Improve your family's Web security in 4 steps
|
The Internet offers your children a world of new ways to expand knowledge, play games and movies, and research ideas. Along with these benefits come challenges. The good news is that you can take steps to help protect your children online and teach them how to use the Web in a way that helps keep them safe. Although no technology can be a replacement for parental involvement, there are ways to use Microsoft software to help protect your children from inappropriate content.
Here are some tips to help protect your children's privacy and safety when they use the computer.
On This Page
Step 1: Decide where your child can and can't go on the Internet
If you don't spend a lot of time on the Internet, your first step should be to see what's out there for yourself. Even if you're familiar with Web sites that appeal to your interests, it's a good idea to check out some sites for kids. Pay particular interest to sites that collect personal information.
There's no shortage of safe places for kids to go on the Internet. If you don't agree with the privacy statement of a particular site or if you don't want to give away any of your child's personal information, do a little searching and you may find a similar site that doesn't request any information at all.
Block inappropriate content
One of the best defenses against inappropriate content is to block it before it gets to you. With Microsoft software there are a few different ways you can do this.
Internet Explorer 6 Content Advisor. As a parent you have a unique opinion on what kind of content is appropriate for your child depending on his age, maturity, and your personal beliefs. The Content Advisor feature in Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 helps you limit what your children can view online. You can set limits by using your own criteria, the Platform for Internet Content Selection (PICS) rules, or the rating system of another organization you trust. These rating controls usually provide graduated levels of privacy choices that help prevent the display of inappropriate content—coarse language, nudity, sex, violence—provided that the Web sites your child visits put accurate content rating information on every page.
MSN 9 Parental Controls. MSN 9 Internet software also includes parental controls to help you protect your child from inappropriate content. You can choose separate levels of security for each child in your house, depending on her age and maturity level. The Parental Controls Features provides a full list of everything MSN 9 can do for you and your kids.
Xbox Parental controls. The Microsoft Xbox video game system includes similar parental controls that help you restrict your child's ability to play inappropriate games and watch inappropriate DVD movies. For more information about how to help your kids stay safe when they play games on the Internet, read Safety tips for kids and gaming.
Step 2: Increase your security and privacy
In addition to blocking inappropriate content, it's a good idea to block sites and downloads that may be a risk to your security and privacy. We recommend the tips below even if your kids never use the computer.
Create different user accounts. Microsoft Windows® XP Home edition allows you to create multiple user accounts for your computer. Each user can log on separately 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. Limited Users cannot change system settings or install new hardware or software, which includes most games, media players, and chat programs. To learn more about how to set up different user accounts, read Sharing a Computer: Get Started.
Adjust Web browser security settings. You can also help protect your child through your Web browser. Internet Explorer 6 helps you control your security and privacy preferences by allowing you to assign security levels to Web sites. Internet Explorer 6 also helps protect your privacy while you're on the Web because it provides features that help control how Web sites track your activities. For help with browser security and privacy read Working with Internet Explorer 6 Security Settings and Use Security and Privacy Features in Internet Explorer 6.
Step 3: Keep track of where your kids go online
It might not always be possible to be present while your children surf the Web. But it is possible to check later to see where your children have spent their time online. You can review the History list in Internet Explorer, to see all the places your children visited on the Web. To view your Internet History, click the History button on the browser toolbar. To learn more about how to use the History list read Find and Return to Web Pages You've Recently Visited.
Click on a folder to expand it and view the individual pages your child visited at a certain site.
With MSN 9 parental controls you can receive a weekly e-mail report that details your child's recent online activity, including the total time spent online, Web sites he visited or tried to visit, e-mail addresses and MSN Messenger IDs of people with whom he corresponded, and files he downloaded.
Step 4: Remind kids not to talk to strangers online
Real-time chats and instant messaging can be a great way for children to discuss their interests and build friendships. But the anonymity of the Internet can also put children at risk and they could fall victim to imposters and predators. To help minimize your children's vulnerability, teach them to take precautions such as:
| • | Use only a first name or nickname to identify themselves. |
| • | Never disclose a phone number or address. |
| • | Never send photographs of themselves. |
| • | Never agree to meet someone they met online without supervision. |
To help protect your children from being contacted by strangers while instant messaging, configure your software to allow only approved contacts.
To block unknown contacts in Windows Messenger:
1. | Click Tools. |
2. | Select Options. |
3. | Choose the Privacy tab. |
4. | Add people you know to the Allow list and block all other users. |
An "approved list" to help parents limit their children's e-mail exchanges is also a feature of MSN 9.
Set family rules for Internet use
Although software can help you protect your family from inappropriate content on the Web, there is no substitute for teaching your children a few basic rules. Talk to your children about the risks of going online, and teach them how to handle uncomfortable situations. And finally, set limits, and discuss them with your children. Together, you can create a fun and safer environment for your children online.
|