Our children, especially if they are minors, run the risk of using their PC too much and accessing the Internet, even during the hours when they should be studied or at night, when no one observes and controls them. This behavior exposes him to great risks, given the amount of Web pages unsuitable for minors and various malicious people who run on social networks or on the net. In order to put a brake and enforce precise rules, we can get help from programs, useful to limit the use of the PC and to control what our underage children do when we do not actively control them. In this guide we will therefore tell you about the best programs to limit the use of the PC to certain time slots, so that the child cannot use the computer after hours or without our close surveillance.
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PC control programs
There are various programs designed to limit the use of the PC by minors present in the family, with various functions: we can block certain sites or domains (also using the filters already included in the programs), set one or more time slots (also for several days a week) in which to decide whether or not to activate the Internet connection and, for the most advanced programs, also surveillance systems of the typed words (keylogger) or integrations with mobile devices (for example tablets, very used by the very young and children).Obviously it is up to us to choose the best protection for the computer that we leave in the hands of the children, aware of the fact that, with the right research, every type of limitation or protection is circumventable (in this case it is up to us to educate the children to respect the limits and the rules, without making them feel the need to necessarily circumvent them).
1) K9 Web Protection
The best program to control access and use of the PC is definitely K9 Web Protection, available for free for all PCs with Windows operating system. This program is added to the system services (so that it cannot be easily deactivated) and allows you to filter the contents of the Web deemed dangerous for the minor and to set a limit use time, after which it will no longer be possible to browse no way (not only with browsers, but also with all other programs that access the Internet).
It offers great freedom to the administrator (i.e. the parent), just choose the master password that will protect the program and set the filters and times of use as needed.
If we want to give "extra" time or authorize some sites, just enter your password in the lock screen to be able to bypass (even temporarily) the limits for a site or for a specific time (for example if we want to allow 10-15 extra minutes). at the time normally offered).
Unfortunately this program, although still safe, reliable and effective as a control system, was withdrawn by Norton which acquired it and integrated it into its program.
2) Qustodio
Another very good program to limit the use of the PC is Qustodio, available for free for Windows but also usable on Mac, Android and iOS.
This program allows you to add devices to the parent account, so you can monitor all the pages visited and the time of use; properly configured allows you to set limits of use of the PC using well-defined times, blocking any type of connection if the device is used after hours. From smartphone it also allows you to track the position of the device, blocks apps and games after a certain time and also offers a Panic button that can be pressed by the minor to immediately report help. Definitely one of the most advanced tools to limit the use of the PC and the devices that we allow to use to minors.
3) Norton Family
One of the best programs to limit the use of the PC is Norton Family, produced by the famous manufacturer of antivirus and computer security solutions.
Once installed, the program integrates perfectly with the operating system, so that it cannot be circumvented.
The control system works through an administrator account accessible only through our password, which allows you to set the type of sites that the "Kid" account can visit, set one or more time slots for using the PC (also setting a band where the PC will not be able to navigate, for example study hours or at night), block certain searches on Google and also block the content of videos and social networks.
Currently this is one of the best programs to limit PC use by minors, considering that it can also be integrated on tablets or smartphones provided to minors (through synchronization of online settings).
Norton Family is offered for free, but we can also purchase the Premium version which includes antivirus protection, protection from sharing personal data, support for up to 10 devices, automatic backup of reports and configurations and 25 GB of cloud space that can be used by the whole family to exchange files.
4) OpenDNS Family Shield
Another valid protection service that we can activate is OpenDNS Family Shield, offered by the company that also offers free DNS for browsing.
With this system, time filtering and limitation will take place through DNS control: by adding the various PCs to the family, we will be able to decide which type of sites to visit, the times of use and the monitoring of DNS requests.
For those who do not know, DNS requests allow you to load every page from the Internet and without them it is not possible to browse in any way: this explains why this system is very effective without even having to install a monitoring program (the control will be done by crossing the IP of the network and the MAC address of the device to be filtered).
Obviously a more skilled child or boy could simply change the DNS to get around the "filter", but in this case the service is able to signal too long a period of inactivity, so as to be able to put the right remedies.
More than good protection to protect children and in general those who do not chew much of information technology (if children do not know anything about DNS, it is difficult to think that they can think about how to change them and how to get around the filter).
5) Other programs
In addition to the programs mentioned above, in another article we have seen some tools to record PC activities and spy on the use of a computer.
If you are not satisfied, we can also try those in the following list in order to effectively control the access of other people on the PC:
- HomeGuard Activity Monitor
- Net Nanny
- Kaspersky Safe Kids
- SafeDNS
- Mobicip
PC access control without programs
On each PC Windows 10 and Windows 7 or 8.1 it is still possible to control both the accesses made on the PC and everything that has been done or seen. In this regard, I refer to the guides to find out if the PC was on, when, and for how long and to check if someone uses my computer.Specifically for Windows 10, then, it is possible to activate the internal functionality of the Family accounts to control how children use the PC and the Internet.
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