You’ve heard all the media reports about increased cyberbullying through chat rooms and instant messaging. Or about how easy it is for kids to stumble across damaging, inappropriate sites. But how do you protect your kids against this?
Fortunately, there are many software programs that have been devised to help.
Parental control software is the best line of defence and is divided into 2 basic categories.
1. Filtering programs which block or allow content (and may be customised by you)
2. Monitoring programs which record and report on online activities and behaviours.
Which type of software you select may be dependant on the age of your children. Blocking software can be very effective for children younger than 10, however, older children may simply find another way to access a site.
If your child is spending a considerable amount of time on the internet or you have noticed a change in their behaviour over time, monitoring software may help you determine who their online friends are, if they have been receiving improper messages or if they have been viewing unsuitable content.
Below are 3 of the best parental control programs to protect your children and give you peace of mind.
Compare the benefits of each program here
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WEBWATCHER
Webwatcher offers both internet filtering and wide-ranging monitoring features suitable for parents with teen children. It offers fantastic protection coupled with remote management and operates invisibly without the user’s knowledge. Additional features such as the recording of emails, chat messages, websites visited, blocking of sites by category or content coupled with easy installation make this software a great resource to help keep your family safe.
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NET NANNY
Net Nanny 6.0 comes highly recommended and is viewed in the industry as one of the top performing internet filtering product. New features include PC game blocking, instant messaging monitoring, Facebook reporting and remote management in addition to age based settings and filtering / blocking of sites completely customisable by you. It’s easy to use and install and offers the latest cutting edge technology
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SAFE EYES
Safe Eyes 5.4.2 gives parents the ability to block web content in addition to filtering and blocking of popular chat programs, emails, peer to peer file sharing, and social network sites. It also offers time limits functions. Parents are alerted via email, text or phone, the software can be customised for many individual users and it contains licenses for up to 3 computers. Safe Eyes is both effective and affordable.