Updated: 06 May 2008

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Introduction

Can internet filtering software really keep the net nasties at bay? We put it to the test to find out.

Internet content can both help and harm your child. A net filter will help block potentially harmful content such as pornography, violence and hate groups. But does that mean your child is safe to browse the web unsupervised?

Our test of 12 programs includes four free downloads - find out how well they all worked.

Products we tested

This report contains test results and recommendations for the following net filtering programs:

• Cyber Patrol
• Cyber Sentinel
• CYBERsitter
• Filterpak
• Integard
• K9 Web Protection
• NetMop
• NetNanny 5
• Optenet Web Filter
• ParentalControl Bar
• Parental Filter
• We-Blocker

How we tested

We tested all the software using their default settings, to see how well the filters blocked potentially harmful material in 10 categories:

• Abuse/exploitation
• Crime
• Guns
• Violence
• Terrorism
• Drugs
• Hate speech
• Pornography
• Warez (pirated software available on the net)
• Circumventors (sites that allow access to blocked content and web pages by circumventing filtering software)

We also checked for false positives - mistakenly blocking non-offensive sites - and whether the programs could detect and block undesirable content from emails, instant messaging, downloads, archived files, and removable media (hard drives and USB keys). Finally, we noted if any of the programs had a significant performance impact on web surfing.

What we found

There wasn't a lot separating the top 6 products and any of these filters will provide a good level of screening. Each blocked 100 percent of pornography.

The top two programs, NetNanny and Integard, offered the best combination of performance, ease of use, flexibility and useful extra features. Both blocked 100 percent of the pornography we threw at them, but were less effective with guns, crime and terrorism.

The best free program, Parental Control Bar, was the most successful filter in our test. It blocked pornography, abuse and guns completely, and was very tough on violence, drugs and hate speech. It wasn't as flexible as the two top programs, but it blocked more content - and it's free.

All the filters except Parental Filter were effective in blocking at least 90 percent of pornography. Terrorism was a weak point however, with no program blocking more than 53 percent.

It's worth noting that all the programs tested have the potential to perform better if 'trained' correctly over a period of time by manually approving or disapproving content. This was easy to do for all the programs we tested.

Net file protection only

Good net filters can help protect you from offensive content detected live online, but won't protect you from the same content loaded from other sources.

We downloaded a .zip file containing restricted material, extracted the images to a folder on the Windows desktop and on to a USB key, then in both cases viewed the images from within a web browser.

None of the filter packages blocked the test images when loaded from a 'local' source rather than directly over the internet.

Updates and specifications

All the net filters tested included an update feature to provide ongoing protection, but Parental Filter, Cyber Sentinel and NetMop couldn't auto update. Not surprisingly, automatic updating is easiest to use. Each time you load the software or turn on the PC, the software is able to check for new information on restricted content, and immediately download updates.

Manual updates require the user to remember to check for updates and initiate the process through a menu selection or via the developer's website. The risk is that unless you check regularly, information that the software relies on to detect bad content may become out of date and reduce your protection.

Browser and system support

We-Blocker and NetNanny 5 didn't work with Firefox. All the filters except CYBERsitter worked with Windows 2000 and XP. All except We-Blocker, ParentalControl Bar and Cyber Sentinel worked with Windows Vista.

Multiple computers

NetMop, Integard and Filterpak come with three licences and are the only tested products stating they can be installed on more than one PC. NetNanny 5, CYBERSitter, CyberPatrol and Cyber Sentinel require extra licences to be purchased and installed on any additiional machines.

All the free filters could be installed on multiple computers, but required a unique email address to be entered during the registration phase of each installation.

We recommend

• NetNanny 5

  $39

  Good points

  Best program overall. Good filtering performance. Very easy to use. Good flexibility (good range of features, options and settings). Particularly good for blocking pornography, abuse, drugs, violence, hate speech and illegal software.

  But

  Little extra benefit over free software. Not compatible with Firefox.

  User Reviews 0

• Integard

  $40

  Good points

  Very easy to use. Good flexibility (good range of features, options and settings). Good blocking of pornography, abuse, drugs and hate speech. Has 3 licences.

  But

  Little extra benefit over free software.

  User Reviews 0

• ParentalControl Bar

  Free

  Good points

  Best free program. Best filtering performance, particularly pornography, abuse, guns, crime, drugs, violence and hate speech. Very easy to use.

  But

  Not as flexible as many other programs (fewer features, options and settings). Not compatible with Windows Vista.

  User Reviews 1

Net filtering vs security suite

Net filtering is only part of the overall security picture for your computer. It's designed specifically for browsers and other internet programs, while other security software protects against viruses, spam, spyware and other threats.

If you have a security suite it may include a net filter. Most of the products in our security suite test included content filtering and instant messaging protection.

If your security suite already does net filtering but you prefer to use one of the programs we tested, check to see if the security suite will let you turn off the net filtering module. If you can't disable the net filtering provided with your security suite, don't install an additional net filtering program.

Running multiple net filter programs on the same PC can cause software conflicts possibly leading to slowdowns, system instability or crashes and lack of protection.

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