'Hugs for Hackers' Stresses Talk Therapy and Hugs as Part of an Intensive
2-Step Program
ORLANDO, Fla., April 1, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- AVG Technologies,
developer of the AVG family of security software products, today pledged
funding to Hugs for Hackers (http://www.hugsforhackers.org), a new 501 (c)
non-profit charitable organization chartered to provide psychiatric
rehabilitation services to computer hackers.
The Hugs for Hackers Foundation is the brainchild of Dr. Milton
Chester, M.D., who first approached AVG with a funding proposal in late
2007. The organization opened its doors to its first six patients this
month, and launched a web site at http://www.hugsforhackers.org that allows
friends and family to follow the progress of each patient via web videos
and patient blogs.
Dr. Chester is well known for his maverick use of simple physical
intimacy -- hugs -- as a rehabilitation tool for individuals afflicted with
psychosocial pathologies. Through his research, Chester has discovered that
hug therapy, used in conjunction with conventional medication and talk
therapy, has improved the long term efficacy of treatments by up to 80
percent, effectively restoring proper social functioning to some of the
world's most notorious hackers.
"Our mission is to provide a safe and supportive rehabilitation
environment for hackers," said Milton Chester, M.D. "Hackers cause hundreds
of billions of dollars in damage each year to computer users around the
world, yet it's important to remember these aren't evil people.
Incarceration is not the solution. They're just lost souls who need a hug.
We offer hackers a nurturing therapeutic environment that gets them off the
streets and reintegrated as productive members of society with full
community functioning and a sense of well being. Thanks to the generous
financial support of our friends at AVG, we're able to offer these services
free of charge to any hacker who desires treatment."
The Hugs for Hackers foundation first achieved nationwide attention
earlier this month when it was featured on the popular cable news show, "A
Lurid Pursuit," hosted by Emmy-award-winning investigative journalist Grace
Fielding. A video of her feature story is available on the Hugs for Hackers
web site, simply by clicking on the computer monitor at
http://www.hugsforhackers.org/hugs/
The initial patients at Hugs for Hackers are CyberS1ren, Exodus,
OverRide, Samura1 and Worm13. Each maintains a personal, heartfelt blog at
http://blog.hugsforhackers.org/
"Ever since we released the new flagship 8.0 version of our AVG
Internet Security Suite in February, we've literally put tens of thousands
of American hackers out of work," said Rick Carlson, vice president and
North American general manager of AVG Technologies. "Given the tough
economic times and talk of a looming recession, we felt we owed it to these
hackers and the economy to give these talented miscreants a second chance
to become productive members of society. I've personally received dozens of
calls from hackers, many choking back tears, who wanted to reminisce about
the good old days when everyone was using less effective Internet security
protection such as that marketed by McAfee, Symantec and Trend Micro. Now
that they're facing AVG Internet Security 8.0 on more and more computers,
they've found they've met their match."
Concerned citizens who want to support the Hugs for Hackers foundation
are encouraged to contact the organization.
About AVG Technologies
http://www.avg.com
Founded in 1991 and headquartered in Brno, Czech Republic, AVG
(http://www.avg.com) is a leading developer of anti-virus, firewall and
Internet security solutions for consumers and SMBs. AVG is one of the
fastest growing companies in the industry with more than 70 million
protected users around the world. The company has regional offices in North
America and the United Kingdom, and employs some of the world's leading
experts in Internet security, specifically in the areas of virus analysis
and detection, exploit analysis, and wide-ranging security research. The
company's award-winning products are distributed globally through its
12,000 resellers and the Internet as well as via software development kits
(SDKs) for third-party integration.
North America Media Contacts:
Bryan Ferraro/Julie Parayno
Dovetail Public Relations
408.395.3600
AVG at dovetailpr.com
SOURCE AVG Technologies
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Related links:
http://www.avg.com
http://www.hugsforhackers.org
CONTACT:
Bryan Ferraro or Julie Parayno, both of
Dovetail Public Relations, +1-408-395-3600, AVG@dovetailpr.com,
for AVG Technologies
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