Cyber Safety Seminar

Mark Strohm, Jr.

Recommended Filters

Internet filters are a MUST!  You would not leave pornographic magazines on the floor of your house with a warning “do not to touch!”  When inappropriate material is just a few clicks away it is as easy as picking up a magazine off the floor.  With the use of internet filters you remove concerns of accidental exposure or temptation.  Cyber Safety Seminar recommends the following filters.  You can check out each one by clicking on the banner adds below.

BSafe is the filter I use.  It is very powerful and nearly impossible to outsmart.  No matter what internet computer program is used, BSafe will scan the URL to see if it is “approved”.  It comes with a host of options and for a small extra fee you can use it on 3 computers.  My son Andrew (a critic of slow filters) approves of its speed!

Content Watch is another very powerful filter.  They advertise that it is now 400% faster than their original program.  Content Watch is less expensive that BSafe, but must be purchased for each computer.  Content Watch offers a free program entitled ContentCleanUp which helps you safely detect and clean your computer from objectionable files.

Net Nanny is the world’s leading parental control software.  They have a broad set of safety tools available.  Net Nanny has a unique feature where it can block web pages and non-encrypted e-mails with offensive language.  When we tried this program it slowed our internet connection down, but I am not sure how the latest version runs.
Helping families surf safely on the Internet

iProtectYou Web Filter and CyberSieve are offered by Soft For You.  These filters enable you to control internet sites and even which software programs may have access to the internet.  While other programs limit times children may go out on the internet this program allows you to differentiate between programs and times allowed.  So for example  you can allow access to school sites at all hours, but cut off instant messaging at 10:00 pm.
Keep Your Children Safe on the Internet

iProtectYou offers a nice 7 page pamphlet called Parents Guideline.  It gives parents some basics on how to apply your rules through the use of a filter.  The examples are from the iProtectYou filter, but they are applicable no matter what filter you have.  You can download the PDF file by clicking on the PDF symbol to the right.

Parents Guideline

Want to monitor everything that is done on your child’s computer?  These programs differs from filters that block certain internet activity.  IamBigBrother and E-Surveiller save all actions including text from Instant Messaging—both  sent and received. 

SafeEyes is an internet filter for both Mac and PC!  It has all the bells and whistles with the huge advantage of logging Instant  Messaging.  If you have more than one computer (you can load this on 3 computers) this is the best bargain.  You can also set the amount of time per day your child may be on the internet.  But don’t be fooled—this is not a cut down filter!

From an elementary teacher:  “The seminar was practical, put in common sense language.  I was impressed with how Mark had thoroughly researched the topic.  It’s shocking how the advertisers are targeting younger kids not just with ads but providing easy access to inappropriate things and even sexually explicit material.  I didn’t realize the extent of this going on.”

25 million American men use Internet pornography at least one hour a week, but most wives have no idea. 9 out of 10 children between the ages of 8 and 16 have viewed pornography on the internet. Most parents have no idea.  (New Life Ministries)