Internet Safety Resources

Highest Rated Software

[ Highest Rated Software ]The following Internet filtering/monitoring software was rated best to worst by PC Magazine.

  1. Cybersitter 9.0 (www.cybersitter.com)
  2. iProtectYou Pro Web Filter 6.03 (www.softforyou.com)
  3. Net Nanny 5.0 (www.netnanny.com)
  4. CyberPatrol 6.2 (www.cyberpatrol.com)
  5. EnoLogic NetFilter Home 3.0 (www.enologic.com)
  6. Safe Eyes Platinum (www.safeeyes.com)

Other Types of Filtering/Monitoring Software

The following is a list of software that can be used to record the Internet activity on a computer. This can be a useful tool for parents to review the Internet habits of their children. Most of the monitoring software is designed to only keep a record of what the child is doing without restricting them in any way. As is true of most software, it is possible to find creative ways to defeat it's purpose. Another potential problem is that monitoring software may not be able to monitor all types of Internet activity (ie- chat rooms, instant messaging, peer-to-peer file sharing, etc.).

Covenant Eyes (www.covenanteyes.com) is a unique monitoring solution designed for adults to keep each other accountable. The purchaser of Covenant Eyes chooses an accountability partner who receives a regular email report of the owner's Internet usage.

There are other filtering options available as well which were not reviewed by PC Magazine. For instance, Integrity Online (http://integrity.com/) is an Internet Service Provider (ISP) which offers Internet service with filtering done on the ISP side. This means there is no software to install on your personal computer which makes the filtering service more difficult to circumvent.

The following Internet filters are server-based which means that they are updated very frequently. The downside is that if they are unavailable due to technical difficulties, you may not be able to access the Internet at all.