How to Restrict Browsing in Internet Explorer

Restrict Browsing In Internet Explorer

This question submitted by Bill Adams, Dianna Love, Ron Blakely, Virginia Thomas, Phil Smith, and numerous others

I've received the question a lot.: "What can I do to protect mychildren when they're on the Internet?" or "What can I buyto prevent access to certain types of Web sites?" These arequestions that are asked by both parents and employers. The Internet islike a very large city and like most cities it has its goodneighborhoods and its slums. There are people out there whohang around chat-rooms, spread malicious programs, and otherwise enticechildren. As a parent, you need to know where your children go onthe Internet.

While there are software programs you can buy to monitor computeractivities and restrict access, you can also use a feature built rightin to Internet explorer. Lets take a look at how to activated thisfeature. Make sure you have Internet Explorer 6.

In Internet Explorer click on Tools then Internet Options.Now click on the Content tab and at the very top you'll seeContent Advisor. Here you'll first want to click the "Enable"button. There are several categories you can control. These include:

Note that each category has a slider and you can adjust them to suityour goals. More content is allowed the further right you move theslider.

For special exceptions you can use the Approved Sites function.Here you can list any sites that you specifically want to be allowed.You can always add to this list.

Now you have more control over what can be viewed on your computer. Theonly other thing I might suggest is creating a password so your settingscan't be changed. To do this go to the General tab and click onthe "Create Password" option. With a password in place you won't have toworry about your children going in making changes.

Finally, just a few comments on things you might consider. Children arevery good with computers. They understand how things work and if theydon't they have friends who do. The settings we've talked about todayonly cover Internet Explorer so if your child downloads and installsOpera or Firefox your "controls" are useless. Make sure your childdoesn't sign in as an Administrator which makes it easier forthem to make changes. If you're dealing with teenagers you can count onthem trying to bypass your restrictions. A few programs that offer morecomplete coverage include:

• SnapKey ParentalInternet Monitor 2.0
• PC TattletaleParental Control Software
• CyberPatrol

Remember, it's a jungle out there and it's up to you to monitorwhat your children see on the Internet.

I'd like to thank Bill Adams, Dianna Love, Ron Blakely, VirginiaThomas, Phil Smith, and numerous others for asking this question.

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