Best Internet Filtering Software

Which Internet Filtering Software is Best?

Parental control software is designed to give parents control over where their children can go online; what sort of online activities the kids can engage in; and even how much and during what hours they can use the Internet. Internet filtering for business a environment must offer content-based access, email scanning and application blocking. That's a lot for a piece of software to do, and no parental control or internet filtering software does it perfectly. But here are some of the best, time-tested solutions for home and office internet filtering.

• NetNanny has developed Internet filtering software almost since the Web got started. Its features include a database of "blocked" websites that is updated regularly; "intelligent" blocking based upon keywords in sites that users try to access; filtering and blocking of social media such as Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, chat rooms, etc., and even blocking of proxy sites that can be used to circumvent other parental controls. Net Nanny costs about $29.

• CYBERsitter from Solid Oak Software is another leading parental control program. It is one of only a few parental control programs that monitors and blocks email as well as other forms of communication, so your children won't see those obnoxious ads for "adult" products. CYBERsitter sells for about $25 online.
• Websense is Internet filtering software for enterprises. It includes anti-hacker security features as well as content-filtering and site-blocking capabilities to keep employees off shopping sites, fantasy sports league sites, gambling sites, and other services they should not be visiting during working hours. Websense can also monitor outgoing email for words or attachments that may indicate an employee is transmitting your customer list or other trade secrets to outsiders. These are features that good business Web filters should include.
• Barracuda Web Filter software combines content-filtering, site-blocking, email monitoring (inbound and outbound), and application-blocking. The last feature prevents users from downloading files from Bittorrent and other peer-to-peer networks, which may include illegal or virus-laden copies of music, movies, or software. It also prevents employees from running any Internet-connected software that you don't want them to use. It also protects business networks against spyware, viruses, Trojans, and other malware.

Legal Considerations

Before installing any Internet filtering software on your home or business network, consider the practical and legal implications. "Over-blocking" and "under-blocking" are inevitable with any filtering software. Over-blocking means users are blocked from sites that they should be able to access, so they have to bug the system administrator to manually override a block. Under-blocking lets users access a site that they shouldn't be able to, and that can provide a false sense of security to an employer.

Children have virtually no legal right to privacy from their parents' monitoring of their online activities. If the kids complain, hand them an Etch-a-Sketch and tell them the right to privacy begins when they start paying their own rent, utility, cable and internet bills. Employees, customers of cyber cafes and libraries, and other adults who may use your network are another matter. It's best to consult an attorney, or at least publish appropriate notifications of what you are monitoring and filtering.

And as I mnentioned earlier, no parental control or internet filtering software is 100% effective. Clever adults and even children are always looking for ways to get around the blocks and filters -- and sometimes they will. That's why the old "look over the shoulder" method is sometimes needed as an extra measure.

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