Types of Antivirus & Increasing its Effectiveness

Nowadays no one doubts the importance of having a reliable and updated antivirus that protects your computer from possible attacks, but depending on what type of antivirus you have installed on your computer, you will have better or worse security.

In this article you will verify that there are many types of antivirus and to show you, we are going to classify them according to different criteria such as: their purpose, according to whether they are created to meet a specific objective, according to how they are executed and according to their brand.

What types of antivirus are there?

Types of antivirus according to their purpose

·         Preventive antivirus

They are characterized because they analyze the input and output of all the data on your computer in order to intercept possible threats, anticipating the infection of the computer by malicious programs. They are installed in the internal memory of the computer and can sometimes slow down its operation.

·         Antivirus identifiers

As their name suggests, they are antivirus that scan your computer's operating system in order to identify possible viruses that exist on it. They track byte sequences of specific codes and try to identify strange behavior or out-of-the-ordinary patterns within existing programs.

·         Decontaminating antivirus

When the virus is already identified on our computer, the decontaminator type antivirus is in charge of eliminating this infection. It has some similar functions to identifier antivirus.

Types of antivirus according to your specific objective

Not all antivirus are designed to fight the same type of virus, so it is important that you identify the types of antivirus that exist according to their specific objective:

·         Firewall or firewall

The firewall (firewall in Spanish) controls the entry and exit of data from your computer and blocks "like a wall" all that activity that is doubtful to it . Act preventively. Currently we can identify 3 different types of firewall: proxy servers, network layer (or packet) filters, and application layer firewalls.

·         Antipop-up

This is a very simple antivirus that is only responsible for preventing some websites from automatically opening emerging advantages that may be annoying when browsing the Internet.

·         Antispyware or antispyware

This antivirus has the objective of detecting and eliminating spy programs that have been installed on our computer without our consent. The purpose of these malicious and silent spy programs is to collect information about the user (passwords, browsing habits, etc.) to pass it on illegally to third parties.

·         Antispam

Its specific objective is to identify emails of dubious origin and send them directly to the spam tray. Virtually all email service providers, such as Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, etc. they have their own antispam systems.

·         Antimalware

The antimalware are designed to analyze, detect, prevent and remove malicious software on our computers, i.e. malware. It is not a simple tool (as an anti-pop-up can be), but it is a more complete program that normally already incorporates several of the anti-virus functions mentioned in this list.

Types of antivirus according to its execution

According to this classification we can find:

·         Online antivirus and offline antivirus

Those entire antiviruses that do not need to be installed on your computer, but that act only through the Internet are classified as online antivirus. If they do not require the Internet to be executable, they are offline antivirus.

·         Passive antivirus and active antivirus

If the antivirus only acts when the user requests it, then we are talking about a passive antivirus. On the contrary, if the antivirus acts autonomously without the need for the user to give it a specific order, then we are talking about an active type antivirus.

There are many security programs and tools that we can use on our devices to protect our systems and privacy. But undoubtedly the most popular are antivirus. There are free and paid ones. They are available for all types of platforms and operating systems. Some, of course, may work better than others. Therefore, this issue must be taken seriously when choosing an option. In this article we are going to explain how an antivirus works and what we can do to make it work better.

How an antivirus works

As we know, an antivirus has the main objective of detecting and eliminating possible threats . There are many types of viruses, Trojans and other types of malware that can compromise the proper functioning of the system. What this type of software does is protect us, prevent information theft and prevent the entry of malicious programs.

Basically we can say that an antivirus uses a database to detect malware. A signature database, which is how it is known to identify threats, offered by the manufacturer. This is what helps prevent the entry of viruses, Trojans and other known threats.

What about this? As we can suspect, if you try to enter a threat that is not available in that database, it will not be detected by the antivirus. For this reason, not all antivirus are the same, since it depends mainly on its database.

Luckily the antivirus has been improving over time. They no longer require as much of a database. Modern antivirus products have a more efficient active protection capable of detecting threats that do not yet have a signature and, therefore, will not be in the database.

In this case, what it does is use a series of algorithms that determine whether or not a file may represent a threat. It takes into account things like whether you can edit the registry or remotely connect to another computer.

