Free Internet Security

The huge bulk of information in the Internet contains some inappropriate or objectionable material like pornographic content, classified information and textual or visual material that can be provocative.

Research had shown that most of the crimes in developed world are linked directly or indirectly to use of internet. Watching or reading objectionable material can be extremely harmful for the health and safety of your child and loved ones and it becomes your responsibility to save them from this destructive content.

Due to the distributed nature of internet it is very difficult to totally block a website both for individuals and governments. This is where parental control features help you.

Parental control refers to special features that can be added to Mobile phones, computer software, televisions, video games and other electronic devices.

This basic purpose of parental control features on these devices is to limit access to certain information, surveillance and security reasons. Almost all the high tech internet security programs such as antivirus software have the parental control feature in them.

Like Norton is an antivirus product from Symantec corporation, it had got one of the best and advanced parental control feature. Similarly other anti virus software like bit defender and kaspersky internet security have parental control features in them. Along with that, Operating systems like Windows 7, Linux, Windows Vista and Mac OSX have parental control features in them.

There are several methods of implementing these features. For example to block a website on your computer you can add that website to the blocked list of your operating system or of an antivirus software. Stand alone parental control programs are also available in market. These programs are powerful enough to block any kind of website from opening on your computer.

A parental control software can even block or monitor the API in order to scrutinize internet application like web browser or chatting software. You can also protect your confidential information by using parental control software. To protect sensitive information from being displayed on internet you can add specific keywords such as passwords and pin codes to your blocked database.

The parental control software will monitor the chat window and would intervene to block the flow of information upon finding a match in the banned database. Parental control software have self protection modules and have got passwords to stop unauthorized access.

On the basis of their working we can classify parental controls in four categories.

1. Content Filters

2. Usage Controls

3. Computer usage monitoring tools

4. Surveillance

Now let us briefly discuss each of these categories.

Content Filters:

Content filters are the most popular and basic kind of parental control. Content filters simply block access to a website depending on its content. Specific websites or content phrases are stored in database of filter and upon founding a matching entry the access is blocked. Content filters can block images and even media files. Content controls can also be applied on digital televisions to limit access to certain channels.

Usage Controls:

Usage controls are more technical and sophisticated filters. They can be used in computers, televisions, automobiles and music players. You can turn your television or computer or internet off at certain time or control the volume of music player. Similarly you can control the speed of your child's car sitting miles away and know exactly where he or she is.

Computer Usage Monitoring Tools:

Computer usage monitoring tools are specifically designed for computers. They are often incorporated inside an internet security suite or an antivirus program. Stand alone versions of computer monitoring programs are also available. Such features are also available in operating systems such as windows seven, windows vista and Mac OSX. These programs are used to block websites and protect privacy and prevent leakage of confidential information.

Surveillance:

Surveillance programs have the same capabilities as spyware. Their basic purpose is to keep record of all the activities being performed on a machine. Surveillance programs are stand alone software that can be installed on any machine. For that you have to be the legal owner of the machine or parents have the authority to monitor their kids activities, if they are aged below 18 then covertly and above that age by their consent.

Examples of surveillance programs are keyloggers and monitoring tools (Learn how to protect your computer from keyloggers and other threats). These software are designed to operate in stealth mode. They keep recording all the activities that are being performed on a machine and make a log file of them. This log file can be later viewed by the administrator or even can be e-mailed on his Id.

Most of the antivirus and internet security programs consider keyloggers and monitoring bots as spyware, you must be legally eligible to install such a software on a machine.

Parental control features are also available for mobile phones and automobiles.