| With school starting back, children will spend a lot | | | | affordable (around $40), is easy to install, and can be |
| more time on the computer. Nightly homework, | | | | completely customized for up to 12 different users. |
| research, special projects, and term papers will soon | | | | Net Nanny provides "age appropriate" protection for |
| be routine again, and internet access will be required | | | | kids between the ages of 5 to 17. |
| for everything. | | | | Online Backup |
| For responsible parents of school-age children who | | | | Computer hard drives have a lifespan, and can |
| rely on computers and the internet for school work, | | | | "crash" at any time, making all your data inaccessible. |
| two security issues come to mind. The first has to | | | | A computer virus can instantly corrupt all the data |
| do with protecting kids from online predators and | | | | files on a computer, and spyware can cripple a |
| inappropriate websites. The other thing to be | | | | system so badly that the only way to restore the |
| concerned about involves protecting the homework, | | | | computer to working order is to reformat the hard |
| term papers, and projects that our children work so | | | | drive - often resulting in data loss. With a computer |
| hard to create. | | | | that a child uses, the most common cause of data |
| If you have school-age children who use computers, | | | | loss is accidental deletion. |
| it's important to use parental control software to | | | | The computer that your child uses often contains |
| protect them online, and to ensure that their valuable | | | | valuable "works in progress" such as term papers, |
| data and documents are safely backed up. The | | | | research, and book reports. "Murphy's Law" indicates |
| easiest way to protect your child and his/her | | | | that the computer hard drive will crash just before an |
| computer data is to use parental control software | | | | important paper is due, often taking month's worth |
| and subscribe to an online data backup service. | | | | of hard work with it. You can easily back up your |
| Parental Control Software | | | | hard drive yourself by copying all the data to a CD |
| Net Nanny is by far the best internet protection | | | | on a daily basis, but most people find this is "too |
| software you can buy for a child's computer. It | | | | much trouble", or forget to do it regularly. |
| includes a powerful web filtering tool that blocks | | | | The best way to ensure that your child's hard work |
| access (via a customizable "blacklist") to websites | | | | is never lost is to use an online backup service. |
| that are known for illicit material and/or online | | | | Carbonite internet backup is the easiest and most |
| predators. An internet timer lets you control how long | | | | cost-effective method I've seen, costing only $5 per |
| children can stay on the internet each day, as well as | | | | month for unlimited "continuous" backup. With |
| specify times that the internet is accessible. Privacy | | | | Carbonite, you "set it and forget it". There is no need |
| protection prevents personal information such as | | | | to remember to backup daily, Carbonite automatically |
| account numbers, address, passwords, and user id's | | | | does it for you. If you need to restore after a crash, |
| from leaving the computer, and will not allow | | | | simply install the Carbonite software (free download) |
| predators and scammers to track your child's internet | | | | and select the files you want to restore. Carbonite is |
| browsing habits. | | | | free to try, and the cheapest data protection you |
| It also includes a pop up blocker, which prevents any | | | | can buy. |
| inappropriate "surprises", as well as application controls | | | | The best way to keep your child and his/her valuable |
| that let you block access to instant messaging, online | | | | school work safe is to use Net Nanny along with |
| games, or chatrooms if desired. Net Nanny is | | | | Carbonite online backup. |