How to make antivirus more effective

We have basically seen how an antivirus works. However, they do not always act in the correct way and not all of them are capable of protecting us in the same way. The first thing to keep in mind when trying to make your antivirus work better is to always keep it updated . So we can have a database that can detect the latest threats and also has the new functions to protect us.

On the other hand, keep in mind that free antivirus programs usually lack all functions. Some only detect and cannot eliminate the problem, for example. It is important that in this sense we choose an antivirus with guarantees. We leave you an article with the best antivirus for Windows 10 of the moment.

It is also important not to have more than one antivirus installed. The reason is because it could cause compatibility problems and affect performance. In short, an antivirus is a fundamental piece to maintain security. It is important to take care of it and always keep it updated

 

Virus Attacks- Check your PCs with Antivirus Software

 

Virus Attacks- Check your PCs with Antivirus Software

A virus attack is one of the most feared threats for those of us who use a computer, whether for work or leisure. Its effects can be catastrophic: poor performance, application crashes or total uselessness are just some of them. However, these consequences are not always due to this viral cause, so in order to solve the problems that arise, it is important to know if our device has been infected or not.

In other cases, the opposite is true. It may be the situation that our computer works perfectly, but, without knowing it, there is a virus doing its thing. Viruses from a decade ago were often pranks that ran wild and used a lot of system resources. Instead, modern malware now hides silently and covertly in the background, in order to go unnoticed and evade detection so that it captures all kinds of personal data.

Therefore, although there are sometimes indications of the existence of viruses in our device, this is not always the case. It is for this reason that it is always positive to carry out some periodic operations in order to make sure that we are not in a situation of risk. Here we explain some of the most useful ways to know if a computer has been attacked by a virus.

Watch out! Signs of viruses

Before delving into the possibilities of our equipment, let's start at the beginning: how do we detect that we have a virus? There are many signs that can make us think that our computer has been successfully attacked and here we leave you some of the clearest.

·         Hint 1. If we perceive that some extensions appear in our browser that we do not remember having installed, the best we can do is distrust.

·         Indication 2 . If we detect that our antivirus is permanently disabled, either because we receive a notification or because we observe that it behaves in a strange way, it is very possible that it is a symptom that the computer has been infected. There are many strains of malware that are capable of disabling it , preventing it from updating, and preventing it from running scans.

·         Indication 3 . Although it is not the only possible cause, some types of 'malware' affect performance and slow down the execution of programs. This is because cybercriminals can harness the power of our computer and use it for their own purposes such as mining crypto currencies.

·         Indication 4 . Social media accounts are places where viruses can operate. Irregular behavior in any of them, such as the publication of information, news or images without our consent is a very common sign of the existence of a computer virus . If your friends say they have received strange messages from you or seen you posting strange comments, it is possible that your account has been compromised or that your computer is infected.

·         Hint 5. A slow internet connection or unusually high network activity can often be attributed to 'malware'. There are many varieties of 'malware' that can hijack our internet connection and use its bandwidth to perform unwanted activities. In more serious cases, we can even lose connectivity completely.

·         Indication 6 . If we notice that our device is getting hotter than normal or that the fans are spinning at maximum revolutions , even when the system is idle, it may be due to a virus. When a computer performs a resource-intensive task, the fans kick into full blast to help keep it cool and prevent internal components from overheating.

·         Clue 7 . A very common symptom of the existence of a virus is the automatic and involuntary redirection to certain websites . These are often malicious and are used to obtain your personal information or encourage you to download more 'malware'.

·         Clue 8 . If a multitude of pop-up ads suddenly jump on a screen , a virus is probably doing its job. Many potentially unwanted programs come bundled with adware that uses every opportunity to display unwanted advertisements on all kinds of issues and products.

·         Clue 9 . The blue screen is one of the most feared phenomena by all. If this happens, the cause may be the existence of a virus, although not the only one. In these cases, identifying the exact cause can be tricky.

·         Clue 10 . Some types of 'malware' are designed to look like ANTIVIRUS 'SOFTWARE' , with the function of sending false notifications about the existence of some fictitious security threats and indicating the need to buy a product that is supposed to solve the problem.

