There’s plenty of talk about how vulnerable PCs are to attack online but there’s increasing concern over the amount of X-rated and violently explicit material kids are exposed to on the internet. There are various options for worried parents or teachers to protect minors from such material. Online options include Google’s Safesearch and iKeepsafe which make sure potential harmful sites don’t make it past your IP address.
However, if you’ve been left unimpressed by these efforts, there a few downloadable options too that may prove more effective. One example is Child Control which allows you to set time limits on internet surfing time, logs sites that have been viewed and blocks specific IP addresses that are known to host adult material. You can even customise it to notify you by e-mail when sites specified by yourself have been accessed.
Another option is Child Protector Pro which has less features but allows you to create tailored profiles for each of the children who use the computer. This useful tool means that you can specify limits according to who is using the computer instead of excluding all sites to everyone who uses it. It also can’t be uninstalled from your PC without the admin password so there’s no danger of curious minds circumventing it.
Of course, what you consider unsuitable for your child is a subjective matter. However, with adult sites becoming increasingly sophisticated in how they spam or target users, these simple programs give you at least some peace of mind.
