Glossary

• Grooming or Child Grooming

  What is Grooming/Child Grooming?

  Child grooming is the practice of deliberately making contact with a child or teenager with the aim of establishing a sexual relationship. It is often a long and carefully planned process where a sexual predator attempts to obtain the trust of a child. Once this trust is established it lowers the inhibitions of the child and makes them more responsive to the predators’ demands. The predator will sometimes attempt to make the child comfortable with sexual behaviours by sending explicit pictures and requesting explicit material in return from the child.

  The process most commonly begins with correspondence and moves to face-to-face meetings and sharing activities that are legal. As the child becomes more comfortable the predator they will begin to establish a sexual relationship. The intentions of the predator can remain undetected by the child until they begin to make sexual demands. The child will often comply with these demands out of trust and is less likely to report them to authorities because of this.

  The internet is a particularly common mode of communication for child groomers. It offers them a significant amount of anonymity and gives them access to chat rooms and social networking sites popularly used by children and teenagers. They can send and receive images and arrange meetings with a child without the knowledge of parents or guardians. In some cases they will pose as a child of similar age in order to make contact with their targets and establish trust.

  What are the characteristics of Grooming/Child Grooming?

  All forms of child-grooming are predicated by a relationship of trust. The predator must establish trust in order to carry-out their sexual intentions. Over a series of conversations a child-groomer may be able to obtain significant amounts of personal information about the child allowing them to establish familiarity.

  Internet child-grooming is commonly conducted on sites frequented by children or teenagers. They may use popular instant messaging applications or social networking sites to find targets. They will trawl through sites to find suitable targets and may spend a significant amount of time doing so.

  In many cases groomers will pose as children to establish an initial relationship and may either reveal their true identity online or at a face-to-face meeting. The anonymity offered on the internet allows them to hide many details which may alert the child to suspicious behaviour and also gives the predator an opportunity to normalise sexual behaviours with the target through the exchange of explicit material.

  Short history of Grooming/Child Grooming

  There is no specific history of child grooming practices available but it is certainly not a new practice. The widespread use of the internet and personal computing has made it significantly more of a threat than it previously had been. Many children and teenagers now use the internet daily and the myriad activities they conduct online has increased the points of access for predators. In 2003 MSN began to implement software programs to monitor their online chat rooms for grooming and predatory behaviours. Yahoo rolled-out a similar policy in 2005 and since then a number of programs have been developed to protect children from grooming practices.

  How can you stop unwanted access to Groomers/Child Groomers?

  Education is the easiest way to protect your child from grooming. Children should be made aware of the dangers that exist in their online interactions and an active involvement in a child’s internet usage will ensure their safety.

  There are also a number of organisations which have been established with the express purpose of ensuring child safety online. The Perverted Justice (PJ) organisation is active in seeking out internet child groomers. They regularly monitor popular websites and known grooming chat rooms posing as children/teens in order to catch out groomers and report them to authorities.

  Software programs provide the most effective form of protection against child-grooming. Popular sites like MSN and Yahoo have been pro-active in implementing anti-grooming programs and policies to detect and prevent grooming. These detection programs have also been employed on some social networking sites.

  Software developers have created sophisticated programs for personal computers which use algorithms to identify conversation patterns and behaviours which may indicate grooming. These software programs can be installed for use on any home or office computer and will provide protection for all users.

  How does Net Nanny keep you/your family safe from Grooming/Child Grooming?

  Net Nanny provides a superior level of protection against child grooming. The Net Nanny Home Suite software is ideal for use in the family setting. It is easy-to-use and no computer experience or knowledge is necessary to get the most out of your Net Nanny software.

  Giving you the ability to monitor social-networking and instant messaging activities of users child-grooming can be easily prevented. It also allows you to manage content from any location with remote management system so you can protect your family at all times. It can be configured specifically for your needs and you can control almost every aspect of computer use from internet browsing to online chat. The amount of time users can spend on your computer can also be controlled through the time management feature. Net Nanny will ensure you and your family are safe from the threat of child-grooming.

• Internet Pornography

  What is Internet Pornography?

