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From...
PC-kidproofing software falls short
July 22, 1998
Web posted at: 10:00 AM EDT
by Glenn McDonald
(IDG) -- SOS Kidproof from Sterling Strategic Solutions aims to protect your PC from your kids, while at the same time protecting your kids from unsavory content on the Internet. It's a tall order, and Kidproof isn't entirely up to the task.
The $30 package does a fairly good job with the first task by allowing you to restrict access to just about any area of your PC. You can also create different access rights for different users. So, for example, you could give full access to the adults in the house, while keeping the wee ones out of your Excel spreadsheets.
Kidproof gives you a ton of options in this regard. You can customize the access profile for each user and protect particular folders, applications or even entire drives. You can also prevent access to particular Windows features such as the Find and Run commands on the Start Menu, or shut down access to your Control Panels entirely. Kidproof also provides predesigned access templates, which you can use in lieu of customizing each profile. (For example, the Home/High setting restricts access to all Programs and Documents from the Start Menu.)
These protection measures aren't always airtight, and any halfway PC-savvy teenager can find ways to work around at least some of the locks. For example, you can still access programs through the Explorer file manager even if they're shut out of the Start Menu. But for the most part, Kidproof's defenses should keep your files and settings safe from accidental or mischievous tampering.
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When it comes to keeping the kids away from objectionable material online, Kidproof proves far less successful. The Web filtering feature consists of a list of predictably naughty keywords, which Kidproof scans for when loading a page. If it finds any of the bad words, the page is blocked and a warning box pops up.
The shortcomings of this method of filtering Web content are well-known, and most software makers have moved away from this model in favor of providing constantly updated lists of objectionable URLs. The reason is that a lot of pornographic Web pages consist of only images, so keyword filtering doesn't keep them out. Also, there are plenty of non-English-language porn sites out there.
To its credit, Kidproof allows you to edit the keyword list, adding or removing words or phrases as you see fit, and you can ban specific sites. But overall, the Web filtering is weak. The default keyword list is awfully broad, banning words like "Erotica," which will block you out of most bookstore index pages. And if you want to disable the filtering for a session, you have to turn off Kidproof (using your administrator password) then quit and reboot your browser.
Kidproof's Web filtering works with Internet Explorer 4.0 and Navigator 3.0 or higher. However, Kidproof's Internet logging feature, which tracks the sites a user visited (or tried to visit), requires using the packaged Web Commander and it's an extremely bare-bones browser you shouldn't be forced to use. Competing Web filtering software packages allow Internet session logging with your default browser.
Finally, Kidproof's interface is fairly crawling with strange bugs. Rollover text descriptions disappear at random and the included "tutorial" is woefully inadequate.
Packaging PC protection and Web filtering is a smart idea, but for now I'd recommend going with separate products if you're looking to meet both needs. Kidproof is available on a free 30-day trialware basis at Sterling's Web site.