent validation of our hard work and efforts,” Price said.

The Computerworld Honors Program is headed up by the not-for-profit Computerworld Information Technology Awards Foundation. A panel of 22 judges evaluated humanitarian benefits of more than 500 nominations made this year. Troy University was one of 200 Laureates chosen from 25 countries.

For more information about law enforcement training, or to ask Troy to bring the Cyberkids prgram to a location, visit the Alabama Computer Forensics Institute site at whoswatchingalabama.org.