The Internet is an extraordinary resource for children, but there are also many dangers, so it is important for parents not only to have some control over what their children do to the PC, but above all to prevent them from visiting a certain type of inconvenient sites . The main paid antivirus suites have included, among their functions, the Parental Control which blocks, in advance, the navigation on some dangerous websites, recognizing them before any inconvenient image may appear.
However, if you are not using any antivirus suite, there are at least 5 ways to protect inadvertent browsing on inappropriate sites in order to keep children safe and prevent them from finding junkies or doing damage to the computer by clicking randomly .
1) Block on the router
One of the easiest ways to set up parental controls is by configuring the Parental Control feature on the router.
The router works as a sorting point for all internet traffic that crosses the network so parental control allows you to filter the web for all devices on the network: computers, smartphones, tablets and even game consoles.
Parental Control is one of the main functions of a router configuration screen (even if it is not included in all routers).
2) If the router does not have this web content filtering option or if it is still not satisfactory, you can let the filter be managed by an external service and change the DNS .
Changing the DNS on the router ensures that censorship checks are active on the whole network, any PC or device you use.
As explained in another article, you can set the DNS of OpenDNS or SecureDNS to surf the internet securely.
A program like DNS Angel facilitates the configuration of DNS parameters on a computer (not therefore on the entire network) using those of the main external web protection services.
3) Parental Control on a Windows 7 computer
Windows 7 has some parental control options that allow you to control what time a user can access the computer and what programs they can use.
This is useful only if our children use separate user accounts on the computer.
Windows 7 does not include a web filter program.
It is therefore necessary to install, as already explained and explained, the Windows Family Safety program.
4) Parental control in Windows 10 and 8.1
The Family Safety program is integrated into Windows 10 and combines Windows 7 options with internet controls. To activate parental control just go to the settings of Windows 10, in Accounts> Family and other users and create new users that a certain user account belongs to a child to activate the online management of the account and all the filters.
From the Family Safety website you can read all the statistics on the use of the computer, on the most visited sites, the amount of time in which it was used and so on. You can then configure the restrictions and prohibitions by activating or deactivating various options written clearly in Italian: usable programs, time allowed to stay on the internet, filtering websites and notices on unknown sites to decide whether they are allowed or prohibited.
5) Parental Control Programs
If you are not satisfied with Windows Family Safety or if you want to use a different program that imposes a family filter on the internet, there are many free alternatives, even better than the Windows tool.
- Qustodio is an excellent program for Windows PC, in Italian, to protect children who use computers and surf the internet.
The free version of Qustodio, which is a commercial product, has some limitations but should meet almost everyone's needs.
There is no monitoring of social networks and Facebook and we cannot control the programs that our children can use.
However, you can block dangerous websites, divided into various categories, and read reports on the use of the internet.
- Norton Family is a powerful parental control system and in Italian, with which you can manage and decide the times when children are allowed to use the computer and which sites they can access.
Norton Family allows you to see everything that is done online, such as searches, which sites, how long on Facebook and so on.
- K9 Web Protection is one of the best free programs to block sites on the PC or limit the browsing time on Facebook, Youtube or others
- Spyrix Keylogger is a program to spy on the computer by viewing screen images and recording the keyboard for parents who do not want or cannot put bans and blocks but still want to check what their children are doing.
READ ALSO: Programs for access control on Windows PC
Of course, no parental controls can be perfect and these programs, in addition to blocking also good things, cannot keep all the evil on the net out of the house.
Furthermore, it must be taken into account that every barrier can work with children but not with adolescents who, if motivated, can overcome every barrier with their ability to use technology.
In any case, they are not only for the safety of our children when they surf the internet, but also for us, I still recommend reading an old but valid article on how to protect children, family and ourselves from the dangers of the internet
