Kim Komando - Daily Download

Keep your kids safe. Monitor their Internet use

The Web is a big part of your children's world. In fact, they haven't known a world without it. They're going to use it. But that doesn't mean they're ready to do it safely. It's your job to keep tabs on them.

OK, let's shift gears for just a second. Do you remember McGruff the Crime Dog? He'd always say, "Take a bite out of crime." Well, now he's saying, "Take a bite out of Internet danger." Sure, it's not as catchy. But stick with me.

McGruff SafeGuard is an Internet monitoring tool for parents. It can record and analyze e-mail, chats, sites visited and social networking profiles. It can alert you to certain key topics. Those include drugs, bullying, sexual content, suicide and talking to strangers.

This program can help you catch dangerous behavior. But it's not for playing Gotcha! A SafeGuard logo is placed on their desktop. They'll know you're watching. This encourages you to talk to your children about proper Web use. Besides, they won't always get online from that computer. Establishing good surfing habits is key.

Cost: Free
System: Windows XP, Vista and 7