I was hoping to have our review of the CYBERminder Internet Security system up today, however due to the amazing postal service here in the UK it’s going to be delayed by a few days. I’ll update this once I receive it.
Luckily I was able to speak to Nathan, the owner of superviseandprotect.com (the UK/ROI/European distributer) to find out more about the system and what makes it unique in the market…
There are quite a few products out there that aim to keep your children safe online and barely a week goes by without the newspapers featuring some story of minors being exposed to who-knows-what while using the internet; so it’s definitely something every parent should take an interest in. You might think, “well it’s down to the parents – they should teach their kids better” but as we all know sometimes no matter what you put into google innocently you don’t always get what you expect….
So no, parental responsibility doesn’t completely protect anyone and that’s why we turn to products that will filter what our children see online. There are well known products from Norton, and NetNanny that have been around a while, so what makes the CYBERminder any different?
CYBERminder is the first to not only rely on software filtering (I won’t go into the technical details that I was told but trust me they are using a Very reliable source of software filtering that a lot of BIG organisations use too for controlling employees internet access at work) but to also provide a Hardware solution, in this case a pair of USB keyfobs that will control the level of filtering applied.
You get 2 USB keys – the first is the ‘Supervise’ key that when inserted will automatically install the filtering software and configure your computer (Windows XP/Vista/Windows 7 only – no Mac support at present); and a ‘Protect’ key. Once installed on the computer you will not be able to go online without one of the keys inserted. With the Supervise key you have full unrestricted access to the internet – the software does not get in the way at all. Take the supervisor key out and internet access is fully blocked. With the Protect key inserted the internet access is filtered to only show what’s suitable.
There are 3 products in the range aimed at different age ranges, Under 9′s, 9-12year olds, and Teenagers. The age will determine what filtering is applied and allows access to sites that follow the school curriculum as needed.
Below is what their website lists for each age:
All CYBERminder™ products block sites designed for, or containing, adult-only material and content with an adult-only theme.
This includes pornography, sites relating to sexual practices and gambling.
What protection does CYBERminder™ PROTECT Under 9 key provide?
Designed for the youngest Internet users, CYBERminder™ Under 9 key blocks the following sites:
- blogs and chat (MSN messenger, Chat Roulette etc.)
- photo and video sharing (Flickr, YouTube etc.)
- p2p and filesharing (PirateBay etc.)
- auctions and classified advertising (eBay, CraigsList etc.)
- search engines (Google, Bing, etc.
What protection does CYBERminder™ PROTECT 9-12 key provide?
Designed for older children who want to do more with the Internet, CYBERminder™ 9-12 still provides extensive filtering and protection. It blocks the same categories as the CYBERminder™ Under 9 key, but additionally allows three popular search engines:
- Bing
- Yahoo
What protection does CYBERminder™ PROTECT Teenager key provide?
Teenagers are given more freedom on the Internet using their CYBERminder™ Teenager key.A degree of trust is therefore extended to these older children, who should be more aware of the dangers present on the Internet and how to stay safe.
We encourage parents to direct their children to one of the advisory web sites that can help explain and guide them as they explore more of what the Internet offers:
KidSMART
All in all the system should mean you can safely allow your children access to the computer without you having to check over their shoulder all the time, putting the trust element back with the child – which is recommended by the NSPCC.
The keys cost £28.50 and are licenced so that you can use them on as many computers as necessary – great for multiple PC households as it means you only need to buy it once!
Part Two of this review is now ready with our experience of the system click Here to view it
