Internet Safety

Your children are exploring the vast world of the Internet.  There they will find an unlimited source of entertainment and valuable information.  Unfortunately, there is also danger lurking out there.  Today we have to deal with the likes of the cyber bully, the cyber predator and the cyber stalker.  As a parent, you need a whole new set of tools to help protect your children from the dangers of the Internet while allowing them to tap the valuable resources it offers.  There are software and hardware tools available, but most important is what we term “Parentware”.  F&S  Computer Services conducts seminars for parents to show you how easy it is for your children to get into trouble in cyberspace and to demonstrate various methods of keeping your kids safe on the internet. 

Filtering Software

There are many software products available to filter out and block some of the undesirable websites you may not want your children to see.  Your ISP provider may offer a filtering service at no extra charge.

Monitoring Software

Unfortunately, filtering is not always effective.  Hundreds of new websites are started up every day and they seem to be designed to avoid the filtering and blocking software.  F&S Computer Services has reviewed and tested several products and we have found two that we recommend to our clients.  The software we recommend will not only filter out bad sites but also monitor where your children are going on the Internet; record both sides of chat and instant message conversations; and even send you email or cell phone messages to warn you if your child is getting into a dangerous situation.  Sentry Total Family Protection (for PC's) and Safe Eyes (for PC's and Mac's)  are products that allow you to monitor and record your child’s computer activity, set internet and computer time limits, and much more.  These products are internet based, which means that once they are installed on your child's computer, you will be able to monitor activity from any computer with Internet access.  During a coffee break at work, you can look in on your child’s internet activity without installing anything on your work computer; you simply use the existing Internet browsing software.

If you would like to try either of these excellent products, click on one of the graphics on the left to download a free trial.  You will need to be on the computer you want to monitor when you download the free trials. 

Please email us to let us know how you like the software.