free parental control software: keep your kids safe online!
The internet is an amazing resource for kids, but there are also many dangers, and keeping your kids safe from the web's darker corners can take a little work. Luckily, there are some excellent and FREE parental software programs that can protect you with a single click.
- Norton Family is a powerful parental control system with plenty of very useful features. You can set the times when your kids are allowed to use the computer, and block access to sites by type or URL.
You get to see which sites your kids are visiting, their web searches and more. And you can configure the program separately for each child, as long as they have their own account on your computer.
This is easy to set up, with a password-protected icon in your system tray giving access to the main settings. Email alerts warn of problems (attempts to reach blocked sites), and detailed reports are available online, so you can access them wherever you are.
- Bitdefender Parental Control Free - Trying to block web access for your kids isn't always effective, as they can often get online from devices which you don't control.
The program can track the websites your children are visiting, the programs they run, even their instant messaging conversations (if you have Yahoo Messenger or MSN).
There's an Android version which also includes SMS and call monitoring. And as you'd expect from a big name like Bitdefender, it's all very straightforward, with helpful wizards walking you through the setup process.
- KuruPira WebFilter - If you're not quite sure which parental control functions you need, try KuruPira WebFilter - it covers virtually everything.
Despite all these features, KuruPira is generally easy to use. But it can also be a little basic. There's no way to change the web blocking to suit the child's age, for instance, so whether they're 6 or 16, it works in precisely the same way.