What is the best software to monitor a child's activity online

[BBCMember]

A friend of mine wants the best software program that will allow him to monitor where his young daughter goes without her knowing it, including chats, etc.

What is the best software for this?

 

[Modelworks]

I'm not up on the "netnanny" type software but a recommendation I heard on the news really makes sense.

Don't put the computer your child uses in a room by itself where the child can go and be alone, like a bedroom, etc.

Place it in a room where everybody in the home frequents, living room, etc.

Less problems are likely to occur, chat room predators, web cam pervs, etc if the pc is where you can view it often.

just a thought.

I watched the dateline episodes on msnbc where they solicited sex through yahoo chat posing as 12-13 year olds and was amazed at how many people they actually got to come to the house they set up. Doctors, teacher, marines, computer geeks, etc

It was funny watching them try to lie there way out of why they came to the house to meet a 12 year old.
"I'm here to just warn the girl that she shouldn't be doing stuff like this"
Uhm sir, you sent her pictures of you naked.
"Uhm, must be someone else"
You brought condoms.
"Yeah, but, I , I "
Oh crap


The cops were waiting outside for them 🙂

 

[Schadenfroh]

Please see Freeware Security Applications Thread: Section D

A commercial keylogger would probably be the best route to recording IM chats, if she has little technical knowledge. I would go with a hardware keylogger that sits between the keyboard and the computer, put it on there without her knowing and she will "probably" never notice it, plus a hardware keylogger will not set off antivirus products.

I hope this thread does not turn out like the 2nd from the last parental thread, we were beating each other with our own severed limbs:evil:

 

[RossMAN]

Originally posted by: BBCMember
A friend of mine wants the best software program that will allow him to monitor where his young daughter goes without her knowing it, including chats, etc.

What is the best software for this?

Look for a free or commercial key logger program.

 

[Carbo]

Generally considered the best of its type: Spector Pro

 

[TrukinDave]

There is one keylogger I use to keep track of my kids online habits:

Its called keykey It can be hidden and not seen

When installed if I remember right it puts as icon on your desktop and also places program names into the start menu ( Programs side ) Just delete them and you are set.

It will record for 45 minutes a day on the shareware side, Unlimited on the full version.. I think its like under $30.00 for the full version.. It records all keystrokes

 

[Brazen]

You can use "Ubuntu CE" as a web proxy. I believe it not only blocks lewd sites, but also logs web activity. This will however require the use of a seperate computer. Make sure that is "Ubuntu CE" not just regular "Ubuntu".

 

[biostud]

Originally posted by: Modelworks
I'm not up on the "netnanny" type software but a recommendation I heard on the news really makes sense.

Don't put the computer your child uses in a room by itself where the child can go and be alone, like a bedroom, etc.

Place it in a room where everybody in the home frequents, living room, etc.

Less problems are likely to occur, chat room predators, web cam pervs, etc if the pc is where you can view it often.

Very good idea kids have rights to privacy too. And I would be quite offended if my parents didn't trust me enough to monitor me privately. Imagine how you would feel if you found out your loved one monitored your behavior secretly.

 

[Tarrant64]

Originally posted by: biostud

Originally posted by: Modelworks
I'm not up on the "netnanny" type software but a recommendation I heard on the news really makes sense.

Don't put the computer your child uses in a room by itself where the child can go and be alone, like a bedroom, etc.

Place it in a room where everybody in the home frequents, living room, etc.

Less problems are likely to occur, chat room predators, web cam pervs, etc if the pc is where you can view it often.

Very good idea kids have rights to privacy too. And I would be quite offended if my parents didn't trust me enough to monitor me privately. Imagine how you would feel if you found out your loved one monitored your behavior secretly.

Yeah best way to monitor your kids activity is to have them in a public area around the house. They do have their privacy rights too(if you can call it that), but how do you think they would feel if you just came up to them one day and asked them why they were looking at unappropriate ads and websites online? If that happened to me I would be paranoid about everything I did. I'd rather have them over my back in the living room while I checked out crazy people's myspace pages while they were watching TV.

Just keep an eye on them, no need to log everything to do. What are you going to do when they move out and get their own internet anyway? Have you seen what kids are capable of accessing while at school now anyways?