Arming Yourself With Internet Safety With Spyrix Personal Monitor

2013-07-19

Today, there are more devices than ever before that can be used to access the Internet. This means that our children have more opportunities to get on Twitter and Facebook, without your knowledge, or supervision. Unfortunately, this also means that they will be exposed to predators, bullies and others that will use and abuse them, unless some kind of protection can be set up on their behalf. Spyrix Personal Monitor software packs the power any parent could need for countermeasures, security and more.

Profiling Today’s Internet Savvy Kids

There was a time, not all that long ago, when the only contact a child under the age of eighteen had with the internet was the limited time allotted to them by their parents on the family computer. The computer was always kept in a public area within the home, making it harder for them to visit sites their parents would not allow them to see. But, those were the good old days, when parents and kids were equally skilled at using the internet for knowledge and entertainment. Advances in technology and education have changed all of that, and it might not have been for the better.

Now that technology has given us cell phones, video games and even televisions that come with web browsers, it is almost impossible for parents to keep track of their kids internet activity, let alone know what sites they visit, or who they talk to. The dangers are real, and while our kids might not like parents knowing their business, it is necessary to protect them. Thankfully, that same technology that allows kids plenty of online access has also given their parents the best weapon possible: Spyrix’s Personal Monitor.

No Hiding Allowed

The first issue this software can help parents get around is the ‘hidden accounts”. On sites like Facebook, it is fairly easy to ‘hide’ contacts that a child does not want their parents to know about, and any conversations they may have had. With the ability to set up alerts and activity triggers, the Personal Monitor will allow parents to have detailed reports sent to their personal email every time the keywords you set up are used.

You can list keywords and phrases that you believe that your child would use as usernames or passwords, and have the report detail any activity linked to that keyword. This will also help you keep up with their passwords, something that most teens change continuously. You can also set up these report/alerts to capture screen shots through webcams, so if they are being bullied or propositioned, you might just get a shot of them in action.

Keeping Them Off Questionable Sites

In the past, monitoring software worked well enough, and parents felt safe in trusting that all bases were covered. Today, Personal Monitor from Spyrix now allows parents the ability to monitor all activity on the Internet done by their child, no matter what sites they visit. And, with the help of the ‘blacklist’ function, you can delineate what sites they are allowed to visit, and which ones they cannot.

By setting up a list of keywords and phrases that you find objectionable and do not want your child to have access to, you set up protocols that will go into effect every time they open a browser window, or use a search engine. Not only will access to the sites be blocked, the blacklist will trigger an alert and activity report that will be sent immediately to the email address you specify during setup. This will take practice, of course, to choose just the right words to use. You do not want to be too generic, to avoid blocking innocent sites that may have information that is completely harmless.

Live Monitoring

With Personal Monitor, you also have the option of monitoring live, while the child is online. With this software, you will be able to do so completely undetected, for two important reasons. While in invisible mode, you will be able to ghost along with all of your child’s Internet activity, click by click, as it happens. You will also be able to freeze frame and save screen shots, including those sent from the home web cam.

Best of all, your presence is undetectable on any computer, even to powerful virus programs. It will also allow you to monitor search engines, allowing you to see the results, and follow them to whatever URL they. Should your child use their computer while you are out, no worries. And, this function, like so many others in the Personal Monitor suite, can be set up for remote viewing, along with the usual alerts and report generation, all sent to your email address of choice.

Social Media Live Monitoring

One of the best current features of the Personal Monitor suite is the recently upgraded Facebook Monitor that is included. In the past, monitoring software was limited in its range when it came to social media sites. The security protocols employed by the majority of them would defeat any probes without too much effort. With this updated version, you can monitor all of their activity, from instant messaging to page views. You can also check out the pages of anyone who contacts them, or regularly posts on the child’s page.

Instant Messaging Tracking

Personal Monitor is also capable of tracking and viewing any instant messages that your child receives while they are online. As long as they are connected through a web browser and not using a cell phone link, you should be able to read and follow the text of any message sent through any of the major messaging systems. This includes video messages, as well, including stills and videos.

Download Controls

Lastly, the parental controls built into the Personal Monitor suite also give you the power to regulate your child’s ability while online. Even though technology is constantly changing, and anti-virus measures continually being improved, there is still a risk inherent in downloading from questionable sites. With these controls, you can lock down their ability to download any programs, songs or videos to any connected device, at any time.