The Basics: Web-Filtering Software
One of the great things about the Internet is that it's an almost bottomless source of information; that's also one of the bad things about it. If you can think of it, you can probably find it out there. You can also stumble across things that are beyond your wildest dreams. An innocuous query in a search engine can result in a staggering array of inappropriate or offensive material, including vulgar language, violence, sexual content and hateful or extremist viewpoints. Parents face a difficult struggle in trying to strike a balance between allowing children to use the vast resources available on the Internet, and protecting them from inappropriate material. Even the most dedicated and conscientious parents can't possibly monitor all of their children's online time.
Web-filtering software attempts to make the browsing experience more family friendly by doing one or more of the following:
1) Blocking access to all Web sites, except those on an approved list.
2) Allowing access to all Web sites, except those on a banned list.
3) Deciding on the fly whether to allow or prevent access to a page, by evaluating its content against a keyword list.
Some Web-filtering software also lets you block access by category, such as chat, instant messaging, file downloads or auction.
Some filter lists are based on a database that's maintained by the software developer; these lists must be updated on a regular basis. In most cases, the software automatically searches for and installs updates whenever you're connected to the Internet. Because of the ever-changing nature of the Internet, even databases that are updated on a daily basis have a difficult time keeping up. Some web-filtering software lets you create your own filter lists, either in addition to or instead of built-in lists. While you can update these lists as often as you like, it's still not possible to keep up with how quickly the Web changes. Creating and maintaining these lists, particularly blacklists, are also a time-consuming process.
Here are the five key questions you need to know the answers to before you buy web-filtering software.
How technically savvy am I?
Perhaps more importantly, how tech savvy are your children? Do you need to be a rocket scientist, or at least a tech expert, to use a particular program? Some programs are complicated to set up; others are either easy to set up or offer default settings that may be acceptable for your family, without the need to do any additional tweaking. Many developers offer demo versions of their programs that allow you to try the software for a specific period of time -- usually 15 to 30 days; this gives you a chance to determine whether the program meets your needs, as well as whether or not you are comfortable using it.
What activities do I need to control or monitor?
Web-filtering software can control single activities or multiple activities. For example, if you're mainly concerned about chats and instant messaging, look for software that focuses on monitoring and logging web-based chat rooms and instant messaging software. If your kids are frittering away too much time online or just on the computer in general, look for time-management software, which lets you set specific days and times when the kids may use the computer or the Internet. If you're concerned about filtering out inappropriate content, as well as chats and time management, look for web-filtering software that can handle a variety of tasks.
Does this software let me create settings for each family member?
Some web-filtering software lets you create individual accounts, so that access can be set according to each family member's age or maturity level. Some programs create global settings that apply to all users, so that teenagers and adults face the same restrictions as young children. One way around this is to create a computer login for each family member, and only activate the software for some accounts. This solves the problems for the adults in the family, but it doesn't solve the problem of applying the same restrictions to both younger and older children.
Can I customize the software to meet my family's needs or am I limited to the default settings?
Some software programs are more flexible than others. To some extent, customization options should match your technical comfort level. If you're fairly new to using computers, you may not feel daring enough to do much experimenting with the controls. On the other hand, a program that's highly customizable allows you to grow into it, as well as to adapt it to your family's changing needs.
Do I need a dedicated web-filtering product or a security suite?
Children aren't the only ones who need protection. Your computer faces a variety of threats every time someone uses it to access the Internet. If you don't already have security software, including anti-virus software, anti-spyware software, and a firewall, check out software suites that include security features as well as web-filtering tools. These products can save you money, although individual features aren't always as effective as those found in dedicated standalone programs.
How to Shop
Once you determine your family's needs and your technical comfort level, you can start looking for web-filtering programs or security suites that feel like a good match.
A program's ease of use may be as important as its feature set. Web-filtering software should be easy to install and easy to configure. You can get a good idea about a program's ease of use and configuration options by downloading and installing the demo version, if one is available.
Most families will want programs that allow or block access to a variety of activities, such as chatting, instant messaging, downloading and online games. Some programs also block the sending of personal information.
Web-filtering software programs offer different methods of handling inappropriate content; usually, you can select options that match each child's age and maturity level. Options include blocking inappropriate material or just displaying a warning; selecting categories of material to block or allow, based on filter lists, keywords or key phrases; recording keystrokes; maintaining logs of web site visits and online conversations; blocking or filtering email; and blocking downloads or email attachments.
Content filtering is usually accomplished through the use of blacklists and whitelists. These lists may be tied to a database that is created, maintained and updated by the software developer; the software may also allow you to create your own blacklists and whitelists. This is an attractive option; however, creating a blacklist can be a time-consuming and never-ending process. Some newer web-filtering software can examine and rate a web page on the fly, which reduces the dependence on lists that need constant updating.
Some programs that maintain activity logs include the option to view logs and reports from any computer that has Internet access, not just the computer where the activity was captured. Some also offer the option to receive updates, logs and alerts via email if a child exceeds a set threshold of activity, such as attempting to visit too many blocked web sites.
Web-filtering software may offer the option to run in stealth mode, which means no one knows it's there. There are good and bad sides to this option. If your kids don't know they're being monitored, they're more likely to do what they would normally do, rather than behave well because they know you're watching. When and if they find out that you've been surreptitiously monitoring them, however, it can cause a rift that may be difficult to completely repair.
Other factors to consider when buying web-filtering software include how effective it is at filtering web sites and how effective it is at preventing users from evading its restrictions. For example, kids can bypass some web-filtering programs by simply launching another browser.
Finally, look for programs that allow you to set different access levels for different users, so that parents and older children aren't stuck with the same restrictions as younger children. The ability to set individual access levels is also important with programs that log all activities; parents may not feel comfortable having all of their activities recorded, even if they don't have anything to hide.
