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The Best Parental Controls
Background Computers and the Internet especially, are unlimited in their scope and they open up the entire world to the user. This includes the good, bad and the ugly. There are many things that people will want to avoid for themselves and especially for their vulnerable children. Youngsters who have not attained the maturity to control their urges and emotions can be induced into attitudes, desires and habits which are harmful to them and to others. There are evil people lurking on the web seeking innocent prey for their wicked schemes. There are also websites that can't be easily turned and which deliver viruses and Trojans if not blocked. Simple overuse of the computer can also be harmful to a child's application to school work and can rob them of needed sleep. Parental control software and hardware allows the user to control what a user, including themselves, can see and access. Parental Control Solutions Operating systems such as Windows Vista and Apple's operating system have developed a level of parental controls. These controls don't require a yearly subscription and may provide a good level of protection. However, the jury is still out on this approach. Internet browsers also offer parental control schemes. Computer Internet security suites such as Norton Internet Security offer parental controls as part of their package. However, in general, these controls are not as powerful and flexible as a dedicated package. Save $30 via mail-in rebate PLUS get Norton Expert Installation Service FREE (a $40 value)!** Norton Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals Experts agree that dedicated parental control programs and hardware are the way to go in this area. The Features that Count Effectiveness of the protection and control The program should be capable of blocking and controlling what you want effectively without being easily fooled or disabled. It should not allow offensive images or content in the middle of a safe page. Neil Rubenking of PC Magazine advises that you be sure that the software is not targeted to a particular web browser. Otherwise, teens can simply get a new browser and use that instead. Another feature to check is that the software doesn't allow the user to kill the parental controls using Task Manager. It should provide reports to the administrator. It should also issue alerts and warnings by telephone, text message or e-mail when illegal activity is detected. If the program allows for remote control over the Internet, the instantaneous reports impact is multiplied. Time usage monitoring and the ability to schedule available times are additional useful features. Helpful and effective technical support is a valuable plus. Customizable to the needs of the user Adults need different kinds of protection than children. Different children require varying kinds of control. Some may need additional time control while others may require protection from malicious predators looking to lure your children into harmful relationships. The program should allow you to set up the controls necessary for each one. The levels are enforced by requiring the user to login to the system. The cleanest way to do this is to use the Windows login system to create different user names and apply the controls according to this login. Pricing Some programs require a license for each computer and others provide multiple licenses for 1 purchase. If cost is a major issue, this should be taken into account. Additionally, some programs require a yearly subscription. However, this is to be expected since the program has to change constantly to keep up with the different kinds of items that need to be blocked and controlled. CyberPatrol and Safe Eyes permit owners to install the product on up to three systems. Net Nanny provides a discount for extra licenses. Management of instant messaging and social networking sites The minimal level of restriction that the program should provide is the ability to prevent any instant messaging or involvement in social networking sites at all. The next level would be to monitor conversations for offensive content, publicizing of sensitive information such as phone numbers or financial details including credit card numbers. The blocking should be at the protocol level meaning the message stream that comes into the system and not the tool that is used to communicate. This means that AOL instant messenger, Yahoo messenger or MSN (which are like the phone that you use to talk) is not blocked but the message stream (like a phone line) is blocked because a smart user will be able to switch to a different IM (instant messaging) tool that won't be blocked. Ease of Use It should be easy to set up and change the various features of the program. Setting up a new user should be a simple and straightforward process. All the programs have some sort of list of sites that are prohibited. It should be easy to review this list and a bonus would be the ability to add or remove sites or change the level of restriction for a site. Some of the programs block content based on some software logic that goes beyond their lists. Although this doesn't work perfectly, it shouldn't be overly lenient or overly strict. Return
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