KIDS AND THE NET

Let Internet Explorer Play Web Cop

The Annoyance:

I don't want my kids growing up to be fry cooks at McDonald's, so I got them a computer with a fast Internet connection. Now I'm afraid they'll become a little too worldly, too soon. How do I shield them from the Net's nasty, dark underbelly?

The Fix:

The first thing you can do is set up separate logons for each child, with settings appropriate to each age group. You'll also want to set yourself up as the adminstrator for that computer, so you can control what they can and can't do with it. (For the skinny on how to set up accounts, see Chapter 2, "One Computer, Many Eyeballs") If you share a computer, this will help keep them from eyeing your browser history or snooping around in your private files.

Once you've done that, you can log on as your child and adjust his or her browser settings to limit what sites they can visit, based on their content. (Though my advice is to use such content filters sparingly; see "Hire a Nanny.") Internet Explorer 6.x comes with an older ratings system devised by the Recreational Software Advisory Council (RASCi), which is now part of the Internet Content Ratings Association.

To turn the Ratings system on, select ToolsInternet Options and click the Content tab, followed by the Enable button. In the Content Advisor dialog box select the Ratings tab and click OK. If youve never enabled the Content Advisor you'll be prompted to create a password. Once you've got a password, click the Settings button in the Content Advisor section, enter your password and on the Ratings tab, use the sliders to choose the levels of sex, violence, nudity, and language you're willing to have your kids exposed to online (the strictest setting is Level 0, all the way to the left). Click Apply, then OK. The default setting is to have all filters turned to Level 0, which is probably what you want with smaller children, but probably not with Net-savvy teens.

Of course, site labeling is entirely voluntary and the vast majority of web sites are unrated. To keep your kids from wandering onto the wrong site, select the General tab and make sure the "Users can see sites that have no rating" box is unchecked. If you want to give kids the option of visiting an unrated site (with your approval, of course), check the box next to "Supervisor can type a password to allow users to view restricted content." You will quickly grow tired of doing this for unrated sites they like to visit over and over. The easiest way to avoid this problem is to select the Approved Sites tab, type the names of sites the kids can visit whether they're rated or not, and click the Always button. (To ban sites you never want them to see, you can simply type the URL and click the Never button.) When you're done customizing the settings, click OK twice to confirm your choices.

SafeSurf offers a free plug-in for IE that's easier to use and customize than IE's default ratings system. You can select an overall filter by age range or specify up to nine settings for each content area, including such topics as gambling, drug use, and intolerance. But first you must download a small safesurf.rat file and install it into your browser, then customize the settings to your liking. (For more information on incorporating SafeSurf into IE, see http://www.safesurf.com/iesetup/.)

Hire a Nanny

The Annoyance:

My kids already know more about my computer than I do including how to get around the browser settings. I need a better strategy.

The Fix:

You've got a couple of options. One is to use an ISP that offers more control over what your progeny can and can't do online. AOL and MSN both fit that description nicely (see Figure 3-11). You can set up profiles based on their age, which send your kids to special child-friendly home pages, with prebuilt filters for browsing, chat, instant messaging, and email. MSN has a neat feature where if your child is surfing and encounters a web site that's blocked by the parental controls, he or she can email you a note asking for instant approval to visit the site.

annoyances 3-11. Worried about your kids' online wanderings? Let AOL play digital babysitter.

ZoneAlarm's Security Suite comes with a built-in web filter, though it's turned off by default. To turn it on, launch the Control Center and select Web Filtering from the list of integrated applets. On the Main tab, check the "On" box under Parental Control. If you want Zone to assess sites that don't provide a rating (most of the nasty ones don't) and block the bad ones on the fly, check the "On" box under Smart Filtering DRTR Technology. Then click the Categories tab to pick the types of site you want to block. When you're done, close the Control Center. Be warned, however, that Zone's web filter is an extremely blunt instrument. You can't create exceptions within a blocked category. For example, if you choose to block "Adult: Pornography" sites, you won't be able to watch any videos on iFilm.com, regardless of how innocent they might be, because iFilm contains some adult material. And Zone's filter blocks anyone using the computer, regardless of what name they used to log on.

