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Parental Control of children's computer useWithout a doubt computers can be a wonderful resource for children of all ages as a fun, interactive environment, research tool, personal library, and a window into the wider world with online tools such as Google search and Google Earth, Wikipedia, e-mail, online educational sites and much, much more. The biggest drawback to giving your child a computer is the very real threat to their wellbeing from inappropriate software, sites and some of the people that lurk online.
Parents can't easily lock down the computer for their child's safety, and cannot be in front of the screen with them every moment of the day. The hidden threatsThe major risks to your children's computer use, just as much as an organisation's systems and data, is not from the traditional Hollywood image of teenage, bespectacled hackers sitting on the other side of the world via the Internet - it is the expert conman and paedophile, 'social engineers', his or her tools of the trade are confidence, cunning, and plain old fraud. Without adequate guidelines and procedures your children or staff can unwittingly leave the front door wide open to abuse.
Remember children are inherently curiousand will, by their nature, click on links and try new things online which, without the benefit of an adult's hindsight and cynicism, could put them in harm's way.
Even when they don't intend to, most children run into pornography (and not just the soft-core Playboy type), gambling and even predators on the Internet. Consider these statistics:
- 70 percent of all 15-17 year-olds who have ever gone online have accidentally stumbled across pornography online, 23 percent "very" or "somewhat" often. (Kaiser Family Foundation study, 2001)
- One in five children ages 10-17 have received a sexual solicitation over the Internet. (The Web's Dark Secret; Newsweek, 19 March, 2001)
- 43 percent of children said they do not have rules about Internet use in their homes. (Time/CNN Poll, 2000)
- 17 percent of parents believe their children are posting online profiles, as compared to 45 percent of children who report doing this. (Internet Safety for Kids; Protocol Analysis Institute)
New trends of 'Social networking' sites, such as Bebo and MySpace etc, can also pose a danger. Again, children are by their nature, lacking in a certain level of cynicism and do not readily understand the potential consequences of posting suggestive photos or personal details online. These sites are a gold mine for predators.
ITEX ExperienceITEX and in particular its owner as a parent of young school children in Wellington, New Zealand, have over ten years IT experience locking down computers to prevent misuse and outside attack including in the private, state and military sectors.
This experience includes the NZ Commerce Commission where he assisted in the electronic investigation and execution of search warrants (raids) on individuals and companies suspected of being in breach of either the Commerce Act or Fair Trading Acts. This work required a deep understanding of hardware and software hacking techniques and included NZ police and GCSB training and demonstrations in the use of hardware data extraction, encryption and evidence gathering techniques. He later moved on to New Zealand Defence where he became the National Internet Technology Manager for the NZ Army, with some 8,000 users in New Zealand and operationally deployed intranets. In addition to being exposed to military grade security techniques, he became experienced in technologies ranging from encryption, data recovery, data analysis, hardware and softwaretroubleshooting, PC and Server configuration and optimisation, smartphone and pda technology, etc and became a respected straight-shooting source of technology advice.
The ITEX AnswerSo how can we help? ITEX have tested dozens of combinations of free and commercial software solutions and have many years experience in locking down computer internal permissions far beyond the default Microsoft standards. We can be employed to provide a complete security audit of your child's computer, provide FREE child protection software that has been quality checked by ITEX, and give other expert advice and training to protect your children's computer related experiences.
The price of this service has been reduced to give best value for money for concerned parents and can come to you anywhere in the Wellington region, or provide some free advice via e-mail.Click here to contactITEX today for a free quote.
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