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Restricting content for children in Android. Protecting children on the Internet from unnecessary information

Protecting children online comparable to the implementation of a whole range of measures and methods. In the article, we talked about how important it is to communicate with your child about learning about the Internet. In this article I would like to talk about ways practical protection children on the Internet from prohibited information and fraud.

This process requires parents to have a confident level of Internet skills.

  1. If you are very poor at navigating the Internet, how Internet user and start the computer for the sake of children, then for initial settings invite the system administrator.
  2. If you have one common one at home program computer, create a separate account for yourself.Protect a strong password and administrator rights tochildren could not change the settings and use inInternet all the links in a row.

Be sure to carry out the followingprotective procedures:

  • install content filtering in Yandex or Google.
  • ban adults from visitingInternet sites.
  • can be limited forchildren access time Internet .
  • track actionschildren according to history, view the list of operations.
  • block dubious search pages, banners, advertising inInternet .
  • install antivirus program, which has parental controls.

Protecting children online using filters

Exist different levels filtering content inInternet :

  1. The provider connects content filtering services upon request,protection from negative impact to devices with access toInternet .
  2. Applications and special programs for parental control andprotection The software is installed on devices from whichchildren go out to Internet – these can be tablets, smartphones, computers, laptops, and so on.
  3. Eat Internet resources, services, search engines and social networks that provideprotection setting up a safe operating mode.

It is important to warn children about risks on the Internet

You must be critical of the information that fillsInternet and teach your children the same attitude.

Should be explainedchildren , that a considerable amount of information located inInternet , is considered implausible.

Assessing the reliability of information on the Internet

Having received new information on the Internet, you should find the source and turn your attention to the author of the information. Analyze other publications on the topic.

A bright, colorful website is not yet an indicator that you can trust it and believe in what is written. Explainchildren , what could be the purpose of creating the site, perhaps just attracting the public.

Tell me children “three sources” rule – after reading new information, don’t trust it right away, check what they write in othersInternet sources on the same issue.

If additional information not found or inInternet If there is no primary source, then you can accept the facts, but you should not distribute them to other network users.

You need to choose trusted sites

Today at Internet There are white lists where useful and safe content is located, that is, a list of sites suitable for study. These include educational, entertainment, informational resources, as well as services and goods.

Communicate with children without prejudice

Frank and friendly dialogue withchildren – the best option is to preventInternet risks. Sometimes even constant monitoring does not give a 100% guaranteechild protection from low-quality, negative information. After all, you can encounter it at every step, for example, with friends, acquaintances, or accidentally find it in your home.Internet .

Best methodprotection - talk honestly and openly

Ask tactfully and carefullychildren what they saw and read inInternet , and then discuss this or that problem together. It's best whenchildren learn explanatory information from adults, and not from familiar peers on the street.

Protecting children online from technical risks

According to research by the Development FundInternet we can say that almost every third schoolchild in Russia faces technical threats. Even though today there are many different paid and free programs, that allowprotect devices from negative impacts, there are still risks.

Contacting the Help Desk "Children Online” with technical collisions occur very often. Viruses and malware may be contained on any sites and in any files.


Effective and simpleprotect the internet is possible thanks to the rules of use, which should be remembered by both adults andchildren .

Alexey Drozd

Director training center SearchInform company, head of the department for work with universities, author of a number of materials on information security for the program for the modernization of higher education in the European Union (TEMPUS).

The desire to protect your child from any danger is natural and understandable. “Don’t talk to strangers”, “don’t open the door to anyone but us”, “walk so that I can see you” - all this was said to us, and now we repeat these phrases to our children.

The development of technology has led to the emergence of new threats: trolling, the desire to earn likes at any cost. Now you need to protect your beloved child not only in reality, but also on the Internet. It turns out that this is not so easy to do. And it's not that there aren't enough tools. Protecting a child on the Internet is an equation with several variables, which not everyone can solve.

Self defense

Let us immediately make a reservation that control will one way or another violate the boundaries of the child’s personal space and affect the ethical aspect. Nevertheless, these methods will help parents be sure that their children will not come across information that is dangerous for them on the Internet.

Device-level protection

One of the first gadgets in the life of a small user is a telephone and its variations. Worried adults want to know if the child is okay and where he is. The market satisfied this request. A few years ago, children's phones and smart watches occupied their niche.

The principle of their operation is simple: if it is not allowed, then it is prohibited. From such devices, a child can only call numbers from the white list. Incoming call can also only be from approved contacts. The rest will receive a busy signal.

Parents can also receive information about the child’s location. You can remember in advance necessary points(house, park, school) or receive GPS coordinates in real time. Some smartwatch models provide the ability to send SMS if a child decides to take them off. In addition, you can send a command to a hidden call from the device, that is. And here caring parents come close to committing a crime.

Such gadgets, despite their cheerful multi-colored design, are special means for secretly obtaining information. Their production, acquisition or sale is prohibited by Article 138.1 of the Criminal Code. Nevertheless, you can buy devices: they are officially sold by operators “ big three" Although in Germany, for example, such gadgets were banned.

