How to protect your kids online?

Make no mistake about it; the Internet can be a very dangerous place for children. Once you are armed with information and parental control tools however, you can protect your kids from these Internet dangers. There are a lot of tools available that will help parents control spam in their email as well as popups while surfing the net.

Chat rooms, instant messaging, and email are places that your children will have the opportunity to see objectionable content. Safe surfing and Internet safety are important aspects of protecting your children. In this article, we will provide you with information to help keep your kids safe from porn, spam, popups, and more.

Many parents assume that pornographic material and sexual predators are the only dangers their children will face on the Internet. These are certainly a huge concern, but there are also other dangers lurking on the net. These include: areas that foster hate crimes, sites that teach children about weapons, forums on suicide, and sites that encourage drug usage. As parents, you should know the dangers that exist on the net, and arm yourself with the tools and information to prevent your child from being a victim.

Common sense combined with parental guidance is the leading tools for protecting children from online dangers. It is unreasonable however, to expect that parents will know what their children are doing at all times. There are several Internet safety tools available to help you monitor your children’s pc activities.

Now, let’s go over some of the tools you can use to protect your children on the net:

• Blocking or filtering software: Prevents children from accessing inappropriate content.
• Filtered ISPs: Internet service providers that offer protection against objectionable websites as well as unsolicited and inappropriate emails.
• PC time monitors: These programs regulate the times and a day and exact length of time your kids will have access to your computer.
• Activity or Keystroke Loggers: Keeps a log of all communications between your children and others, so you can later monitor what they have been doing.
• Popup Blockers: Prevents unwanted windows from popping up as many of these are pornographic related.
• Spam Blockers: Prevents your children from receiving spam email, which often times advertise X-rated websites.
• Kid Friendly Portals: A safe place for your kids to be when they are searching the Internet. It’s often best to use a combination of these tools to ensure safe usage of the Internet.

Below, you will find the top 10 rules designed for children to stay safe on the Internet. If you children know these rules, they should remain safe on the net:

• Never give out any identifying information such as your phone number, address, phone number, school name, or the name of your town.
• Never agree to meet anyone in person that you originally met online.
• Never replay to email, chat messages, or forum items if they make you feel uncomfortable.
• If you don’t know someone, do not send information or pictures to them over the Internet.
• Never ever give your password to anyone except your parents, no matter who the person claims to be.
• Always be aware that people may not be who they say they are. Someone who claims to be a 10 year old girl could really be an older man.
• Never click on links from emails in you don’t know who sent it.
• Do not order anything online or give out anyone’s credit card information with your parent’s permission.
• Make sure you tell your parents if someone upsets you or makes you feel uncomfortable.
• Always listen to your parents and follow their rules regarding to computer use.