ZoneAlarm

Is your child on Facebook? Do you ever wonder if there is anything being said or done on their account that you wouldn’t approve of? The worldwide leader in securing the Internet, Check Point Software Technologies, has a wonderful new product called ZoneAlarm SocialGuard*.

According to ZoneAlarm:

1 in 5 teens has been bullied or approached by a predator online

1 in 5 links is malicious
1 in 5 teens has had an account hacked

Monitor Your Child’s Facebook Account:

ZoneAlarm SocialGuard enables parents to monitor your children’s Facebook accounts for cyberbullying, illicit content, inappropriate status updates and messages, friend requests, etc., while still respecting your child’s privacy. You do not have to have a Facebook account to receive updates about potential threats to your child’s Facebook page and you can monitor up to 5 Facebook accounts. However, this software is only available for PC’s running Windows 7, Vista and XP. Sorry Mac users.

The Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University states:

“Bullying and harassment, most often by peers, are the most frequent threats that minors face, both online and offline.”

Cyberbullying occurs when a child, preteen, or teen is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise targeted by another child, preteen, or teen by using the Internet, interactive and digital technologies, or mobile phones. SocialGuard software becomes a tool that parents can use to protect their children from threats such as this.

Setup is very easy. Just install the SocialGuard software from their website and it will then direct you to the Facebook sign-in page. Have your child put their email address and password in and then confirm their age. They will only have to do this one time. That’s it. You are now ready to setup your account preferences. Here are the categories under account settings:

Cyberbullying
Hacked Account
Potential Stranger
Age Concerns
Dangerous or Inappropriate Links
Category List: Adult/Sexually Explicit, Hacking, Violence, Criminal Skills, Hate Speech, Weapons, Drugs, Alcohol & Tobacco, Personals & Dating, Gambling and Sex Education.

SocialGuard will then show you all the warnings in one place and sends you real-time email alerts so you can address dangers immediately. SocialGuard will also send a warning email to your child if you would like.

The ZoneAlarm website suggests some very useful tips for protecting your Facebook account:

Have a strong Facebook password, do not put your address or phone number or other ways to contact you in your profile.
Be suspicious of Facebook messages that request personal information and think twice about friend requests.

Facebook is a wonderful way of keeping in touch with friends and family, especially if they live far away. Staying informed of activities, sports and club meetings, etc., unfortunately there are potential threats out there in the cyber world and this software is a great way of protecting your children from them.

SocialGuard Allows the Parent to: