Childproof computing

There’s a wide range of programs available, ­ ranging from simple monitoring, which lets you know what kids were doing and which websites they’ve been visiting, to more intrusive ones that can actively block them from doing certain things with the computer.

Ultimately, which approach is best is a matter of personal preference: some adults might like to see what’s going and will sit children down and explain why certain sites are bad; others may prefer it if children never visit certain types of sites in the first place. Remember that the internet isn’t just the web; there are chat and email too, and some parental control systems can restrict access to those.

There are programs that keep a database of key information, such as your address and phone number, then block any attempt to send it out via email or instant message. Other systems, ideal for computers located in children’s bedrooms, can limit whether the computer can access the internet ­ or even whether the computer can do anything at all ­ between certain hours.

And whether it’s viruses, games or file sharing you’re worried about, parental controls can stop that too; many of the packages available can be set up so that children can only run certain programs on the computer. This has a second, extremely handy, advantage: by limiting access to certain programs you can prevent children from accidentally damaging your work in an accounts program, for example.

Accounting for users
Before we look at installing parental control software, it’s also worth remembering that there are other vital ways to protect a computer against threats from the internet. For one, it’s crucial to have up-to-date anti-virus and anti-spyware software in place.

Parental control systems tend to concentrate on inappropriate language and privacy, and won’t stop things such as spyware or Trojans that can pop up as links in instant messages. Although savvy adults might spot and avoid dubious-looking downloads, children are more likely to keep clicking while dangerous software installs itself on the computer.

You should also take advantage of the user-accounts facility that’s included on every modern Windows and Apple computer. This allows each person using a computer to log in with their own name and password, and ensures that they can only access the files and folders that they need. User accounts are always useful, but they’re also required in order to make use of many parental-control programs.

To create or manage user accounts in Windows XP, select Control Panel from the Start menu, then select User Accounts. In Windows Vista, click on Start, then Control Panel, select User Accounts and Family Safety, then select the link labelled ‘Add or remove user accounts’. It’s not enough to simply set up a user account for every member of the family, though.

Each account needs to have a password, and the password for your account needs to be a secret one known only to you – ­ not one that kids can guess. It’s also vital to log out of the computer using the Start menu whenever you finish using it, ­ otherwise kids can use your account, bypassing parental controls.

Finally, Windows is usually set up with a powerful account called Administrator already created. ­ Give this account a password, too, to prevent children from using it. To do this, restart the computer and, as it restarts, press the F8 key repeatedly. The computer should display a menu. Use the arrow keys to select Safe Mode, then press enter.

When the Windows login screen appears, there should be an option called Administrator. Click on this to log in, then go to the Start, Control Panel and User Accounts to change its password to something memorable but hard to guess.

A new Vista
Among the many new features that Microsoft added to the latest version of Windows, Vista, is a parental control system. This is great news, as it means that Vista users can protect their kids and their computer without forking out for extra software. You’ll find the settings in the ‘User Accounts and Family Safety’, which is found by clicking on the Start button and selecting Control Panel.

The parental controls require each user to have their own user account, so before going any further make sure you have created an account and password for every user, as described earlier. Once you’ve set up the user accounts, you can turn on Parental Controls for each user, and also ask Windows to create reports of what the users have been doing with the PC.