  Internet pornography is the publication of sexually explicit material on the internet. It can be distributed in many forms including: images, videos and written material. Access to sexually explicit material has been made easier through internet and the level anonymity offered by internet pornography has made it extremely popular.

  There are many different types of pornography available on the web and it is most commonly targeted at a male audience. Internet pornography is different to cyber-sex but the two can sometimes be used in tandem. Pornography represents a significant social issue and has been recently associated with serious addiction and marriage break-down.

  The sheer number of pornography sites can make them difficult to avoid when browsing online. In some cases sites rely on malware such as spyware to hijack users’ internet browsing activities and expose them to pornography. This can cause children to be exposed to graphic material without consent when engaged in internet browsing.

  Internet pornography is a difficult legal issue and is subject to laws both at the point of publication and the point of user access. Many sites displaying criminal content can escape prosecution because of insufficient cross-jurisdictional policing and enforcement collaboration.

  What are the Characteristics of Internet Pornography?

  Internet pornography websites are the most popular way to display sexual content.
  

  They can be accessed for free or for the payment of subscription fees. The content present on sites can range from mild to extreme levels of explicit content. They are often linked closely with other pornography sites and users can become trapped in a maze of sites once they enter an initial site (known as mouse-trapping).

  Pornography sites make significant amounts of income from advertising because of their high traffic. Spyware is a common way to increase pornography site traffic and graphic images can easily appear on a users screen without consent when spyware is present. Spyware or other malicious software can often enter a users system when accessing innocuous, but infected, material causing unwanted explicit content to appear. The websites themselves may also have viruses and other malware which can cause unauthorised exposure to sexual content.

  While websites are prolific and easily accessible there are other ways to access pornography via the internet. It can often be distributed on peer-to-peer file sharing sites and via instant messaging services. These modes of distribution can offer even greater anonymity for users than websites and are popular ways to distribute illegal forms of internet pornography.

  Some pornography accessed on the internet can be violent or exploitative. Users may even access material unaware of its illegal nature. In the worst cases it can involve criminal acts, particularly in the case of child-pornography.

  Short history of Internet Pornography

  Internet pornography has existed since the early 1980s and has grown in popularity since. Following the advent of the World Wide Web in the 1990s internet forms of pornography have proliferated explosively and their popularity has grown in tandem. Internet pornography has become a particular issue with employment productivity. In 2008 it was estimated 23% percent of US employees accessed some form of internet pornography while at work or during business hours.

  How can you protect against access to internet pornography?

  The most common way to prevent access to internet pornography is to install a content filter on your system. These software programs give the ability to control the levels of access available to users on your system and monitor their activities while browsing the internet. The sheer amount of content on the internet makes it impossible to monitor the browsing activities of users on a system. Content-filter programs are essential if you wish to protect your family or business from illegal or explicit content.

  How can Net Nanny keep you/your family safe from Internet Pornography?

  Net Nanny provides a superior level of protection against unwanted and offensive content. The Net Nanny Home Suite software is ideal for use in the family setting.
  It is easy-to-use and no computer experience or knowledge is necessary to get the most out of your Net Nanny software.

  Allowing you to manage content from any location with remote management system you can protect your family at all times. It can be configured specifically for your needs and you can control almost every aspect of computer use from internet browsing to gaming. The amount of time users can spend on your computer can also be controlled through the time management feature.

  ContentCleanup feature is designed to help you manage your computers content. It allows you to analyse, control and eliminate unwanted or unauthorised content on your system including pornography. ContentCleanup can also improve your computers performance. It offers sophisticated tools to manage your content and provides you with regular reports of computer use ensuring your family is kept safe at all times.

• Online Gambling Sites

  What are Online Gambling websites?

  Online gambling websites encompass all types of gambling conducted in the physical world. Online casinos offer gambling in traditional casino games such as blackjack and poker while other websites offer bookmaking services for sports betting. These sites have become increasingly popular since their inception 10 years ago. They give easy access to gambling at home and require very little effort to setup and use. While most sites are legal and legitimate it is their accessibility which can be problematic and often leads them to be associated with an increased risk of gambling addiction.