How Antivirus Works- Types, Functions & Their Limitations

 

How Antivirus Works- 

Types, Functions & Their Limitations

The protection of a good antivirus application is essential to maintain the security of any computer system. That is why it is worth knowing how an antivirus works , what its functions are and, also, its limitations. Antivirus software tries to cover the main forms of attack on your device , be it a computer or a smartphone, and not having any kind of protection, knowing how an antivirus works, is foolish, since there are many threats that you can find browsing the Internet or copying files to your device. Currently, it is possible to find good free or low cost antivirus.

Antivirus must be updated frequently to ensure protection against the latest threats. Almost all antivirus can be configured to update automatically, it is advisable that this option is enabled.

How an antivirus works

All antivirus act in the background, inspecting every file or page that is opened on the device where they are installed. Antivirus Software uses three methods to protect the system:

·         Analyze our files by comparing them to a database of malicious software or programs

·         Monitor computer files as they are opened or created to ensure they are not infected. This is real-time protection against viruses , which can affect system performance.

·         Periodically inspect the entire system to verify if there are corrupt files and eliminate existing viruses, in case they could have entered your computer.

The antivirus compares each file on the hard disk with a dictionary of known viruses. If any piece of code in a file on the hard drive matches the virus known to the dictionary, the antivirus software kicks in, taking one of the possible actions.

Antivirus functions

·         Repair the file. The antivirus tries to repair the infected file by removing the virus.

·         Quarantine it . The antivirus will try to provide protection against the virus, making programs inaccessible to this file, preventing its spread and execution.

·      Delete the file. The antivirus removes the file. If it cannot be removed from the file, it will always ask us first if we want to do this.

·      Analyze the behavior of system files . In this case, the antivirus will keep track of all the programs that are running on a system. For example, if a program tries to perform a suspicious activity, such as writing data to an executable program, the antivirus alerts the user of this fact and informs him of the measures to take.

One of the advantages of scanning files for suspicious behavior is that it offers protection against new viruses for which no information is yet available and are not part of the list of known viruses.

When a new virus is created, antivirus software companies analyze its characteristics, how to eliminate the virus (if possible) and update the database with this information to ensure that the antivirus can detect new threats .

On the other hand, it is very common for these types of programs to incorporate other types of features that allow them to expand the security they offer, such as:

1.    Firewall. It acts as a barrier between the computer and the Internet. It is used to control who accesses the information stored on the equipment and what information comes out of it to the outside.

2.    Analyze web addresses (URL's).  It allows you to check if a web address links to a page that contains viruses or if, on the contrary, it is safe.

3.    Email protection. Scans incoming and outgoing emails to verify that they do not contain viruses. They usually include an antispam filter to prevent "junk mail" from entering the inbox and an anti- phishing filter to detect attempts to impersonate trusted pages, banks, public administrations, prestigious companies, etc.

4.    Antispyware. Capable of detecting and eliminating spyware, that is, those that are installed on the computer or device in a hidden way in order to know the user's browsing habits, passwords and other data, which could later be transmitted to an unauthorized entity.

5.    Anti pop-ups . Its main objective is to prevent the opening of annoying pop-up windows that may appear while browsing the Internet. Various spyware can be hidden in some of these windows.

6.    Backups. Make backup copies of the most important documents stored on your computer.

Limitations of antivirus

Antivirus programs, despite being constantly updated and offering more and more functionalities, also have certain limitations when it comes to keeping your computer system safe. Therefore, when selecting an antivirus, you should keep in mind some of the tasks that basic antivirus does not perform:

·         They do not prevent Spam, which must be examined with specific Anti-Spam software.

·         They do not prevent direct attacks from a hacker on the system.

·     They do not prevent criminal activities online. The antivirus is not capable by itself of preventing these actions.

Despite its limitations, you should never stop the antivirus operation because it will leave your system more exposed to external attacks. In the same way, if you do not update your antivirus with the latest virus definitions available on the Internet, the software will become practically useless, since it will not be able to detect or eliminate the most recent viruses.

Having an antivirus installed on your computer almost always means that your computer slows down a bit, that is, it works slower than it should. This is mainly due to the fact that antivirus programs use a lot of system resources. A general rule of thumb in this regard is that the more functions the antivirus provides, the more resources such as RAM and CPU cycles it will use.

