There is more content on the Internet today than ever before, and there are multiple ways to access this online content. Computers and phones are the obvious methods, of course, but modern game consoles, school tablets, eBook readers, televisions, and even some cameras can also access the Internet. This means that your children can certainly find access to the web if they try. Web filtering software is something that might come in handy if you want to protect your kids, or even if you want to protect your business by limiting what employees can access. Here are five things you might want to know about web filtering software.
1. A Lot of Custom Parameters
The first thing you should know about this web filtering software is that you can set any type of custom parameters you wish. A common misconception is that you’re at the mercy of companies and content distributors rating their content a certain way, and thus your filter blocks out those ratings. It goes so much deeper than that. You can filter out and block any type of site and materials you want. If your child has a device for schoolwork, you can even get a specific K-12 web filter to ensure that the only materials they have access to are our educational materials. This means no social media, no adult-themed websites, etc; you can rest easy knowing that they cannot access those materials.
2. It Can work on Multiple Devices
Another thing you should know is that these filters can work on multiple devices. For children in school, for instance, you can set up these devices on their school Chromebooks, their home devices, and more. One of the biggest reasons that parents won’t give smartphones to their children is that they can access the Internet with them. With a quality web filter, you can also set your custom parameters on phones, so that your child will not be able to access the web yet will still have a line of communication in case of emergencies.
3. It Can Protect Against Threats
On the list of things, you should know about web filters, understand that they’re also great for businesses. One of the reasons you should get a quality web filter in business is that you can control what your employees are doing. Far too often in business, employees sit there and use social media, play poker, visit adult sites, etc. This cuts into productivity in a big way. Filtering them helps to stop them. Though more than that, it also helps to protect against threats. It’s not uncommon for vengeful, disgruntled employees to try to harm the business in some way via a company terminal. A web filter prevents them from doing this and accessing important materials or allowing any threat into the system.
4. It’s Easy to Manage
You may also like to know that managing a web filter is very easy. Understand, of course, that a lot of these filters are aimed specifically at parents who don’t know a whole lot about the Internet or computing in general. So, many of these software programs were designed with that in mind, and so they have very user-friendly interfaces that are simple to navigate, with controls and settings that are easy to implement. So you won’t have to worry about a large learning curve here.
5. You Can Try Before You Buy
Something that you should know about web filter software is that the best programs on the Internet allow you to give them a test run before you ultimately purchase them. For instance, if you want a good filtering program to keep your children away from undesirable material, a quality company will allow you to download and use a demo of the program. This way, you can see how things work and get the hang of using it. Others will at least give you a free trial, so you can make up your mind before buying.
In Conclusion
You must learn what you need to about web filtering programs before you go make a purchase. These are important, beneficial programs to use, especially if you’re trying to protect your children.
