My kids use the computer as much or more than any other electronic device in our house - including their Nintendos and Game Boys. They play games online, they do research for school projects, and it won't be long before they'll want to start blogging or visiting social networking sites that their friends have told them about.

As a parent, I want to be know and understand the dangers that are lurking on the Internet so that I can protect my kids. I want to pro-actively educate and train my kids to make wise decisions when they're on the web, and I also want software tools in place that will protect them when they make poor choices.

Internet security vendors like Symantec (makers of Norton Antivirus), McAfee, and Panda Software have already started gearing up for the challenges our kids will face on the Internet. Each of them has an entire section on their web sites dedicated to online family safety and protection.

Panda Software - Children and the Internet
Symantec (Norton) - Family Resource Center
McAfee - How to Protect Children Online

Here are some chilling statistics from Panda Software's child security web site:

1. 25 percent of five-year olds use the Internet.
2. In 2004 more children used the Internet than adults.
3. 44 percent of children have felt sexually harassed on the Internet.
4. 28 percent of minors visit pornographic web pages.

Children accessing pages with violent content: 38%
Children accessing pages with racist/xenophobic content: 16%
Children entering chat sessions about sex: 26%

5. 50% of children use the Internet alone.

Wow, this list really got my attention! It prompted me to start an all-out strategic battle to protect my kids from these dangers, while still letting them safely enjoy the games and resources that are available on the Internet.

Here are three important battle fronts that I am focusing on to meet this challenge, and the tools I'll be armed with along the way:

1. Education - helping my kids to understand the dangers they face online, and teaching them how to handle themselves safely online.

   The websites I listed above provide some great information about how to safeguard your system to protect your kids from online threats. In particular, I liked the article titled Top 10 Ways to Protect Your Kids Online. It helps parents discuss topics like making sure kids understand basic rules for using social networking sites such as MySpace and blogs, and that it's imperative that your kids let you know if they arrange in-person meetings with people they meet online.

   My two youngest kids are a little too young to discuss some of the dangers of Internet usage, but these tips will come in handy when talking about it with my oldest daughter. I think it will grow more and more important for my wife and I to teach our kids how to handle themselves safely online, and show them how to avoid the dangers and pitfalls found on the web.



2. Protection - making sure my kids are not exposed to inappropriate web sites, and are protected from hackers who might try to gain access to my system.

   Last night I installed Panda Internet Security 2007 on both my home computers (the work station upstairs, and my wife's laptop that the kids play on downstairs). I chose it because it comes with a powerful Parental Control module that filters web site content and also protects against viruses, spyware, adware, malware, and even system hijack attempts.

   In fact, while I was writing this article, my neighbor tried to hijack my high-speed wireless connection and Panda notified me of the attempt and blocked access to my network. It also showed me his IP address in case I wanted to take further action. That's the kind of realtime intruder protection that I want in place.

   I compared Panda against Norton and McAfee with a crazy malware detection test (where I actually intentionally installed a malware program to see which of them would recognize and protect against it). The results of this test left me with a clear winner in Panda Internet Security 2007. Here's the article: Norton and McAfee Failed to Protect My System from Malware and Viruses

   Here's a link for a Panda Internet Security 2007 $15 Discount Coupon and they offer a free trial download as well.

3. Monitoring - keeping an eye on the web sites my kids are visiting, the IM chats they're participating in, and the programs they're running.

   Even with web site content filtering in place, I want the ability to monitor other types of Internet usage such as IM chats and email.

   I started using a program called PC TattleTale Parental Control that takes screenshots of my system every few seconds, and then lets me view it in a video-like display whenever I want to check up on my kids online activities. It's a slick tool that also traps keyboard usage and lists all programs that were used on my system.

   Here's a link to PC TattleTale's free trial download.

   

I feel a lot better now that I have a solid strategy in place for protecting my kids online, and some good tools to make the job easier.

What tools are you using for web site filtering or system activity monitoring?