What We Do
1) Create an Administrator account on your computer(s), complete with a password for you to use. This places you in full control of your computer systems.
2) Create standard user accounts for children (or guests) to use. This prevents them from changing your settings, accessing your files and installing software.
3) Set up Parental Controls to filter, monitor and set a time schedule on your family's internet activity. The Tools We Use
There are many methods to filter and monitor your family's internet traffic. They are usually free for home use, and are relatively easy to use.
Microsoft offers Windows Live Family Safety which works very well with Windows (as you could probably imagine). It works on Windows XP and Vista, but its true power is utilized in Windows 7. There, you can manage the time of day, program access, even downloading from the internet.
K9 Web Protection, designed by Blue Coat, is another web filtering program that you can download for free and can be installed on Windows, MacOS, iPad, iPod, and iPhones. This product also offers excellent protections.
Lastly, newer home routers typically come with Parental Controls embedded in their basic programming (or firmware). Although they are not as robust as the software you would install on your computers, they still offer some basic protections. |