internet monitoring software    internet monitoring software

 

Internet Monitoring Software

The ICU Software Application captures images of the screen making it an ideal solution for all your internet monitoring software requirements. As a concerned parent you may be wondering however what areas of the internet in particular require looking at? This is our guide to the various internet applications that we think require monitoring.

Web Page Monitoring

I bet that's confused a lot of people, but web pages and the world wide web are not one and the same. Web pages are part of the internet but they are not the whole thing and yet I suppose when you think of internet monitoring software you are really thinking of web page monitoring software? The dangers posed to your children from the web are many and varied. Searching for something as simple as "barbie doll" can have unexpected results, many websites will try and install spyware to capture personal details like credit card info and of course there is the issue of Social Networking Websites like Bebo and Habbo where your children create online profiles to share with friends. These profiles can contain lots of things including photographs, favourite music, personal details and even online polls. Nobody wants their kids to feel left out and so I felt it important that I let my daughter join in, this is one example where blocking instead of monitoring could have backfired. However, some of the features I saw on my daughter's friends profiles were a major driving force in the reason for writing ICU. I’m positive their parents had no idea! With social sharing, forums and blogs also comes the question of adults pretending to be children. This whole “grooming” process is an enormous fear for most parents and yet we are happy for our kids to while away endless hours online without supervision. Questions that may seem innocent to a child will stand out to an adult, if we can see what is going on we can step in and educate our own children. The ICU approach to web page monitoring is just that, to show you what your kids have been looking at, searching for and communicating with so that you can use this information to educate and keep them safe.

MSN Messenger and Other Instant Chat Monitoring

As well as becoming a very popular tool for business, instant chat applications like MSN Messenger have also taken of amongst kids. For most children e-mail is seen as too slow to chat with their friends so an instant chat profile is a must. From my own experience I can say that my 11 year old daughter spends more time on MSN Messenger than any other application. The main concern here is that an adult pretending to be a child has managed to form an online friendship with your child. This usually starts with general chat on a forum or social networking website that result in the 2 becoming Messenger “buddies”. Away from forum moderators and web page content filters the world of instant chat provides these predators with much more freedom. As a parent it is quickly obvious what is harmless chat amongst friends and what potentially has another motive. By using ICU as your internet monitoring software solution screen grabs will be captured showing instant chat conversations in context, you will see exactly what your child was looking at.

E-Mail Monitoring

The same dangers apply for e-mail as for instant chat. However when it comes to monitoring e-mail messages I prefer a different approach. When I first set up my daughters e-mail account I automatically requested a copy of each mail she receives. This is a great way monitoring younger children’s e-mail. However there will come an age where they will either setup their own e-mail accounts or you may feel that monitoring every message is too much. When this does happen the ICU Software approach will give you screenshots of any open e-mails so that you can review and act accordingly.

File Share Monitoring

…Or perhaps more specifically illegal file sharing. As opposed to the other internet applications where monitoring is more about keeping your children safe this is more concerned with keeping them on the right side of the law. There is also the question about the types of people they may meet through illegal file sharing services. File sharing programs like Azura, LimeWire and Azureus allow users to file all types of files from their computer with other users. Many of these files contain viruses and spyware as well as being illegal. For the sake of keeping your kids on the right side of the law it’s important that their usage of these types of programs is monitored.


There are many reasons for thinking about using some form of internet monitoring software for your children. Lots of people will struggle with the idea of “spying” on their children but from my own point of view I simply see it as being a parent. My job is to keep my kids safe and bring them up right. Monitoring their internet use is just one of the many ways in which I can do this. With the help of ICU I have a way of seeing what web pages she has been looking at and who she chatted to. Its then up to me to use that information responsibly to talk to her and let her know what I think is and isn't acceptable. When looked at in this context I have no problem with using internet monitoring software.