Types of antivirus

Basically, Antiviruses are divided into several categories, depending on the function for which they were designed: prevention, identification or elimination of viruses.

1.  Preventive antivirus, which fulfill the function of anticipating infection by intercepting and analyzing all data input and output operations. This type of antivirus, to perform its task, must be installed on the disk and reside in the memory of the computer, so they tend to consume a considerable amount of resources that in the end slows down the computer.

2.    Identifying antivirus, whose main function is to identify threats that may already be active in the system. To achieve its mission, this type of antivirus analyzes all files on the computer in search of byte strings related to malware.

3.    Decontaminating antivirus, whose purpose is to eliminate an infection when it has already occurred and attacked the computer. Many of these Antiviruses will also try to revert to the state before the infection occurred.

4.    Heuristic antivirus, which act as a simulator, that is, they pretend the launch or the usefulness of various programs to observe their behavior and identify possible suspicious situations.

In general, modern security solutions combine these three types of antivirus, also integrating other functionalities.

 

How to use Parental Controls in Google Chrome

 

How to use Parental Controls in

Google Chrome

 

We are in a society where the Internet is already a way of life and the smallest of the house begin to use it faster and faster. Therefore, it is normal for us to worry and find it necessary to handle Parental Control in Google. Any word that we write in the search engine can give us a lot of connotations and that for our children at a certain age becomes very dangerous because the occurrences are very bad and the network is open, so to speak, without internal law to any type of content. For all this, it is very normal for parents and adults to be alarmed and want to use extra measures apart from supervision that give us peace of mind and security when leaving our children in front of the computer.

We already know that there are many browsers and of course each one offers you a provision for Google Parental Control requiring a lot of time and effort to configure, a solution is to use only one browser and delete the others (something unorthodox since some web pages work better in some than in others) and another is to use a specific program such as Qustodio, which guarantees you to control all the use that your children make of the Internet on any device and with any browser program. It is one of the best options because for example if you have a Mac the parental control varies and its handling from other terminals is a mess. Thus, the most used browser par excellence and in which more devices can be installed is Google Chrome.

Steps to follow

·         Below you can find the steps to follow to use Google Parental Control and thus protect the content that your child watches when he is surfing the net:

·         Open Google Chrome and click on the three dots that appear in the upper right corner and click on "Settings".

·         Here, the administration screen of your Google Chrome will open, in which you have to go down to "Other users" and click on "Add Person" to create a user that will serve to supervise your child.

·         Select the first check and thus create a shortcut on the desktop for this user and also the second check to control the sites that this person visits from our account. Finally, give this user a name and an icon.

·         Click on "Add" and a new window will appear indicating that the user is now a supervised user and that you can manage the sites that can be visited on the link page (that is, the direct link on the desktop). So, confirm the action by clicking on "Got it".

·         You already have your supervised user created. Now, you must go to the administration panel of supervised users to manage the sites to which it has access.

·         Click on their name to enter their specific area and within it you can activate or deactivate notifications for that user, manage the permissions for each site and block or unblock the Safe Search filter.

·         If you look on the desktop, you will see the shortcut created for the supervised user. Double click on it and you will go directly to the Internet.

·         Within your Google Chrome window, you will see that you can navigate as anyone else would. Enter, for example, on YouTube, Facebook, Google and do a search ... everything works normal.

·         Well, now go back to your Chrome window, see how a list of all the sites that the supervised user has visited appears, that is, the history.

·         If there is one that you do not want your child to visit, you just have to select it and click on "Block". In this way, the user will not be able to access that website from their profile.

·         If the supervised user wants to have access to that website, they must "Request permission" and this request will appear in your administration panel.

·         Now you can approve or deny it.

·         There is the possibility that the supervised user, from his Google Chrome window, click on his name, select yours and access your profile and to manipulate the permissions. To avoid that, what you should do is that from our Chrome window when you finish performing any action click on "Exit and Block", so that in this way every time you want to access you must enter a password and no one who does not know it can do it.

