Internet Security for Kids – Is there an easier way?

Question

I was wondering if there is an easier way to make sure that my kids stay on task and are protected from Internet and viruses. I had a problem as viruses what easily infect my kids’ computer and they would get spammy programs opening up constantly. I just wanted to make sure that I could get a protection from these bad sites maybe in a more kid friendly manner. I already got Kaspersky to make sure that there is less chance of Trojans. Help?

Thanks,

Kev

Answer 1

Hello Kevin,



I had the same problem, my child figured out how to turn off the parental control and he would go on sites and get viruses. Little did I know that he would turn it off until I found out one day! A good way to keep this under control is to find something that will make your kids more entertained then going on “those” sites. So for example funny videos, cool games, etc. You can also check out the Chatman which is kind of toy that can help you keep track of what your child is doing,



Jen

Answer 2

2

Answer 3

You are making the classic mistake when it comes to internet security...you are relying too heavily on anti-virus software alone.



Anti-virus software should be your last line of defense, what you rely on when all else fails. The detection rate of anti-virus software when dealing with brand new viruses and other malwares is only about 50%. (Your KAV or KIS is a little better at 59%) And these new malwares are what is most like to attack your machine. And there are dozens of new "baddies" released each and every day 24/7.

http://www.av-comparatives.org/





Giving your rug-rats their own account as a LIMITED USER ACCOUNT will stop a lot of the infections. The kids will not be able to download "suspect" crap, and they will be unable to lower Windows security settings. Plus a lot of malware requires administrative privileges to run, so guess what...the malware won't have them!



You also need to keep all installed software on that machine 100% patched and updated. NOT just Windows, all software. Adobe products like FlashPlayer, Reader and Acrobat are notorious for having security holes.



The best way to prevent this from happening is to keep your Windows OS and all your other software updated to the latest versions or patched with the latest security updates.



Secunia Personal Software Inspector (PSI) can help you stay 100% updated.



They say it better than I can:



"The Secunia PSI is a FREE security tool designed to detect vulnerable and out-dated programs and plug-ins which expose your PC to attacks. Attacks exploiting vulnerable programs and plug-ins are rarely blocked by traditional anti-virus and are therefore increasingly "popular" among criminals..."



In other words, you can use all the Kasperskys and MalwareBytes and anti-spywares and firewalls in the world...if your machine is not patched, you are going get "hit".



Free from:

http://secunia.com/vulnerability_scanning/personal/



And cheer up, these days children mature into responsible adult individuals somewhere between 35 to 40 years of age. It won't be *that* much longer.

Answer 4

Internet Explorer offers a degree of protection built into it. If you open IE, go to Tools then Internet Options, then click on the Content tab. Under the heading of Content Advisor click on Enable and you can configure what shows up. There is a Ratings tab that has some pre-defined sites, then you can add your own sites to the Approved Sites list. If this is a bit too much there is third party software like netnanny that will do the trick as well.

Answer 5

as charlie kent said, you'll never really be able to stop them from going to bad sites (idk w/c kind of bad site you're talking about), they'll use proxies or sandboxes or some other form of loophole to bypass your security, its pretty easy to search for these methods in the internet, heck you could even learn to make a pipe bomb from the internet



now if its protection against viruses you want I suggest you install deep freeze

its a program which "freezes" (all of them or just the one's you choose) your hdd's, so that when you restart the pc it restores the state of the pc from the time it was frozen and it will stay that way unless you tell it not to by entering a password.

its easy to use, effective, and requires no maintenance/updates.



^_^

Answer 6

Sure,



Turn off the computer or disable the network card and tell them after I see your homework done you can have the internet back. If they complain for reference material, go buy an enecyclopedia on CD-ROM and point to the library.



BTW you'll never stop them going to bad sites even if you wanted it to. Kids use proxies to get around that nonsense.

Answer 7

Hi Kev







You Can use

norton



You Can Download In the Source

Answer 8

Windows 7 and Windows Vista Parental Controls. Windows 7 and Windows Vista both include a rich and powerful set of parental control features to help parents monitor, manage, and administer their children's computer use-and help keep them safe. For more information, see Windows 7 Parental Controls or Windows Vista Parental Controls.



Windows Live Family Safety. This software helps you filter information based on each child's age. You can also limit searches, block or allow certain Web sites, and monitor what your kids do online. You also have access to guidelines on how to help a child use online communications safely or how to talk to children about inappropriate Web browsing. For more information, see Windows Live Family Safety.



Set limits on downloads. Free games, free music, animated toolbars, and other downloads can expose your computer to spyware or other unwanted software. Depending on the ages of your children, you can teach them not to download software from unknown sources on the Internet or ask your permission before they download anything. This can help to keep unwanted software off of your computer.

Use antivirus and antispyware software like Microsoft Security Essentials. Microsoft Security Essentials helps you detect, disable, or remove viruses, spyware and other potentially unwanted software. You can download it for free for Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP. For more information, see Help Protect your PC with Microsoft Security Essentials.



Create different user accounts. Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP allow you to create multiple user accounts for your computer. Each user logs on with a unique profile and his or her own Desktop and My Documents folder. You can give yourself an Administrator account and give your children Limited User accounts. Administrator accounts have full control over the computer. Limited Users cannot change system settings or install new hardware or software, including most games, media players, and chat programs.

Windows Live Family Safety and the parental controls in Windows 7 and Windows Vista can also help you monitor where your kids go online. For more information, see Parental Controls: Software settings to help keep kids safe.



Remind kids not to talk to strangers online

Answer 9

Install Ubuntu on their computers and forget about security problems.