Parents! What parental control software do you use?

[Bob151]

and why?

I will be needing some software to prevent my young daughter from accidentally going to wrong sites.

Hopefully the product will;

1. Work with users in the "Users" group in windows XP. I.E. be really ready for a multiuser computer.
2. Not only prevent bad domain hostname access, but also other programs from even accessing the internet with other applications, like MSN messenger, based on the defined user priviledges.
3. Auto update its definitions, even if a "Users" group member is the only one logged in.
4. Don't inflict any of these rules on me. Like I said, ready for a multiuser XP computer.
5. I'm sure there are others I have forgoten.


(BTW, I rather ask technical people. Review by magazines always seem to be lame. I don't think these reviewers even put the product through lifecycle tests, just install and verify it worked against ultra widely known sites like whitehouse.com)

Thanks

 

[episodic]

keylogger and transparent proxy logging

This way you can see what she is doing, and if it looks as if it is going to lead to something bad you can educate her.

 

[Jeff7]

Parental control software? Wouldn't you want kid control software?

Keylogger - I seem to recall there being a hardware keylogger, something that plugs into the back of the computer. No process will show up anywhere, because there is no process.

Alternate idea, though more time intensive - supervised visits onto the Internet, and nothing else.

 

[Bob151]

Originally posted by: episodic
keylogger and transparent proxy logging

This way you can see what she is doing, and if it looks as if it is going to lead to something bad you can educate her.

She's only 8 years old. She really isn't doing anything at all. I just want to prevent the possibility, but give her a freedom to go to sites like barbie.com.

This is not a teenager being tricked and stalked by pedophiles here. She's an 8 year old who might type in something wrong (by accident, not intentionally) and go to a wrong site.

 

[Slicedbread]

There are software key loggers that hide there processes, it would be that secretive if they didnt. I think most places agree that cyberpatrol is the best standalone software. You could always go with AOL too.

Ghost Keylogger
CyberPatrol

 

[episodic]

how about a 'white list'?

Fix a router to only allow certain sites. Add them as you check them out. One way to do it is to create a custom hosts file and turn off DNS on the computer.

The only thing that will resolve is what is in the host's file.

 

[Bob151]

Originally posted by: episodic
how about a 'white list'?

Fix a router to only allow certain sites. Add them as you check them out. One way to do it is to create a custom hosts file and turn off DNS on the computer.

The only thing that will resolve is what is in the host's file.

I use the computer too. So a "white-list" host file and disabled DNS isn't going to work. I'm not going to be playing some on-again, off-again routine when I want to use the computer and when she wants to. Plus, many sites have multiple servers IP addresses assigned to one domain name entry.

Plus, my wife needs to be able to use the computer during the day when I'm at work. She isn't even a "Power User" on my computer, it would be doomed if she were. So, she could never be switching on-again, off-again hosts files, DNS settings, etc...

Is this really what you people really do with your very own children in actuality, really? Even if you have one computer?

 

[Bob151]

Please, I don't want, nor need a keylogger. She's only 8, not 14!

Thanks.

 

[Isaiah]

If you have an extra computer with linux installed on it you could install Dansguardian and use it as a filter proxy. It works really well and can be configured to fit pretty much whatever level of filtering you want.

 

[Auryg]

God no, don't use Dan's Guardian. It's what our school uses and it misses some porn sites while blocking out a lot of really good (actually educational) stuff.

 

[Fraggable]

A company called Bsafe makes some excellent and reasonably priced filtering software.

Bsafe.com I think.

 

[PowerEngineer]

I have been using Norton Internet Security, which provides parental control. It can be configured to apply different restrictions to different Windows XP user names (e.g. general configurations for "child", "teenager", "adult", and "administrator"). These restrictions can include e-mailing (can be restricted to specific e-mail adresses) and instant messaging. Internet site blocking is based on a frequently updated list, and updates can be made automatic. Nothing catches everything, but NIS seemed to do a pretty good job for me.

Good luck!

Edit: I assume the child's XP account is "limited" too...

 

[redbeard1]

This program is very thorough. It has the capabilities for individual accounts.

NetNanny

 

[Bob151]

Originally posted by: PowerEngineer
I have been using Norton Internet Security, which provides parental control. It can be configured to apply different restrictions to different Windows XP user names (e.g. general configurations for "child", "teenager", "adult", and "administrator"). These restrictions can include e-mailing (can be restricted to specific e-mail adresses) and instant messaging. Internet site blocking is based on a frequently updated list, and updates can be made automatic. Nothing catches everything, but NIS seemed to do a pretty good job for me.

Good luck!

Edit: I assume the child's XP account is "limited" too...

Thank you PowerEngineer for sharing your experiences and opinions.

The child, she certainly is a restricted account "Users". Even my wife is. That way when she miss-types domain names and get's her account hijacked, it hasn't (historically) hijacked the whole computer.

I was actually wondering about NIS, since it is often a free product after upgrade and tax combination. I was hoping someone who actually uses it would provide some feedback, thanks.

 

[Bob151]

Originally posted by: redbeard1
This program is very thorough. It has the capabilities for individual accounts.

NetNanny

Have you been using it?

 

[wallsfd949]

Originally posted by: Isaiah
If you have an extra computer with linux installed on it you could install Dansguardian and use it as a filter proxy.

I have to agree w/Isaiah. Dan's Guardian has to be one of the better ways to protect a small network if that is your setup (read my comments below). If you only have one computer, the BSafe tools may be just as good.

Originally posted by: Auryg
God no, don't use Dan's Guardian. It's what our school uses and it misses some porn sites while blocking out a lot of really good (actually educational) stuff.

Dan's guardian is only as good as the lists or the admin configuring it. It's not extremely difficult to configure if you understand how a pr0n site works.

 

[redbeard1]

Originally posted by: Bob151

Originally posted by: redbeard1
This program is very thorough. It has the capabilities for individual accounts.

NetNanny

Have you been using it?

We have set it up for a couple of customers. It totally amazed me at how many options it had and how thorough it was in preventing people getting around it's security settings.

Some of the stuff could easily be used for clamping down computers at work.