As I agree with MrUnix I will also need to argue with him. I think they are right in saying that the only good protection they will have is a parent. Install the computer in a open area like the living room or near the kitchen if mom is cooking. That way the can not do any secret stuff. Glance at them once and a while over your shoulder and every so often just walk up undetected and say hum that looks interesting what are you learning about today. This will teach the kids right off the bat that they are being watched and monitored. Ad-ware and spy ware are hard to deal with but if you use Ad-aware by lovasoft you can get it for free. It will catch the most of it. Use Mozilla Firefox. This will help with all the popups and adware and all kinds of stuff.
I disagree with his intentions of a Unix firewall and router. This is a good theory in concept but most 99.9% of the home user has no ideal how to even start installing one. There is no way that they would be able to administer it and update it. As for the SSH into the box, good luck most people don’t even know what the command prompt is anymore.
There are so many software programs that I have seen out there. So much is yes just a “band-aid†fix to the problem. Parental control is the key. Between all family members there needs to be a agreement about what is right and wrong and then stick with it. I am sure if they got into trouble and had to go back to using the good old encyclopedias they would be more cautious next time.
I worked for a school district k-12. We allowed internet access for over 10,000 students each year. Part of the agreement was we had to provide some type of filter software. The best one we could find was N2H2 or Bess Proxy. I do not know if they will do a home user but I think they have something. The only disadvantage to this is that there is always a way around these things. (How do you think I got my job.) So you are back to the same old saying just be a Parent and put the computer in a public place.
There is not a lot here that I can comment on. I am not a bike mechanic. And I can’t tune a carb for anything. But when it comes to computers and networks, I feel I can say a little piece…
ValDean Lym