  Because players can gamble in a familiar environment it can make it difficult to control the amount of time spent on these sites. A degree of abstraction can also occur for users, making it difficult to reconcile between digital and physical monetary losses. While many countries legislate to control online gambling and protect users from addiction the international online gambling market remains a source of problem gambling.

  What are the characteristics of Online Gambling websites?

  Online casinos are very similar to real casinos in many ways. They have colourful websites that are visually stimulating and offer all the gambling services of real casinos. They often engage in cross-promotion to other in-house gambling sites and regularly display incentives for users to play on their sites. They claim to offer better odds than physical casinos and promote sites by offering free bets for new users. Sites may also offer an instant messaging service within individual games to allow players to talk to each other, in an attempt to simulate a real casino environment.

  Some websites offer ‘play-for-fun’ versions of their games to lure players to bet in the real version of a game. Users can make significant gains in the ‘play-for-fun’ games misleading them into the belief similar profits may be garnered from the real version.

  Gambling sites have different regulations they must adhere to and are subject only to laws in their country of origin. In many countries these sites are legal and are well regulated to protect users against illegal casino practices and addictive gambling.

  Countries such as Australia impose tough laws on advertising online gambling sites and the promotion of gambling through free or discounted betting. Other countries do not impose such strict regulations meaning sites often give unfair results or odds to users and use questionable techniques to lure users into a site. Some casino sites employ spyware to cause pop-advertising for their sites to appear in a users’ browser. Other sites use special offers and discounts to keep players there for extended periods. In extreme cases they may even steal your money and exploit weakness in cross-jurisdictional policing to evade prosecution.

  Short history of Online Gambling websites.

  The first documented gambling website was published 10 years ago. Following this the online gambling community has exploded with the increase in personal computing and widespread use of the internet. It is unclear how many gambling sites exist today as there are many countries which do not require licensing of sites meaning sites appear and disappear regularly. In 2001 the Australian government estimated there were nearly five million online gamblers playing worldwide in the seven years following it is likely this number would have increased significantly.

  How can you stop unwanted access to Online Gambling websites?

  Educating computer users to the dangers of online gambling is the best way to ensure the threat of gambling addiction is kept under control. However education does always guarantee safety and access to gambling sites is often very difficult to control for problem gamblers.

  The only way to control access to these sites is to use content filtering software. Content filters give users the ability to designate certain sites or types of sites which you wish to deny access. They can prove an important tool in preventing or curing a gambling addiction. The also protect children from entering gambling sites to play trial or ‘play-for-fun’ versions of games which may lead to addictive behaviour patterns and gambling in later life.

  How does Net Nanny keep you/your family safe from Online Gambling?

  Net Nanny provides a superior level of protection against gambling oriented content. The Net Nanny Home Suite software is ideal for use in the family setting.
  It is easy-to-use and no computer experience or knowledge is necessary to get the most out of your Net Nanny software.

  Allowing you to manage content from any location with remote management system you can protect your family at all times. It can be configured specifically for your needs and you can control almost every aspect of computer use from internet browsing to gaming. Users can elect to block entire categories of sites or customise their own list of undesirable sites. The amount of time users can spend on a computer can also be controlled through the time management feature and regular reports are compiled to keep you informed and ensure you remain in control of your system use

• Instant Messaging Services

  What is an Instant Messaging Service?

  Instant messaging (IM) is a service that allows users to chat to each other in real-time. It primarily occurs in text form however some services offer the capability of visual interaction using web-cams. Many social networking sites have instant messaging services for both text and visual interaction. The most popular instant messaging programs include Microsoft Instant Messenger and AOL Instant Messenger.

  What are the characteristics of Instant Messaging Services?

  Instant messaging services are free to download in most cases and are particularly popular among children and teenagers. These programs run outside web browsers and allow users to exchange information quickly and easily. They can be particularly useful way of exchanging links to websites. Data can also be transmitted thorough instant messaging services, making it easy for pornography to be exchanged between parties.

  Instant messaging can pose a significant security risk for users. Malware is a common problem on these services. Malware such as worms and viruses will use the service to spread themselves to other systems through the contact-lists of a user and will often appear to other users as a link in a conversation window. Once these links are clicked the can cause serious damage to a system, in some cases causing complete system failure.

