Cybercriminals, online predators and racy content have made the Internet a dangerous place for kids, so it’s no wonder that parents and security providers have worked so hard to put measures in place to protect them.

But while most of the focus has been on shielding kids from Internet dangers, we may have overlooked one thing—modern kids are extremely technology-savvy, so much so that they can use their skills to protect all of us from the dark forces that lurk online.

The idea of using kids’ technical abilities for good has caught the attention of law enforcement agencies and public organizations that need all the help they can get.

Last July, the Australian Federal Police announced that they were recruiting 20 teenagers to help them develop strategies to fight cybercrime after recognizing that older police officers and policy makers were underequipped to find solutions to some online problems. The teens were asked to help them decode slang-filled chat room conversations, develop safe surfing strategies and educate other kids on how to protect themselves online.

The Australian recruiting effort is part of a larger, worldwide initiative in which teens are being tapped in 25 countries, including the U.S. and the U.K., to help fight cybercrime.

Initiatives like this could be the start of a positive sea change in how we view kids and the Internet. Instead of seeing them as potential victims of cybercrime—or even young cybercriminals—we can look to them to be teachers of online safety.

After all, we know from the headlines about teenage hackers, bot herders and spam kings that today’s kids know a lot more about how online security than many adults. And if they are savvy enough to commit cybercrimes, they are savvy enough to fight them.

Take the teenage cybercriminal from New Zealand who recently relinquished his black hat to don a white one. Eighteen-year old Owen Thor Walker was arrested last year for leading an international online syndicate that launched denial-of-service attacks and stole money from bank accounts, causing losses estimated at $20 million.

Walker faced a possible 10-year jail term, but instead agreed to help New Zealand police fight cybercrime. (He didn’t get away completely scot-free, however—he was still stuck with an $11,000 fine and had all of his computer equipment confiscated.)

Of course, kids can and do use their technology skills for good, showing that they are talented enough to help fight crime and protect networks. Eleven-year old Jon Penn proved this point. Jon took control of the network at his private school in Sherwood, Arkansas last year, initially to help his mother, the school librarian. His mother, who was already overburdened with work, had been handed the task of managing the network after the previous overseer left.

Jon was known as the school’s computer whiz, and he happily took on the task. One of the first things Jon did was set up a secure Internet gateway to filter out viruses and spam and protect the school from attack. After reviewing several products, he chose McAfee® Secure Network Gateway Appliance, which was economical enough for a school on a tight budget.

In addition to securing the network, Jon helped the school form policy on web access and gave his fellow students lessons on computer use.

While Jon’s experience is relatively uncommon, there are sure to be scores of other kids who could take the lead in helping us fight cybercrime. Not only is it great job training for the kids, but with viruses and attacks on the rise, we could always use the help.