Family Internet Security

Tips for Keeping Your Family Safe Online

1. Keep your computer fitted with Anti-Virus Software and a Firewall.

2. Monitor your kid's (and husband's) online activities.

3. Use Safety Settings on Web Browsers, social media and search sites to restrict access to material of poor taste.

4. If you let your early-teens use social media like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter, you should have their passwords, and permission, to access these accounts. You should also be friends with your kids in any accounts in which you also have an account. Afterall, it's great communication. Be aware of cyberbullying.

5. Check the history for any browsers (Firefox, Internet Explorer, Chrome, etc.) on the family computer. You should check any sinister or perverted looking URLs you see.

6. Do your kid's friends have access to unfiltered computers? Because you know that other kid knows how to get to the good stuff.

For parents who really want to be sure there are many software programs available out there for monitoring, blocking and securing kid's computers and mobile devices.  Below we have listed a few. These are not reviews, recommendations or endorsements, just a list of a few ways to protect your kids and teens.

Monitoring/Blocking Software

Net Nanny:  (Pay, Mac/Win) Net Nanny offers software that blocks content and games, monitors Facebook, allows for remote reports delivered to parents mobile devices and even has scheduling options.  Net Nanny also now offers a mobile device monitoring option.

SafeEyes: (Pay, Mac/Win) SafeEyes blocks content, games, videos, social networking and iTunes explicit downloads.  Beyond that it logs all IM conversations, schedules access and offers remote alerts for parents.  They also offer iPod monitoring.

CyberSitter: (Pay, Windows) CyberSitter offers Facebook chat & post recording, scheduled access and strictness settings.

Safe Browsers

KidRocket (Free, Windows)

McGruff the Crime Dog Browser (Free, Windows)