 

 

Children’s Privacy & Their Myths

Reasons Why You Should Concerned About Children's Privacy on Internet

 

The privacy online is a bit like the weird uncle of the family: it is difficult to understand and strange only when it is no longer. Like him, privacy on the internet can sound a bit paranoid. Predators on the internet. Online security. Theft of data. These issues involve many topics and can be confusing, so they are easy to overlook. However, the strange uncle may not be completely insane. What your child posts online can end up in the wrong hands and affect their future, safety, and reputation. It can be difficult to deal with the weird guy, so here are six reasons why you should be concerned about online safety.

They can steal your child's identity. Toys and gadgets that connect to the internet store information about your child in 'the cloud' (which is another way of saying a server, or a very large computer that is in a shed somewhere in the world). As revealed by the cyber attack on Vtech's children's tablets, some hackers attack children's profiles because they offer clean credit histories and social security numbers that have not been used. Parental controls

They can hurt you. Social networks that have access to the physical location of their users such as Twitter , Kik , Facebook, Find my Friends, and Gone Out - Later Folks can show your child's location to all their contacts, many of whom they don't know personally. Imagine he posts a 'selfie' where he labels where he is, where he says 'here alone, looking for something fun to do'. 

Your child could miss out on opportunities. Posting crazy and extreme party photos paint a negative story for potential employers, college admissions officers, and others your teen would like to impress. They may not care that your child is partying, but they did have the lack of judgment to post compromising images. 

They can scam you. More and more schools are using digital tools to teach, diagnose learning problems, and interact with their students. This means that they are saving personal information, progress reports and other reports that some sellers would like to get their hands on. Let's say your child has a specific problem that is being monitored by software their school uses. The software company may sell this specific information to a third party who can take advantage of your vulnerabilities as a parent. 

Your child can be tagged. When schools automate their procedures, they create reports with sensitive and potentially negative information. Information that falls into the wrong hands, such as an individual education plan (IEP), behavior report, or even their body mass index can unfairly disqualify your child from new opportunities.

Your child can be humiliated. Sharing fun things about your life with friends is fine, but sharing too much is never a good idea. When children share inappropriate content, whether it's a sexy selfie, an explicit session with a friend, a complaint in which they share more than they should, or cruel comments about others, the results can be humiliating if these posts are made public or they share with many people. Talk to your children about the importance of keeping private matters private and considering how far and for how long information can travel. It is also important to explain to them how to talk to their friends about respecting each other's online privacy. Parental controls

5 Myths & Truths about Child Safety on the Internet using Parental controls:

If you believe everything you hear about child safety on the Internet, you might think that pedophiles and cyber bullies are just around the corner. The truth is that there are bad things, but there are also many good things on the Internet. Some experts are even trying to combat a "tech panic state of mind" that worries parents unnecessarily. The starting point is that we cannot keep our children safe without knowing the facts. These are the five most popular myths about child safety on the Internet and the truths that can alleviate and even eliminate your worries.

Myth: Social media turns kids into cyber bullies.

Reality: There are several reasons why a child or youth can be a cyber bully. Social media is a convenient way to do your dirty work.

The truth is that children who engage in this type of behavior typically have other reasons for the behavior. They could be in a crisis at home, school, or socially. They could also be bullies in person, or they may not have developed levels of empathy. Being aware of the circumstances of Cyberbullying - although we do not justify this behavior in any way - can help parents and educators to recognize the red flags so that they can intervene before the situation becomes too complicated.

Myth: Teaching children that only avoiding communication with strangers is the best way to stay safe online.

Reality: Teaching children to recognize predator behavior will help them avoid malicious questions and requests.

In today's world, when children as young as 8 years old are interacting with strangers online, they need to know what the boundaries are between an appropriate conversation and one that is not. We suggest that you go beyond the danger of strangers and teach them what kinds of questions are appropriate. For example, the following are inappropriate questions and should arouse suspicion: Are you a boy or a girl? Would you like to have a private conversation? What clothes are you wearing today? Where do you live? Also teach your children not to search the Internet for dangerous situations. Keep in mind that risky relationships online most often develop in chat rooms where teens are of their own free will seeking or having sexual conversations.

Myth: Boys act worse when they are on the Internet.

Reality: Most minors say that their friends or colleagues are nice to each other when they are online.

