Computer Monitoring Software

As a concerned parent, it's important to shield your children from some of the content on the Internet. There are many programs that can either block access to certain websites or report to you when they are visited by someone using your computer.

If you are an employer, its important to limit your employees online activities to keep their focus on their jobs rather than their social lives

Filtering tools may be helpful with young children, when you use the tools to complement—not replace—parental supervision. Filters and blockers, however, are not foolproof, and they often fail to keep out inappropriate material. They can also block useful content that your kids may need for their school assignments.

While filters may be useful when your kids are young, as they grow older they will need to develop safe and responsible online behavior. For older children and employees, monitoring software is more effective than filters.

CyberPatrol CyberPatrol parental control software helps create a safer Internet experience for families. Effective and easy to use, it protects against inappropriate content and risky activity. CyberPatrol’s proven technology allows you to block access to offensive websites, restrict the use of certain programs, set time restrictions, and monitor Internet use. CyberPatrol's main focus is filtering/blocking. While they include some limited monitoring functionality, they are clearly Parental Control software rather than a full blown monitoring application. Rating 7	NetNanny Monitors and blocks various sites and subject matter that the user deems unacceptable. NetNanny is very limited in its ability to monitor and as such should only be considered by people whose only interest is in trying to block the bad stuff on the Internet. Rating 7	Norton Internet Security Norton Internet Security 2010 from Symantec offers protection against malware, bots, and viruses. Even a cursory inspection of this product reveals that while they may be strong in the anti-virus arena, they really have not brought much to the table that will truly help parents. Rating 7
CyberSitter Cybersitter provides Internet content filtering for homes, schools and businesses. Cybersitter is the original Internet filter and had been published continously since 1995. Rating 7	eBlaster 2010 Allows you to monitor the online activity of your children or employees from anywhere in the world: at work, in another room of your home, at an Internet Cafe, on vacation - even if you're thousands of miles away. eBlaster allows you to quickly block access to web sites you determine to be inappropriate and people you don't want them chatting with. Rating 6	SpectorPro 2010 Capture every single keystroke they type, (including user names and passwords) Read every email sent & received (including web-based emails) Capture & review all chats and instant messages (both sides) See everything they do on MySpace + Facebook (including all the profiles they visit and pictures they post) Review every web site they visit (and see what they do while on the web site) Rating 6
WebWatcher WebWatcher's remote computer monitoring software invisibly monitors and records everything done on any PC. WebWatcher also allows you to record keystrokes, block websites and applications, restrict use and take screenshots. It allows you to monitor a computer from the web so that you do not have to keep checking from the computer you are monitoring. Rating 4	SpyAgent SpyAgent spy software can log anything ranging from what the user typed and the files they downloaded, to who they talked to and emailed, website searches they performed, programs they ran, and much more - all time stamped by date for easy viewing. All logs can be easily saved, archived, and exported into reports for later use. Has some great features that offer lots of control but best for computer savvy buyers only. Rating 2	I am Big Brother Monitors incoming and outgoing chats, instant messages, email, web pages, and more. Does all of the things that you would expect Parental Control software to do, and can do it remotely, but ultimately, IAmBigBrother falls a bit short of its more robust competition. Rating 5

If you are a parent, it's important to set clear rules with your children as to what type of sites they are allowed to access and the consequences of not following your rules. We have collected some examples of children's computer use agreements to assist you.

If you are an employer or supervisor, it's important that your employee manual set forth clear rules for the use of company computers and the types of websites that may be accessed from your office or company laptops regardless of the location. We have collected some examples of computer use policies to assist you.