Software Tools to Help Protect Your Children Online

The Internet offers children and teens a world of new ways to expand their knowledge, play games and movies, and research ideas. Along with these benefits come new challenges for parents and guardians. It's up to you to take steps to protect your children and teach them how to handle these new opportunities safely. And for most parents, already stretched thin with multiple demands on their time and attention, that's a challenge.

Fortunately, you have some help meeting these challenges. Although software cannot be a replacement for parental involvement and oversight, there are ways to configure your software to help protect your child from inappropriate content when you're not present.

Here are some ways you can configure your Microsoft® software to help protect your children's privacy and safety, and some tips to help you set wise guidelines for your child's computer use.

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Block Inappropriate Content from Your Browser

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 Parental Internet Content Selection (PICS) rules, or the rating system of another organization you trust. These controls use a sliding scale to help prevent the display of inappropriate content—coarse language, nudity, sex, violence—provided that the Web sites put accurate content rating information on every page.

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Configure Security Zones in Internet Explorer 6

Internet Explorer 6 helps you control your security and privacy preferences while on the Web by enabling you to assign security levels to Web sites. Internet Explorer 6 also helps protect your privacy while on the Web by providing features that help control how Web sites track your activities.

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Check Where Your Children Spend Time When Online

It may not always be possible to be present while your children are surfing the Web. But it is possible to check later to see where your children have spent their time online. By reviewing the temporary Internet files, cookies, and the History list in Internet Explorer, you can review the places your children visited online.

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Assign Your Children to the Limited Users Group

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. Furthermore, users can be configured as either Administrators, with full control over the computer, or as Limited Users, with restricted controls. Limited Users cannot change system settings or install new hardware or software, including most games, media players, and chat programs.

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Use MSN 8 Parental Controls

MSN® 8 Internet software includes parental controls to help you monitor your child's time online. Parents can select from three age-specific settings to help them block inappropriate Web sites. They can also receive a weekly e-mail report which details their child's recent online activity, including the total time spent online, Web sites they visited or tried to visit, e-mail addresses and MSN Messenger IDs of people with whom they corresponded, and files they downloaded. Also consider signing your child up for a Kids Passport. Kids Passport helps sites comply with the parental consent requirements of children's privacy laws.

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Block Inappropriate Games on Xbox

The Microsoft Xbox® video game system includes parental controls that help parents restrict their children's ability to play inappropriate games. With restrictions in place, Xbox is designed to play only games and DVD movies that are rated at or below the selected Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) rating system level.

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Block Inappropriate Movies on Media Center

Windows XP Media Center Edition offers parental controls that help block DVDs with specified Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) ratings.

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Enhance the Security of Your Family Computer

Learning how to help secure your home computer plays a crucial role in helping to protect your family's system and the data stored on it from malicious attack. Here are some guidelines to help you enhance the security of your computer.

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Read Privacy Statements Carefully

Look for sites that adhere to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Under the COPPA rules, Web sites that knowingly collect information from children under 13 must disclose what information they are gathering and how it is being used. In many cases they must obtain parental consent before collecting, using or disclosing personal information about a child. Read privacy statements carefully before deciding whether to give your consent.

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Set Chat and Instant Messaging Limits

Real-time chats and instant messaging can be a great way for kids to discuss their interests and build friendships. But the anonymity of the Internet can also put kids at risk of falling victim to imposters and predators. To help minimize your children's vulnerability, teach them to take precautions such as:

To help protect your children from being contacted by strangers while instant messaging, configure your software to allow approved contacts. An "approved list" to help parents limit their children's e-mail exchanges is also a feature of MSN 8.

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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, such as telling an adult if they encounter inappropriate online content and never disclosing personal information to strangers online. For more in-depth expert advice and resources on creating safety guidelines for your family, visit these online resources:

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For more information, visit the Security & Privacy for Home Users section of the Microsoft® web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/security/home

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