We know that most kids want to have fun, hang out and socialize normally when online, and in fact, according to the Pew Research Internet project, that is what most are doing. Check out these stats:

·          65% of teens using social media say they have had a feel-good online experience.

·          58% say they feel closer to a person after an experience on a social network.

·    80% of adolescents who have witnessed aggressive and cruel behavior on a social   network have come to the defense of the friend who is being attacked.

There are also many young people who have fought Cyberbullying and used the Internet to support a social cause. More and more often, kids are discovering and profiting from the Internet-connected world, busting a few myths along the way.

Myth: It is dangerous to post photos of your children on the Internet.

Reality: If you use the privacy options, limit your audience and don't identify your children, it is quite safe.

There are two types of parents: those who love to post photos of their children and those who think that doing so is getting into trouble. Although we know that when posting something on the Internet there are always some risks, there are ways to prevent risks if you act smart and know how to do it.

·        Use the privacy settings: Make sure the privacy settings are filtering what you post so that only the closest people in your group of contacts can see it.

·     Limit your audience: only share photos with close friends and family. You can also use photo sharing sites like Picasa or Flickr where a password is required and be part of the site in order to view the photos.

·     Do not rush to get your children to enter social networks. Respect the rule that children under 13 should not be on social media. Once your children have a profile on a social network, they can be tagged, which magnifies their presence on the Internet. If you are going to upload photos of them, do not identify them and do not tag them, that way the photos cannot be tracked and connected to them.

Myth: Parental controls are the best way to monitor my children's activities online.

Reality: Focusing on just one way to provide Internet security will make you feel confident and give you a false sense of security.

To keep your kids safe online and to raise them to be responsible and respectful digital citizens, you need a lot more than just using PARENTAL CONTROLS.

These controls can be easily circumvented by determined children. In addition, these child safety controls on the Internet stop a lot on their filters so that any search on the Internet can be almost useless. Also, it can create a "parent versus child" dynamic that can backfire.

 

Parent’s Guide to Parental Controls for Safe Internet

 

Parent’s Guide to Parental Controls for Safe Internet

Even though you've already talked to your kids about screen time limits and responsible behavior online, it's still very difficult to monitor what they're doing when you're not around (and even when you are). Parental controls can help you keep your children's Internet experiences safe, fun, and productive. Parental controls work best when used in conjunction with open communication and passing on your family's values, so keep that in mind no matter which parental control you choose.  

To determine what type of parental control is best, you need to think about the needs of your family. Some families just need to change their browser settings to filter inappropriate content, which is free. Other families need help reducing screen time for children. Other parents are comfortable just checking their children's cell phone or tablet from time to time. No matter what your need is, this guide can help you understand the wide range of options you have for monitoring your family's devices. Read below for answers to the most frequently asked questions from parents about Parental controls.

What are the best parental controls if I want to?

Block websites. If all you want is to limit what your children can search, your best option is to activate Google SafeSearch in all the browsers you use. First, make sure your browsers have Google as their default search engine, and then turn on Safe Search. It's good to take this precaution as soon as your kids start connecting to make sure they don't accidentally stumble across something unpleasant or inappropriate. 

Block websites and filter content. If you want to prevent access to specific websites and limit your children's contact with inappropriate content such as adult games or pornography, you can use the Parental controls that are built into your device's operating system. All major operating systems - Microsoft's Windows, Apple's Mac OS, and even Amazon's Fire - offer settings to prevent kids from accessing things you don't want them to see. To get the maximum benefits from these controls, you must be using the most up-to-date version of the operating system, and each user must log in with their own profile. The settings apply universally to all content accessed through the computer. Each of these operating systems works differently and has its own pros and cons. This is the best solution if you have young children who primarily use a device at home. Take a look at the characteristics of each: Microsoft, Apple. 

Block websites, filter content, impose time limits, watch what my kids are up to. A full-featured external Parental controls service, like Qustodio or NetNanny, will give you a lot of control over all of your children's devices (the ones they use at home and their phones). These services can be expensive (especially if you have multiple children to monitor), but the cost includes constant device monitoring, allowing you to see the ways children are using their devices. These parental controls can only keep track of accounts that your child knows about, and in some apps, you will need their password to monitor activity. For example, if the child creates a completely new profile on Instagram using a friend's computer without warning you, these Parental controls will not track that account. 