  They are also hard to monitor and users are not required to provide any personal information in order to download the application and use the service. As a result they are often used for predatory internet use. Child Grooming is a major problem occurring on instant messaging services. The difficulty of accurate identification of users makes it easy for people to hide or change their identity while using the service and conducted predatory behaviours. Many child-groomers have been caught following surveillance of suspicious conversations using instant messaging services.

  Cyber-sex can also be easily conducted through instant messaging services. The nature of these programs makes them ideal for cyber-sex and the option of having visual interactions also increases the likelihood of cyber-sex occurring.

  Short history of Instant Messaging Services

  Instant messaging emerged in the 1960s well before the development of the internet. In the 1980s popular bulletin board services provided a form of instant messaging but this took a more email-like style with messages being posted on the bulletin board for users to read and reply to.

  Instant messaging in its current form began to take shape in the mid 1990s, with many programs being incorporated in internet service provider (ISP) home websites. These are still common but the practice has developed into a more independent style. Today instant messaging is most commonly conducted on social networking sites.

  How can you stop unwanted access to Instant Messaging Services?

  Instant messaging services are very useful and can have great benefits but they also have major pitfalls which users need to be made aware of. Educating users of instant messaging to the dangers they may encounter is an excellent way to improve the chances of avoiding these threats but cannot completely protect against harm.

  Content filtering software is the best way to ensure that use of instant messaging is a positive experience. Most content filtering software can monitor conversations on instant messaging services and ensure they do not endanger vulnerable users. The threat of malware entering a system is also easily controlled using content filtering software as most contain applications within the software to prevent against unauthorised access to a system by malware.

  How does NetNanny keep you/your family safe from threats in Instant Messaging Services?

  Net Nanny provides a superior level of protection against unwanted and offensive content. The Net Nanny Home Suite software is ideal for use in the family setting.

  It is easy-to-use and no computer experience or knowledge is necessary to get the most out of your Net Nanny software.

  Allowing you to manage content from any location with remote management system you can protect your family at all times. It can be configured specifically for your needs and you can control almost every aspect of computer use including access to instant messaging services. Users can also elect to monitor conversations and interactions within instant messaging services. The amount of time users can spend on your computer can also be controlled through the time management feature.

  The ContentCleanup feature is designed to help you manage your computers content. It allows you to analyse, control and eliminate unwanted or unauthorised content on your system. ContentCleanup can also improve your computers performance. It offers sophisticated tools to manage your content and provides you with regular reports of computer use ensuring your family is kept safe at all times.

• Other Threats

  • Peer-to-Peer File Sharing
  • Cyber-sex
  • Weapons Sites
  • Self-harm Sites
  • Online Violence

  Cyber-sex

  Cyber-sex is the practice of conducting sexual relations through in an online setting. It is an increasingly common method of sexual interaction for many internet users and the technologies currently available make it very easy to do.

  In its most basic form cyber-sex can involve chatting or instant messaging in a sexually explicit way. Users may do this with a sexual partner when they are distanced from each other or engage in cyber-sex with individuals they have met through socialising on the internet. Using web-cams is a more advanced form of cyber sex. Computer based cameras are used to display or watch lewd sexual acts.

  Many personals/internet dating websites are often used to engage in cybersex. Users will make contact with other willing members through these sites and engage in intimate displays either on the website itself or through a third-party service. Because many of these sites are un-moderated there is little to no censorship of sexually explicit material.

  Cyber-sex is also becoming common on social networking sites. Users can meet through the site and use the instant messaging functions available on these sites to engage in sexual conversations or they may use a third-party service.

  Peer-to-Peer File Sharing

  Peer-to-Peer file sharing, sometimes referred to as P2P sharing, is a practice of exchanging files directly over the internet with other web users. Files can be shared using programs designed to enable a search of other users content in a common location. Users can also upload files for others to search. If a user wishes they can download a file found in a search.