If you want more control over your kids' web surfiing, invest $30 to $50 in a program such as Content Protect (http://www.contentwatch.com), CyberSitter (http://www.cybersitter.com), or Net Nanny (http://www.netnanny.com). This type of software lets you create custom profiles for each user, and lets you police instant messages, email, file downloads, and virtually any other type of Net activity. (For more details, check out the chart at http://www.internet-filter-review.toptenreviews.com/.) Many security suites (like those from Norton, McAfee, and Zone Labs) also come with limited web content filters.

However, relying on any third-party monitoring solution can be problematic. For one thing, no software can possibly keep up with the constant flow of nastiness that is on the Net, so you'll need to constantly update the program's filters and even then there will always be ways to find sites they've missed. The other problem is that you're relying on someone else's idea of what's acceptable. Since these programs first appeared in the mid-90s, critics have documented instances of them mistaking medical sites for porn content or blocking controversial (usually left/liberal) political sites. (For more on the anti-monitoring point of view and ways to defeat major filtering programs visit the Peacefire site http://www.peacefire.org.)

My advice: if you're configuring Net access for a young child, create a list of sites you'd allow them to visit and block everything else, then gradually add to the list over time. If you've got a tween or a teen who needs the Net for research, I'd suggest a product like Net Nanny (or AOL Guardian) that lets you monitor web use without necessarily blocking access and a serious discussion about appropriate online behavior. AOL Guardian can limit access to sites and other content based on your child's age, shut down the connection after a specified period of time, and give you a detailed report on their online activity. If your weekly report shows they've been visiting sites they shouldn't have, then it's time for a talk. Another good idea is to put the computer in the living room or some other common area where you can keep an eye on it they're less likely to do anything risky or risqué if you're in the room.

Thanks for Not Sharing

The Annoyance:

I don't mind my kids roaming the Net, but I'm afraid they'll tell some stranger where we live or start sharing my credit card information in a chat room.

The Fix:

Use your firewall's privacy protection feature, if it has one, to prevent your kids from spilling specific information over the net like your home address, phone number, and so on (see Figure 3-12). For example, to do this with ZoneAlarm 5 Security Suite, launch the ZoneAlarm control panel (StartAll ProgramsZone LabsZone Labs Security), and select ID Lock in the left-hand area of the panel. On the Main tab move the slider bar to High to prevent any sensitive information from leaking out. Then select the myVault tab, click Add, fill in the description field, then type the information you want to keep secure. Put a checkmark in the boxes next to IM, Web, and Email to secure all outbound communications, then click OK. If you want some sites to have access to this information (like Amazon.com), click the Trusted Sites tab, then Add, and type the URL of the sites you trust with your personal information.

annoyances 3-12. Don't let the half-pints spill the beans. A good security suite (like ZoneAlarm 5.0, pictured here) will let you specify what information your kids can and can't share over the Net.

Every so often ZoneAlarm freaks out and warns me that some web site is trying to steal my Social Security Number. In every case it has turned out to be a web site requesting a cookie that happens to contain a random series of numbers that match some (but not all) of my SSN. (ZoneAlarm only watches for the last four numbers of your SSN.) The solution: simply tell the firewall to not allow this data to be sent. One less cookie won't harm anybody.

Watching where your kids wander on the Web is only half the job of protecting them. To keep spam, worms, and other nastygrams from polluting their inbox, turn to a service like Kidmail ($30 a year, http://www.kidmail.net). A handy web interface lets you see each message before they do, so you can winnow out the bad stuff. Kidmail also uses a challenge/response system to thwart spambots and worms. (See "Spamology 101"). As you approve mail, the senders get added to the approved list, and any of their subsequent messages go directly to your child's inbox (although you can read a 'blind carbon' of messages from particular senders). There are also enough animations, sound effects, and silly jokes to keep the sub-9-year-old crowd amused for quite a while. If your kids are tweens, Kidmail's big brother Incredimail (http://www.incredimail.com) can fill in with even more animations and effects. An ad-supported version is free, or you can forgo the advertisements for $30 a year.

I H8 IM

The Annoyance:

When she's not sleeping or talking on the phone, my teenage daughter is Instant Messaging her friends. She's even started talking in IM lingo. How do I keep the online creeps away from her without ruining her fun?

