Have Kids? Try a Keylogger

Tools and advice for keeping children safe online, plus a new natural-language search engine.

It must be agonizing to have kids who use the Web. A friend called and asked what I'd recommend to keep an eye on the Internet access of her five kids. Four of the kids are girls; the oldest is about 16 and spending lots of time in chat rooms.

You've probably guessed I abhor programs that spy on users--but Mom and Dad really need to know what's cooking online.

Philosophically, though, I'm okay with watching what people do on their PC provided they're fully aware that it's happening. I discussed this with Mom and Dad (remember, I'm a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist) and they agreed: Trust with verification.

SpectorSoft's Spector Pro costs $100 and I was stunned by how efficient it is at tracking everything--and I mean everything--a user does. It works in the background and unless you're really PC savvy, you won't even see it. Even if you do find it, you can't access the setup without a password.

I installed Spector Pro on my friend's computer, then logged in as each user, did a bunch of stuff--opened applications, sent e-mail, sent instant messages, and chatted in a chat room. The program recorded everything I did on the computer, and even took snapshots of the screen. Afterwards, I could review everything.

Heck, I watched a video and Spector Pro recorded it, too--I was able to see the desktop and media player showing the video. There's even a tab that reports on MySpace activity; with all those kids, it should be useful.

Another way to use Spector Pro is to see what Web sites users were on, and to review their actions to learn how and when they might have picked up spyware. The setup also lets you block access in a number of ways, including by time, application, and Web sites.

Spector Pro let me review the data from the activity for each of the kids. I could even use a filter to look at specific data for a particular type of activity.

Dig This: Got a deadline? The Missile Game 3D should keep you busy for a while. [Thanks to Mike D.]

Dig This, Too: Perhaps the Missile Game wasn't hard enough for you. Fair enough. Give this one a try (it helps if you can read French). It will take you a dozen tries to figure it out--and other 50 to get a decent score. (Hint: Keep the lower ball on the balance and bounce the upper ball.)

Kids need protection, and there are other ways you can work towards keeping them safe online.

I always hope the government will come up with a magic wand. Anush Yegyazarian's " Protecting Kids Online" takes a look at the attempt Congress has made--and whether it helps or hurts.