  Common programs include Peer-to-Peer file sharing programs include

  • Limewire
  • Kazaa
  • Napster

  The most common uses of Peer-to-Peer file sharing include downloading pirated movies, music and software, although they can be used to exchange files which are not pirated. They can also be used to download pornography which in some instances can depict criminal acts. Peer-to-Peer services are hard to police and prevention of exchanging illegal materials is a major issue.

  The types of files downloaded on Peer-to-Peer sites are often extremely large and acquiring them can use a significant amount of download capacity. This can be costly if the download limits of internet usage plans are exceeded. They may also cause upload limits to be exceeded and most internet service providers have very small allowance for this.

  The biggest threat associated with Peer-to-Peer file sharing is the presence of malware in many programs and downloads. Many of the files which appear in search results are assumed to be safe by many people but contain spyware, viruses and other forms of malware. There are no protections against this and it is nearly impossible to tell if a file contains malware until it is downloaded.

  Many common Peer-to-Peer sharing programs also contain adware and spyware within there software files. When a program is installed for use on a system it will be installed along with the malware and cannot be removed unless the program is uninstalled. In some cases the malware will remain and affect your system performance after the software has been removed.

  Self-harm Websites

  Self-harm is the practice of injuring oneself because of psychological issues and may take many forms. Repeated cutting or gauging of skin and flesh and hair pulling (trichotillomania) are common forms. Other forms of self-harm include eating disorders and alcohol and drug abuse. It is important to note that self-harm does not indicate suicidal tendencies.

  Self-harm websites can be socially constructive or destructive. Some self-harm websites are devoted to helping those who self-harm find a place to discuss there issues with others in a similar situation. These sites may be extremely useful in helping a person work through an issue which has caused them to engage in self-harming behaviours and provide information about other services that are available to assist them with any problems they may be facing.

  Other self-harm sites are destructive in their approach. They are intended to give people instructions on how to conduct self-harm and provide a forum to associate with others who are pro-self harm. These sites often glorify and promote self-harm in certain ways and can be dangerous to the health of those who engage in the practice. They may be run with the intention of providing assistance or support to individuals but because they are un-moderated by mental health professionals they may diverge into negative discussions of self-harm.

  Weapons Websites

  Weapons websites are common on the internet. They allow a full range of weapons to be purchased from pocket knives to assault rifles. In their most legitimate form these sites are extensions of weapons retailing and offer information and internet sales of weapons. Even legitimate sites can be dangerous because a user can easily circumvent legal requirements of identification and background checking which are difficult to impose on the internet. This weakness makes it easy to purchase weapons for use in illegal or criminal acts.

  There are a particularly large amount of weapons sites based in south-east Asian countries selling weapons that are highly illegal in many jurisdictions. These sites have no legal requirement to engage in background checking because they are subject to local and domestic legislation which often lacks any form of weapons control. Weapons can be easily purchased often very cheaply and exported internationally.

  Another form of weapons websites are instructive sites. They often have detailed manuals and instructions teaching people how to make clandestine weapons and bombs. They may not sell the end product but are often more dangerous because there is no way of monitoring or measuring there usage. Anyone may obtain the knowledge held on these sites and use it for their own purpose. Some of these sites have an ideological slant and encourage people to make weapons for use in certain ways, most commonly inspired by hate or social deviance.

  Other sites offer downloads of weapons manuals such as the Anarchists Cookbook which contains a significant amount of weapon and bomb making information. The distribution of instructive documentation is particularly common on Peer-to-Peer file sharing sites.

  How does NetNanny keep you/your family safe from other threats?

  Net Nanny provides a superior level of protection against unwanted and offensive content. The Net Nanny Home Suite software is ideal for use in the family setting.
  It is easy-to-use and no computer experience or knowledge is necessary to get the most out of your Net Nanny software.

  Allowing you to manage content from any location with remote management system you can protect your family at all times. It can be configured specifically for your needs and you can control almost every aspect of computer use including access to sites containing any threats. Users can elect to block entire categories of sites or customise their own list of undesirable sites. The amount of time users can spend on your computer can also be controlled through the time management feature.

