Tools let you control PC, Internet access

Cyberspace is becoming a crowded place these days, and many ofthose places on the Web are just not suitable for your kids.

Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to protect your kids as wellas protect your computer from your kids just plain messing around.

A Sugar Grove company, Security Software Systems Inc., makes CyberSentinel and LockDown, which protect you, your kids and yourcomputer.Cyber Sentinel 1.6 ($29.95) runs in the background on your Windows95/98 or NT PC and monitors usage of both online and offlineresources. The software provides a proactive model for analyzing,monitoring, filtering and blocking undesirable, predatory andsexually explicit computer traffic on your family PC. It is the onlyapplication independent content manager on the market and gives youprotection where and when you need it.A data collection function lets parents review inappropriate andpotentially harmful material gathered from the computer. Aconfigurable feature of the software can display warnings to screenor stealthily gather inappropriate computer usage - which works wellin business and school labs.Cyber Sentinel has two modes of operation: Active Mode pops up awarning screen every time the software detects a violation and grantsyour kids time to exit the offending screen. If the offensecontinues, the software captures and logs the screen to a secureddatabase. Cyber Sentinel can be configured to terminate theapplication after logging the screen violation to the database. Apassword-protected override exists on warning screens that allowsparental override. Stealth Mode keeps track of violations withoutflashing on-screen warnings by capturing the violating screens andstoring them in a password protected database for later review by aparent. Applications can also be terminated at this point. Yourkids are completely unaware of its existence - so, if they neverbreak your home computer access rules, they never get "caught."Security Software has also just launched, with Microsoft, theMicrosoft Safe Kids Web site. This Web site features up-to-dateinformation on how to protect you, your family or your classroom frominappropriate material on the Internet. This Web site was designedby Microsoft in cooperation with the Naperville Police Department'sInternet Crimes Unit. Cyber Sentinel, not surprisingly, is thefeatured tool on this site.If you need to prevent your kids or your employees from usingparticular programs or using specific files, LockDown (also $29.95)will do the trick. Once you select a specific application to lockdown, you can decide to give specific users access privileges. Thatmeans your 18-year-old might be able to use AOL 24 hours a dayunsupervised, while your 11-year-old is limited to two hours a daywhen you can supervise him. LockDown encrypts applications andfiles, protecting them with passwords, allowing parents or employersto decide who can use what and when.LockDown lets you set specific system privileges, so you canprevent your kids or employees from printing, or reaching the Net, orusing the Find command, or other actions you would like to restrict.The software, like Cyber Sentinel, has provisions for using apassword provided by the company should you forget passwords.Don Crabb's column appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday and inHomelife on Friday. He can be heard Saturdays from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.on WGN-AM (720). He appears at 7:45 a.m. Thursdays on WFLD-Channel32's "Fox Thing in the Morning" and 5 p.m. Fridays on Channel 32'sFox News Chicago. E-mail: don@doncrabb.com.