10/16/2014 STRATEGIES FOR PROTECTING AND MONITORING ONLINE ACTIVITY INITIAL COMMENT SOME STATISTICS

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1 STRATEGIES FOR PROTECTING AND MONITORING ONLINE ACTIVITY INITIAL COMMENT The main focus tonight is on protecting and monitoring our children. But let s not fool ourselves the temptations are real for us as adults, too! As you listen tonight, please think about your own online behaviour as well, and apply the recommendations/suggestions to yourself. Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner. Not: I thank you that I am not like him. (Luke 18) SOME STATISTICS Just 8 years ago, global porn revenues were estimated at $20 billion By 2011, porn revenues had been reduced by 50%, due in large part to the amount of free porn available online. It is estimated that 80-90% of Internet porn users only access free online material. In a 2010 U.S. national survey, over a quarter of 16- to 17-year olds said they were exposed to nudity online when they did not want to see it. More than 7 out of 10 teens hide their online behavior from their parents in some way!!! 1

2 SOME MORE STATISTICS 68% of young men and 18% of young women view porn online at least once a week. In spring of 2000, a poll of more than 1,000 U.S. adults asked whether they had ever visited a sexually-oriented website. 1 in 5 (20%) answered yes. Among born-again Christians, 18% answered yes. Fast forward to 2014, a new poll found that 64% of American men and 20% of American women view pornography at least monthly. For Christian men, that number is 55%... WAYS TO ACCESS THE INTERNET Desktop computer Laptop Tablet Computer (ipad, Android, Surface, etc.) Smartphone Smart TV Game Console (Wii, PlayStation, Xbox, etc.) ipod Touch Digital media players (WDTV, Apple TV etc.) HOME NETWORK 2

3 SECURITY / MONITORING OPTIONS PROTECT YOUR ROUTER Don t leave your router unsecured Use the CD that comes with your router to set up a password, or connect to your router using your web browser To connect using your web browser either go to (check your router s documentation) Change the router s default admin password if it comes with one most come with a default password of blank or admin If your router comes with a default Wi-Fi passphrase or key, make sure you change it Be the owner of the password You should be the one to type it into your children s devices COMPUTER USER ACCOUNTS Windows: Found in Control Panel (User Accounts) Create separate accounts E.g. Dad and Mom; Kids E.g. Dad and Mom; Bill, Lucy, Jane Kids would have a restricted account, Dad and Mom administrator account. Password protect Dad and Mom s account. Restricted accounts prevent the user from installing software, making changes to the computer settings, etc. Mac: Apple menu > System Preferences and click Accounts. Administrator - Parents Managed with Parental Controls (restrict access to applications and inappropriate content, and limit the amount of time users can use the computer.) 3

4 BLOCKING / MONITORING TOOLS Options Open DNS Covenant Eyes K9 Web Protection Microsoft Family Safety Others Can be used in combination E.g. Open DNS and K9 but this could slow down the browsing experience OPEN DNS Pros Protects every device that is attached to your network 3 minute delay after applying an exception Allows you to view a history of blocked / accessed sites Free! Cons Not the easiest to set up (although they have great instructions!) Does not protect a device when it is taken away from your network (i.e. Wi-Fi in Tim Horton's, data plan on your cell phone) OPEN DNS 4

5 COVENANT EYES Pros Focus on accountability can setup automatic reporting of websites visited Protects a device even when it is away from your home network (i.e. in Tim Horton's, cell phone data plan, etc.) Works on Windows, Mac, iphone, ipod Touch, ipad On Android - accountability only no blocking Cons Depends on how you look at it not free. Needs to be installed on every device Can t track activity in apps on mobile devices K9 WEB PROTECTION Pros Protects a device even when it is away from your home network (i.e. in Tim Horton's, cell phone data plan, etc.) Works on Windows, Mac, iphone, ipod, ipad, Android Free! Can be set up to force Google Safe Search Cons Needs to be installed on every device individually. FAMILY SAFETY BY MICROSOFT Comes standard with Windows 8. Downloadable for Windows 7/Vista. Pros Free Comes with your computer Easy to set up and configure Cons Only available on PCs/Laptops doesn t cover Mac or any mobile devices Forces you to use Internet Explorer 5

6 GOOGLE SAFE SEARCH NOTE: Google Image Search not blocked by the above But you can set up safe search Turn on Safe Search by checking the box beside "Filter explicit results." Turning Safe Search will filter sexually explicit video and images from Google Search result pages, as well as results that might link to explicit content. Turn off Safe Search by leaving the box unchecked. With Safe Search off, Google provides the most relevant results for your search and may include explicit content when you search for it. RESTRICTING SEARCH ENGINES USED Force everyone to use one specific search engine for web searching by blocking the web search category in your blocking/monitoring software, and enabling one site specifically (e.g. Google, or Yahoo, or Bing). CHECKING BROWSER HISTORY GOOGLE CHROME Click on the menu icon and select History 6

7 CHECKING BROWSER HISTORY INTERNET EXPLORER Click on the favourites icon (looks like a star) and select the History tab. Broken down by day/week/month. CHECKING BROWSER HISTORY MOZILLA FIREFOX Click on the menu icon and then select the History option INCOGNITO MODE Privacy mode or "private browsing", sometimes informally referred to as "porn mode", Browser does not store browsing history, cookies, etc. Allows a person to browse the Web without storing local data that could be retrieved at a later date. Can be disabled on your browser do a search for instructions. Does require some computer knowledge/understanding to do this. 7

8 ARE TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS ENOUGH? PLEASE CONSIDER None of the above solutions are absolutely perfect Don t be lulled into a false sense of security after you have implemented one, or more, or all of the above options. You still need to: 1. Examine yourself 2. Be a parent EXAMINE YOURSELF Be honest with yourself. In order to be effective in protecting and monitoring your children, you need to check out your own heart first. Look at your own online habits (time wasting, viewing inappropriate content, pirating copy written material). If you struggle with accessing inappropriate material, please seek help (pastor, elders, friends, counsellor, someone!). 8

9 BE A PARENT! Remind your children of their responsibility to act as a Christian, even when they think that they are anonymous online! Talk to your kids about responsible internet use, and the potential fall-out if they don t use it responsibly. Have frank conversations about pornography and the potentially devastating impact on their life Talk to them about submitting false information online (E.g. if a site requires you to be 13 years or older, we shouldn t lie about our age just to get access) Sit down with them and have them show you their favourite websites. NON-TECHNOLOGY OPTIONS Make rules, for example: No internet access in the children s bedrooms Everyone turns in their ipod Touch to Dad and Mom s bedroom by 8pm No internet access after 8pm No private passwords Dad and Mom will know the passwords to all devices, all accounts, Facebook/Google+ Account Any pictures uploaded must be approved by Dad and/or Mom Don t allow giving out of personal information online Place computers/laptops in the living room where Dad and Mom are able to see what s going on Get your own Facebook account/google+ account, and add your kids as friends. Login regularly to monitor their activity. Check your children s account on a regular basis PRAY AND WORK! Pray, pray, pray for yourself, for your children, for wisdom in guiding your family. Pray for others, especially for those that you know are struggling. Use the communion of saints: Talk to other parents you aren t alone in this! Ask for help Share ideas Share struggles Encourage one another Look out for one another Help others setting up some of the options discussed 9