  ContentCleanup feature is designed to help you manage your computers content. It allows you to analyse, control and eliminate unwanted or unauthorised content on your system. ContentCleanup can also improve your computers performance. It offers sophisticated tools to manage your content and provides you with regular reports of computer use ensuring your family is kept safe at all times.

• Personals/Internet Dating Websites

  What is a Personals/Internet Dating Website?

  Personals/Internet Dating Websites are setup with the specific purpose of allowing people to develop personal or intimate relationships with others in an online setting. They operate in a similar way to social networking sites but have a distinctly more adult orientation. These sites are often un-moderated and rely on users’ honesty to maintain the level of legitimacy. Because the sites are un-moderated it is often easy to provide misleading information and this can be a problem in many ways. Predators may use the sites to setup dishonest profiles and find victims while children can often obtain access to these sites by providing incorrect birthdates to verify their age. The combination of the two can often lead to child-grooming and other insidious criminal acts.

  What are the characteristics of Personals/Internet Dating Websites sites?

  Similar to social networking sites members setup personal profiles and interact with other users through the exchange of messages and emails. Many sites also contain chat-rooms or instant messaging services where people can meet and become familiar.

  Some sites offer their services for free while others require the payment of a subscription fee to access them. Users provide a range of personal details to verify their identity and age however this can be an unreliable process. Unlike social networking sites, personal sites often use misleading terms and conditions to manipulate the users’ information. They keep the personal information contained in users’ profiles for other purposes and may sell them to spammers or other organisations.

  A majority of personals/dating websites are un-moderated. This can cause the site to become explicit or easily manipulated and used for illegitimate purposes. Many of these sites contain graphic sexual content posted by users and in some cases false profiles are used to advertise other services such as prostitution.

  There are also significant safety issues on these sites. Predators use personal dating sites regularly to carry out harassment or conduct fraud. They commonly trawl the sites for vulnerable people to carry-out there crimes. In some cases they may setup misleading profiles which portray them as desirable in order to increase there chance of establishing contact with others.

  Children can also easily obtain access to these sites through falsified information and may be exposed to a range of threats. Initially they may view adult content and adult oriented information on a profile or in chat-rooms, while in the worst cases they may become subject to predatory behaviours of criminal users.

  Short history of Personals/Internet Dating Websites

  It is unclear when internet dating first began. It is reasonable to assume that people have been meeting online and developing intimate relationships in some cases since the first bulletin style websites such as UseNet emerged. However the increasing sophistication of web-design has allowed a much more interactive process to evolve that has increased the popularity of the sites. Since the early 2000s the popularity of the sites has exploded and the number of sites available to internet users has increased. Today there are sites available for general interests as well as those that cater for specific ethnic or religious sections within the community so there is no doubting the scope of the practice.

  How can you stop unwanted access to Personals/Internet Dating Websites sites?

  It is difficult to stop access to personals/internet dating websites. Education is a good way to ensure your family does not fall victim to the threats that exist on these websites. Making your family aware of the possible dangers that exist as a result of there un-moderated content is an important aspect of this education.

  When using these sites there is little chance of ensuring a person is who they purport to be and there is very little you can do to protect yourself from predatory behaviour.

  The best way to ensure your family is not affected by the problems inherent in un-moderated online dating is to install a form of content filtering software. There are many forms of software available on the market which can give you control over the type of websites that can be accessed on your system.

  How does NetNanny keep you/your family safe from Personals/Internet Dating Websites?

  Net Nanny provides a premier product which can protect you from the diversions and threats inherent in personals/internet dating websites. The Net Nanny Home Suite software is ideal for use in the family setting. It is easy-to-use and no computer experience or knowledge is necessary to get the most out of your Net Nanny software.

  Allowing you to manage content from any location with remote management system you can protect your family at all times. It can be configured specifically for your needs and you can control almost every aspect of computer use including access to personals/internet dating websites. Users can elect to block entire categories of sites or customise their own list of undesirable sites. The amount of time users can spend on your computer can also be controlled through the time management feature and regular reports are compiled to keep you informed and ensure you remain in control of your system use.

• Social Networking Websites

  What is a Social Networking website?