The Fix:

Both AOL and MSN let you specify who your kids can and can't communicate with via IM. If kids want to add someone to their list, they'll have to go through you first (see "Your Own Private AOL"). But a truly determined teen will figure out a way to get around any restrictions you put in her way for example, by downloading a separate copy of AOL Instant Messenger and creating a new screen name. Your best strategy is to discuss appropriate online behavior with your kids and stress the importance of caution and good judgment, especially when dealing with strangers. The Wired Teens site offers good advice on dealing with IM (http://www.wiredteens.org/teensim.html), while Larry Magid's Safe Teens site (http://www.safeteens.com) offers general guidelines for both teens and their beleaguered parents.

PRIVACY IN PERIL: STEALING CHILDREN'S IDENTITIES

Children are an increasingly attractive target for ID thieves, in part because they're easy prey for smooth-talking predators in chat rooms, and because the crime can go undetected for years. According to Linda Foley, executive director of the Identity Theft Resource Center (http://www.idtheftcenter.org), a lot of child identity theft is committed by estranged parents who have ruined their own credit ratings and decide to "borrow" their children's. If data collection notices and pre-approved credit offers for your kids start showing up in the mail, order a credit report for your child. Unless you gave them a gold card for their last birthday, most kids shouldn't have any records at the Big Three credit reporting agencies.

Children aren't the only people at risk. The recently deceased are also easy pickings for skilled ID thieves. These vermin read obituaries and obtain death certificates (often available for free online), which usually contain the victim's Social Security Number. Before any creditor knows the person is dead, the scammer has applied for credit using the deceased person's information and run up big charges. Fortunately you can halt this crime by signing up with the Global Will Registry (http://www.emergency-and-will.com). For $15 a year ($10 annually thereafter), the service will alert the major credit reporting agencies when you pass on, so they can put a freeze on your credit. That way your loved ones won't get dunned long after you're done.

YOUR OWN PRIVATE AOL

Using America Online used to be like visiting the county fair you'd see barkers to the left, carnies to the right, and nothing but balloons and cotton candy everywhere else. AOL 9.0 has toned down the blatant marketing and other in-your-face features, but there are still things you can do to ratchet up your privacy, just by tweaking a few simple settings.

• Lower your profile. AOL lets you build quite a detailed dossier about yourself for your online buddies to peruse. (To get there, click SettingsAbout MeCreate/Edit My Profile.) But if your friends can see it, so can 30 million other AOL subscribers. If you feel you must maintain a profile, be as vague as possible. Dont put your full name or phone number; for location, list North America; and be careful about listing your gender, marital status, or photos (especially you gals out there). The same goes for AOL's home page and blogging tools (SettingsAbout Me-Create/Edit My Home Page). Imagine that creepy guy from high school looking at your page, and edit it with him in mind not your trusted friends.

• Tighten your IM Security. AOL lets you control who can and can't send you an Instant Message, but the default setting is open to anyone who knows (or can guess) your AOL screen name. To change that, select SettingsIM Privacy and Security, and click the Privacy and Security tab. Select any option, from allowing all Instant Messages to blocking them all; if your universe of IM pals doesnt change much, choose "Allow only People on my Buddy List," then click Save.

• Drop the Pop Ups. To minimize annoying pop ups (especially those coming from AOL itself), select SettingsPop-Up Control Settings, and make sure all the boxes on that screen are checked. You may want to specify some exceptions for those few sites (such as Amazon.com) where you actually welcome pop-up windows.

• Dam the Spam. To keep junk from filling your inbox, go to SettingsSpam Controls, and click the sliding bar to indicate spam-catching strength (If you really want to be strict, you can choose to allow mail only from people you know or from a custom sender list. Click the "Sender Filter link) Make sure you comb through your inbox for any spam that's slipped through, and click the Report Spam button to delete the junk and to help fine-tune AOL's filters.

• Cover your tracks. You can tell AOL to stop keeping track of where you've been browsing by selecting SettingsToolbar and Settings, and checking the "Clear History trail and Auto-complete after each time I Sign Off or Switch Screen Names box, then clicking Save. This is especially useful if you're sharing one AOL account with other family members, and you don't want them following your footsteps.