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Restrict Access Internet Explorer
Steps
Ensure that you have Internet Explorer 6 (IE6)or later installed:
Open IE and in the Help menu click About Internet Explorer.
Check if the version number is 6.xxx, or later..
If necessary, download and install Internet Explorer 6 (see External Links).
Open IE's Internet Options menu item under Tools.
Choose the Content tab and click on the Enable button.
Turn on 'Content Advisor'Select filter settings for the categories shown:
Language, Nudity, Sex, Violence. The further right you push the slider, the
more content is allowed.
Change the Rating Settings to block types of contentClick on the Approved
Sites tab. Here you can type in any specific websites that you might want to
be treated specially. You can come back and change this list later, perhaps
after feedback from your family.
The 'Approved Sites' list. Navigate to the General tab, and click on Create
Password. This will set you up as Administrator, and prevent other users from
altering the Content Advisor settings.
Putting in a Supervisor Password. Click OK until you've exited the wizard. Now
you have enabled Content Advisor and can rest assured that your family can
only view rated webpages.
Tips
If your children (or any other Internet browser in your home) feel
that their Internet options are being limited, spend some time reminding them
what happens to computers that are completely unprotected, and present the
Internet filter as just another part of a good security setup.
Restricting a child's web usage when they are used to unrestricted access may
result in negative behavior. Try to to install an Internet filter at an early
stage to get them used to it.
Content Advisor only filters Internet Explorer, so if a family member installs
another web browser such as Firefox, filtering will not be effective. To
prevent a user installing another browser (such as Firefox) and bypassing IE's
filtering, create another User on your computer, and assign it limited user
powers. Get the other users to login using the new user ID, and their ability
to install new programs is restricted.
Resourceful children may try to use "hacks" to bypass your controls:
Free proxy service websites (search on google for "free web proxy") can hide
further webpage browsing from parental controls. Most parental control
software will automatically block access to these sites, but check out
History logs to view any attempts, and talk to your child to generate
agreement on what surfing is acceptable.
If the child logs in to the computer using an administrator account, they
may attempt to turn off Content Advisor by deleting registry settings.
Create for them a new account (with limited powers) to restrict their
ability to edit the registry.
Content Advisor may have uses but other software titles have more powerful
features:
Control what programs and games are run.
Restrict computer use to certain times or days.
View a list of visited websites.
Control which websites are accessed.
Some other programs to consider are as follows:
K9 Web Protection - a free family tool from a company that designs
corporation level web filters and blocks.
SafeEyes - This is what some schools are installing.
CyberPatrol - Perhaps the most used program at home. This program also can
control access to programs installed on the computer.
ContentProtect - Includes a remote control feature.
Integrated Tools - If you are a AOL, MSN or Earthlink subscriber, or you own
Norton Internet Security or ZoneAlarm Internet Security, you already have
some parental control tools, as they are integrated into the software.
WarningsAll parental-control programs sometimes over-block or
under-block websites. Read software reviews to minimize the risk of installing
a program that blocks too many safe sites, or allows access to too much
dangerous content.
Often web browsers are the target of many vulnerabilities and loopholes,
particularly popular ones such as Internet Explorer or Firefox are often the
target of such exploits, if you feel uncomfortable about this then perhaps you
should try a less popular browser like Opera or Konqueror (Linux/Macintosh)
which offer different codebases and features. It should be noted however that
most security compromises are a result of unsafe computing habits.
Scan all downloads with your virus checker.
Avoid programs and services that have not gained your trust.
Install a program such as Spybot Search & Destroy or AdAware to block
webpages that are known to try to gain access to your computer.
If you have a router/modem which provides "always on" internet access,
parental control software (indeed Windows itself) can be bypassed by a user
booting a custom operating system from a removable drive (this doesn't apply
to internet access through a simple USB or dialup modem, where users don't
have access to ISP login details).
Consider installing a physical proxy that controls all web requests at
access level. This will probably involve installing a more costly
router/firewall with extended features, unless you already have one.