What else can you do?

The bottom line is that no net filtering system is foolproof. There is still no substitute for parental supervision when children are online. When parental supervision is not possible, software can help reduce the chances of undesirable content being seen, but it needs to be part of an overall online safety strategy.

Software aside, there are a number of practical things you can do to control what your kids are accessing:

• Print out positive rules and post them by the computer. Both www.censorship.dia.govt.nz and www.netsafe.org.nz offer a list of good internet safety rules.
• Limit time on the internet. Make rules on how long your children can be online, and at what times of the day. This can reduce the chances of them surfing the net when you're not around.
• Position the computer in a communal area of the house where the screen is visible to others. Alternatively, if children are using the internet in a bedroom or study, keep the door open.
• The toolbar of your browser lets you view the history of pages recently accessed. Be warned: a technically proficient child can get around this. If the internet history always seems to be disappearing it could be a sign they're visiting sites you wouldn't approve of.
• Take advantage of built-in security features. For example, the start-up sequence on a Mac or PC can be password-protected. This lets you restrict when the computer can be turned on.

If you have young children using the internet you may want to take a stronger approach. But for older children you should consider their age and computer experience and your own moral stance, before deciding whether to install a net filter package and how tightly you should configure it.

Blocking out content of various kinds may prevent it being viewed on a particular computer, but in itself does little to help educate children about what they may come across on the internet elsewhere and how to deal with it.

As children grow older and more sophisticated about the use of computers and the internet, a heavy-handed 'big brother' approach of spying on and controlling online activities may be counter-productive to building effective communication and trust between parents and children.

We also strongly advise running a quality security suite to minimise the risk of exposure to other unwanted net nasties as well.

Report by Marc Wendelborn