Spyware and your kids

If your kids surf the Internet, chances are they’ll want to download games, music, and other programs that might expose your computer to spyware or other unwanted software. Spyware is a general term used for software that can display unwanted advertisements, collect personal information, or change the configuration of your computer, generally without your consent.

Here are a few steps you can take to help your kids download and install software more safely.

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	Step 1: Talk with your kids
	Step 2: Monitor your children's activity on the Internet
	Step 3: Give your child a limited user account

Step 1: Talk with your kids

Depending on the ages of your children, you might be able to teach them not to download software from unknown sources on the Internet. If you can convince them to ask your permission before they download anything, this will help keep unwanted software off of your computer.

Add Web sites that you feel are safe to your Favorites list and only allow your children to download software from those sites.

Tip:  As soon as your kids are old enough to go online, it's a good idea to establish rules that clearly state where they can go and what they can do on the Internet. For more help with guiding kids as they go online, visit our Child Safety section.

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Step 2: Monitor your children's activity on the Internet

Keep the computer in a place in your home where you can easily monitor online activity and limit the length of time your child can spend on the computer. If your children are under 10 years old, you might want to be online with them at all times.

Although it's not intended as a substitute for parental involvement, consider a service that allows you to keep track of your child's online activities. If you subscribe to MSN Premium, you can use Parental Controls which allow you to block specific sites from your children and view a weekly report of what sites they've visited. There are also many software products that can help you monitor and guide your child's use of the Internet.

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Step 3: Give your child a limited user account

Windows XP allows you to create multiple user accounts for your computer. Each user can log on individually and has a unique profile with his or her own Desktop and My Documents folder. As a parent, you can give yourself an Administrator account with full control over the computer, and give your children Limited User accounts, with restricted controls that will help prevent them from downloading programs that may contain spyware or other unwanted software.

For help on adjusting user accounts in Windows XP, read Share your PC: Get started.

To learn more about spyware, common signs of an infection, and how to get rid of spyware and other unwanted software, visit our Spyware section.

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