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NetNanny 5.0

Looking for the best family internet filter? Kai Chandler hires NetNanny 5.0

Anyone with children will be concerned about some of the dubious content on the internet but a filter, however effective, is only a blunt instrument because different families will have different views of what is, and what is not, acceptable.

Just consider the fine line between sex education and pornography, or between the political views of one faction or another and you’ll appreciate the difficulty.

What’s needed then, is a tool which gives sensible default values out of the box, but which allows the administrator to add certain sites to a white or allowed list, and others to a black or blocked list.

It should also allow different levels of access to different family members because what is acceptable for a teenager may be inappropriate for an under-ten.

NetNanny has been among the market leaders for a number of years and in comparison with many of its competitors, NetNanny certainly delivers the goods.

Installation is very straightforward. A standard level of protection is given to anyone via a guest account called ‘Anybody.’  This doesn’t require a password. Here’s what NetNanny does as default:

·          NetNanny blocks access to any sites on its blacklist

·          It blocks pages containing over four words that are on NetNanny’s list of objectionable words.  

·          It masks objectionable words on web sites, IRC chat rooms, news groups and plain text emails, replacing letters with ####. 

Up to 11 named accounts can be created for family members requiring a less stringent level of protection. Each account requires a 4-8 character password for access.

Once NetNanny is installed and active, the administrator account can access a set of functions, protected by password.  For example, filtering can be turned off for the duration of the session. Importantly, it is set back on by default whenever NetNanny is restarted.

The administrator can set a range of filtering options for the ‘Anybody’ account, or for each individual user. For example:

·          Set the level of filtering: a) Permit all web sites. b) Permit all web sites EXCEPT those on the blacklist. This level is recommended for older teens and adults. c) Block all web sites EXCEPT those on the whitelist. This level is recommended for children, young teens, and anyone who wants to avoid 'surprises' when browsing the Web. d) Block all Web sites.

·          Edit the site blacklist by adding a new site to be blocked, or allowing a previously blocked site.

·          Filtering out objectionable words can be turned on or off. The administrator can add to the list of objectionable words but curiously cannot ‘allow’ a word from NetNanny’s own blacklist.

·          Block certain programs eg. peer to peer file trading programs such as Kazaa, instant messaging programs such as ICQ or online games. A list is given in each category. It’s not clear how to add programs to these lists.

·          Set times of use – days of the week, maximum hours in the day or certain hours:  for example 4pm to 6pm.

It’s also possible to block all web graphics, filter annoying popup/popunder windows and block cookies.  The administrator can define items that should not be transmitted for example a user trying to send his address or a credit card number will be blocked from doing so, if required.

Lists of blocked sites can be loaded on request or can be scheduled to download automatically.

Violation reports can be viewed online or emailed at regular intervals to a nominated email account.

To sum up, although no parental internet filter is 100% effective, NetNanny 5.0 works well out of the box. It has the flexibility for you to tailor to your requirements.

Here are Surfcontrol.coms’s top tips for family-friendly surfing.

·          Parents should take an interest in what their children do with the computer. It’s best to keep the computer in a communal area rather than in a child’s bedroom.

·          Help education your children of the dangers as well as the benefits of the internet for example, never give personal information out on the internet.

The following are taken from ChildNet International’s at http://www.childnet-int.org/

If you start by telling your child never to do something most children will ask "why not?" and then try to find out! Discussing the potential dangers with your children therefore needs care and sensitivity and involves helping them to see for themselves how they might get into difficulty. Most children will respond more positively if you encourage them to be SMART or "Cool" on the Internet rather than giving them a list of "Dos and don'ts"! The following SMART TIPS have been written especially for children aged 8-14 years.

·          SAFE - Staying safe involves being careful and not giving out your name, address, mobile phone no., school name or password to people online.

·          MEETING someone you have contacted in cyberspace can be dangerous. Only do so with your parent's/carer's permission, and then when they can be present.

·          ACCEPTING e-mails or opening files from people you don't really know or trust can get you into trouble - they may contain viruses or nasty messages.

·          RELIABLE - Someone online maybe lying about who they are, and information you find on the Internet may not be reliable.

·          TELL your parent or carer if someone or something makes you feel uncomfortable or worried.

You can download NetNanny 5.0 here

Kai Chandler

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