9 Best Parental Control Software To Safeguard Your Kids

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Online security is a major concern for parents today. Nowadays kids are spending a considerable amount of time on the internet where they are exposed to several online threats. The most common danger is exposure to adult content in small age. Other lingering dangers are leaking of financial information while interacting with others on various social media sites. This also includes the danger of getting exposed to content related to racism, drugs and other objectionable issues. To deal with these online threats, parents must formulate a strategy to keep a check on the activities of kids while they're using the internet. Specialized parental control software can do the same very easily even when you have no technical knowledge about it. These software tools are easy to install and are equally easy to configure. Let's see some of the best parental control software to keep your kids safe online.

Parental Control BarParental Control Bar: This is free parental control software in the form of a toolbar that seamlessly integrates with the web browser. With a master password, you can easily configure all the security settings so that your child cannot alter and tamper applied filtering engine. It has two different modes viz., parent mode and child mode. In parent mode, there's no restriction on internet usage and you can change and edit different settings to filter selective websites. Switching to child mode initiates the internet filter and blocks adult and other objectionable content. You can also add websites to the safe list so that they can be opened under any circumstances without any restriction.

KidsWatchKidsWatch: This is a complete parental control software suite containing several advanced features to keep an eye on the internet activities of your kid. You can not only set time limits for internet usage but can also monitor entire chatting activities with your kids. You can also set various types of alerts. This software also prepares detailed reports of your child's internet activities. It also safeguards your child from various kinds of phishing attacks. It also intelligently monitors for keywords in chat sessions and on websites and alerts you for the same. You can use this software on 32-bit as well as on 64-bit Windows operating systems.

CyberPatrolCyberPatrol: This powerful software not only blocks inappropriate material but also provides several monitoring options. You can block individual applications from running on the PC so that they cannot be misused by the kids. This software works both on Mac and Windows system. Its powerful web filtering module lets you easily categorize and pick specific content to be monitored for real-time blocking. It also provides a time-based restriction to disallow internet access for fixed time periods. You can get free training material with this software so that you can configure all the settings with ease. It also has a fully functional trial version to test all its powerful features.

Net NannyNet Nanny: This intuitive parental control software contains several modules for different purposes. It has a unique video games control module that scans each game for any objectionable content and triggers the control restrictions as per the configured rules. Its smart profanity masking system protects you from explicit language while visiting any website. It also has a useful social media monitoring system that lets you watch what your kid is doing on various popular social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. You can create an unlimited number of user profiles on a single computer and can configure different settings for each active profile.

Aquarius Soft PC Lock UpAquarius Soft PC Lock Up: This software is perfect for limiting the time spent by your kid on internet. It also has a vision break system that alerts for a 5-minute break every half an hour. This helps in keeping your kid's eye in a healthy state. Its smart PC locking system automatically shuts down the system once the specified time limit is expired. You can create a weekly schedule in advance for internet usage and can choose selective hours per day. You can also configure voice alerts with this software. An event logging module lets you monitor all the activities done on the PC in your absence. You can also use its self-control feature that disables unlocking of screen lock to force you to take a break.

AllowBlockAllowBlock: Apart from regular website blocking, this parental control software also blocks file downloads. This prevents your kids from installing malicious software from the internet. You can configure different settings for individual users on a single PC. You can either block or allow selective websites or you can completely block access to the internet. It has a simple interface that makes the configuration process extremely easy. You can also password protect its uninstall option so that no unauthorized individual can remove it from the system. You can block websites based on TLD (top-level domain), keywords or on the basis of complete URL. This gives you the flexibility to fine-tune blocking filters.

Optenet PC Parental ControlOptenet PC Parental Control: This software can create separate filtering profiles for each user based on their age. Its website filtering database updates itself automatically almost on the daily basis. You can configure email alerts such that whenever someone tries to access the objectionable content you can immediately get an email about the same. You can schedule internet surfing sessions so that your kids do not access the internet at odd hours. You can also restrict the types of downloads on per user basis. It's multilingual and is completely password protected to prevent any alteration of settings. You can also block various chatting and file downloading applications.

SentryPCSentryPC: This parental control software has a real-time monitoring module that lets you keep an eye on user's activity conveniently from a remote system. It unique filtering system not only restrict access to websites but also lets you apply filters to applications, chats and other Windows system events. You can also configure pop up alerts for users trying to bypass restrictions. It has an advanced logging system that logs almost every single activity on the PC and delivers the entire log via email. By activating its stealth mode you can make it invisible to normal users. Log file encryption ensures that no one else can read the log details except the administrator.

OpenDNSOpenDNS: This is a combination of premium DNS and cloud-based internet security. Its unique pre-configured FamilyShield system blocks adult content with a click of a button. Its free plan for home users consists of a fairly powerful internet filtering system. You can connect multiple devices to your home with a single OpenDNS account. This way you can easily apply filters and restrictions on all devices with a single click. It also gives you protection from phishing and identity thefts. OpenDNS is used by millions of homes, non-profits, businesses and educational institutions. It is extremely easy to configure and gives you dual advantage of a stable and secure domain name server as well as a powerful internet filtering engine.