  Social network websites are designed for people to meet and create communities in an online setting. Sites such as: Facebook, MySpace and Twitter are some of the most popular sites. Currently used by millions of people these sites are not intended to be offensive or inappropriate and offer users a level of social interaction that transcends distance and cultures. The popularity of these sites has grown in recent times and they are no longer the exclusive domain of teenagers. Many adults have begun using social networking sites to keep in contact with friends and family or even reunite with past associates.

  People often post pictures, send messages, disclose personal details and chat (or instant message) through social networking sites. While the majority of users see this as a way to make friends with others and interact more personally than ever before there are users who do not have the same innocent intentions. Some people use the intimate information on these sites to harass or develop predatory relationships with unsuspecting users. The sites have very little scope for protecting against these types of behaviours and they pose a significant risk to minors in particular.

  What are the characteristics of Social Networking Websites?

  All social networking sites have a similar structure. They allow users to create a profile which is visible on the site. This profile allows users to describe themselves, post personal details and other information about themselves. Some sites even allow users to display things such as social status, mood, and other real-time information. They may even have functions which give people the opportunity to display personal likes and dislikes to others. Instant messaging is also a popular feature offered by many sites.

  There are some privacy protections offered to prevent predatory behaviour on these sites. Most sites require that users who try to contact others must be approved by the second-party in order to make contact. Profiles can also be made private or restricted requiring others to obtain approval from a user to access information held on their page. Although these protections exist there are many flaws and safety cannot be guaranteed in this way alone. Many predators are skilled at circumventing these measures and can easily verbally or sexually harass people. In some cases they can distribute pornographic and other explicit material to other users. Due to the large amount of personal information displayed on these sites predators may be able to lure unsuspecting victims into cyber-sex or a process of grooming through friendly interactions which have criminal intentions.

  Short history of Social Networking Websites

  Social networking websites have existed in some form for many years. The first form of community website was the bulletin board style site the most popular of which was UseNet.

  This type of site still exists but is far less popular than it has previously been. More developed social networking evolved as sites began to offer personal homepages and chat rooms in which users could interact and exchange ideas. Other forms of social networking involved the sharing of email addresses in order to contact people. The explosion in popularity of social networking sites occurred between 2002 and 2004 when three new sites emerged. Facebook, MySpace and Bebo revolutionised the face of community oriented web-interaction. These sites offered users a much simpler platform for interaction and flourished as a result. They have even been reported to have more traffic than popular search engine Google.com at times. The most interactive social networking model was developed by SecondLife. This site allows users to create a model of themselves and move around an online world creating business households, and relationships.

  How can you stop unwanted access to Social Networking Websites?

  These sights have to capacity to be very useful however they can pose problems for users. They may provide a significant level of distraction from important work or school tasks and can allow interaction with malicious individuals. As a result some people and companies often restrict the use of these sites. It is difficult to ignore the popularity of these sites and this can act as a lure for many users.

  Educating users to the dangers they can contain is the most effective way to ensure the risk of using them is minimised. Utilising the safety features offered by these sites and limiting friendship groups to known individuals is essential to protecting privacy.

  The best way to prevent the use of these websites is to use reputable content filtering software. This software can stop unauthorised access to websites of this type or monitor interactions which occur during their use. There are a number of products available on the markets which offer protection for users.

  How does NetNanny keep you/your family safe from Social Networking Websites?

  Net Nanny provides a premier product which can protect you from the diversions and threats inherent in social networking websites. The Net Nanny Home Suite software is ideal for use in the family setting. It is easy-to-use and no computer experience or knowledge is necessary to get the most out of your Net Nanny software.

  Allowing you to manage content from any location with remote management system you can protect your family at all times. It can be configured specifically for your needs and you can control almost every aspect of computer use including access to social networking sites. Users can elect to block entire categories of sites or customise their own list of undesirable sites. The amount of time users can spend on your computer can also be controlled through the time management feature.

  The ContentCleanup feature is designed to help you manage your computers content. It allows you to analyse, control and eliminate unwanted or unauthorised content they may have entered your system when using social networking websites. ContentCleanup can also improve your computers performance. It offers sophisticated tools to manage your content and provides you with regular reports of computer use ensuring your family is kept safe at all times.