Monitor my child's phone. To monitor your preteen or teen's phone, it's best to download an app like Bark, KidBridge (formerly known as TeenSafe), or WebWatcher, which monitors text messages, social media, emails, and other mobile phone functions. These apps are especially useful if you are concerned about potentially risky conversations or questionable topics your child might be into. Bark, for example, notifies you when it detects words that generate an alert, such as "drugs." To monitor social media, you will need your child's account information, including passwords. 

See my child's location. You can use GPS trackers like Find My Friends and FamiSafe to know where your kids are. However, they must have the phone on for this to work.

Monitor all devices on the network, limit screen time, filter content, and turn off Wi-Fi. There are hardware and software solutions to control your network and your home Wi-Fi. To name just a few of the most popular: OpenDNS is a downloadable application that works with your router (the device that brings the Internet to your home) to filter Internet content. Circle Home Plus is a subscription service that syncs with your router and it lets you stop Internet access, create time limits, and add content filters to all devices on your home network (including Wi-Fi devices), as well as monitoring phones and tablets outside the home. Some Internet Service Providers, such as Comcast and Verizon in the United States, also offer parental controls features that apply to all devices on the network. Network solutions can be useful for families with children of different ages; however, Wi-Fi and network setup can be tricky and the controls may not work when children are on a different network. 

What are the best parental control options for iOS phones and tablets?

If you have an iPhone or iPad, Apple's Screen Time (or Time of use in Spanish) settings allow you to manage almost every aspect of your child's iOS device, including how much time children spend on each application and game and what downloaded. You can even turn off the phone at specific times, like bedtime. There are two ways to activate Screen Time, either by changing the setting on your child's device and password-protecting the setting or by activating the Family Sharing function that allows you to manage the functions from your phone. 

What are the best Parental controls options for Android devices?

Android devices can vary greatly in what they offer, so check your device's settings to see what options you have. If your child is under 13, you can download Family Link from Google to track and control their internet activity, including texting and social media, using your own phone. You can also use Android's Digital Wellbeing setting, which is built into the latest version of the operating system. This can help kids be more aware of their time online and hopefully help them reduce usage. It is important that you help your child to activate this setting, which will help him learn to control himself. 

Can I set Parental controls on specific apps, like Snapchat?

In addition to blocking specific people, most apps allow you to disable features that could pose some risks to children. For example, you can deactivate chat, set limits so that they can only chat with friends, and hide the profile so that it does not appear in search results. Some applications go a step further by allowing users to control their own use of the application. TikTok's Digital Wellbeing features help reduce the time you spend in the app and limit the appearance of inappropriate videos. Youtube allows you to set a reminder to take a break. To find out if your kids' favorite apps offer any kind of restrictions, go to the app's settings (usually a gear icon). Unless an app offers password protection for the settings (and most don't), your child can easily change them. 

Do I have to worry about my child turning off Parental controls?

Yes, children can reverse parental controls. In fact, they can easily find the instructions on the Internet. Depending on the software you use, you may receive a notification that parental control has been changed, or you may not receive it. Kids can discover all sorts of ingenious methods to keep doing what they want to do: talking to friends, staying up late playing Fortnite. And watch videos that you don't want them to see. If you notice anything suspicious, such as a sharp drop in your parental controls, Wi-Fi, or data activity notifications after you've shut down the network, or anything else that indicates that Parental controls aren't working the way it's supposed to should do so, your child may have discovered a method to avoid it. However, there could be another reason, as parental controls can be affected by system updates, power outages, and other technical issues. 

Will my child know that I am using parental controls?

It depends on the type of controls you install and the devices you have. You can install some Parental controls without your children knowing, but Common Sense Media does not recommend doing so (unless you have a really serious problem with your child and need to monitor them discreetly). In fact, beware of companies offering covert monitoring services, as they tend to prey on parental fears. On the other hand, parental control companies that encourage open dialogue between parents and children are more useful, because at some point you will have to talk to him or her about what you find and it will be easier if your child already knows that. you are monitoring. If you decide to use Parental controls, talk to your children and explain why you use them (to help them keep them safe).