Shell-level protection

Children's phones and smart watches cannot access the Internet. Another thing is smartphones and tablets.

One of the first widely known gadgets in its time was the tablet. Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Kids. The manufacturer focused on the target audience - children. This was evident in both the design and functionality of the applications.

The device is aimed at creating a “good” Internet. Parents themselves can configure which applications their child can run and how much time they can spend with the tablet in general. For example, no more than 30 minutes a day. The applications themselves are also aimed at the small user. If this is an online cinema, then a child will only be able to find age-appropriate content.

However, more often it happens that regular smartphone or the tablet is inherited by the child from his parents. Manufacturers have foreseen this situation and created a children's mode. Get out of it without knowing parent password, will not work.

Protection at the software level

What to do if your smartphone doesn't have child mode? What if a child accesses the Internet from a computer? And there is enough adult content, propaganda, advertising and other information dangerous for children. It's simple: you just need to figure it out and configure it. There are solutions for every taste, color and budget.

The most popular computer parental control functions are available in popular operating systems. On Windows, for example, Microsoft Family Safety is responsible for this.

All the solutions listed below work for both PC and mobile devices.

  • Antiviruses. Many have acquired parental controls. Some manufacturers have gone further and released a separate product specifically to protect children.
  • Profiles with limited functionality. For example, when creating a mailbox in Gmail, you can specify how strongly the search engine will filter the results. Something can be done in in social networks. For example, limit the visibility of the page to those who are not on your friends list.
  • Third party services. With their help, you can set up flexible access to World Wide Web, allow or block only certain sites. Some Internet providers themselves offer a similar service as an additional option to the main tariff plan.
  • Control at the router level. Even budget models have basic parental controls. It allows you to monitor and limit the actions of children on the Internet, limit the time they spend on the Internet, and deny access to certain sites. It is quite possible that this will be enough for someone to be calm about their child when he goes online.

State level protection

The first publication was published back in 2010 Federal Law“On the protection of children from information harmful to their health and development.” From September 1, 2012, information began to be marked with appropriate marks age category(6+, 12+, 16+, 18+). In practice, it turned out that labeling content does not guarantee that a child will not become familiar with it.

An action plan to ensure children's information security in 2018–2020 was recently developed. It will cover a wide range of issues: communications on the Internet, online payments, data privacy, child suicide. The initiative is useful and long overdue. However, you should not rely only on government projects. Parents are primarily responsible for the upbringing and safety of the child.

Almost every child between the ages of seven and fourteen has a device that allows them to freely “travel” the World Wide Web. And their first contact with a laptop occurs at an early age.

Parents understand that the Internet is not only a way to quickly get the necessary information or an opportunity to communicate with people on another continent. The Internet is full of content that is not suitable for children. But how can you limit your children's access to the Internet so that they can still study? There are several ways to block inappropriate content on different devices.

How to restrict children's access to the Internet?

First, parents need to understand what the essence is parental restriction access to the Internet and applications. This protective measure is a control over the impact of the Network and personal computer per child. Parental controls are activated either using the software built into the operating system or using third party applications.

To understand how to restrict children's access to the Internet, you need to understand the types of parental controls. Access restriction can be divided into two main subtypes:

  • Active parental controls.
  • Passive parental control.

Active control consists of total monitoring of all the child’s actions. Software sends the parent a list of sites visited by the child. An adult can also impose a ban on loading sites containing inappropriate content.

Passive parental control allows you to introduce a time limit for using a personal computer or smartphone. The parent can also prohibit the downloading, installation or launch of certain applications, for example, games. Children can only have access to a certain list of sites, and so on. It’s easy to figure out how to restrict children’s access to the Internet. No special skills or knowledge required. Menu specialized applications is intuitive.

Parental controls on a computer or laptop

Many parents wonder how to limit their child's access to the computer. Setting up in the operating room Windows system doesn't take much time.

First you need to go through the following path: “Start” - “Settings” - “Accounts” - “Family”. Next we need to create new profile by clicking on the “Add Family Member” button. The system will then prompt you to “Add a child account.” After entering the basic data, you must indicate the age of the child. If you enter a date according to which it will be less than eight years old, the operating system will automatically install maximum level security.

Parental controls in action

After installing parental controls, questions about how to restrict your child’s access to the Internet do not arise. Windows will automatically block unwanted content. But parents themselves can make some changes.

For example, a parent can set a timer. By setting the exact operating time of the device, adults can be sure that the child will not spend the whole day playing games. Parental controls allow you to block certain applications. The program also allows you to track how much time your child spent on specific applications.

In addition, the parent will receive weekly full information about the activity of the child using this device.

Setting up Internet access restrictions on a smartphone or tablet

There are several options for limiting your child's Internet access. Android devices allow you not only to use the built-in functions, but also to download a special children's launcher from the Play Market.

"PlayPad Children's Launcher" after a simple installation will allow parents to strictly limit the list of applications that can be launched. The program will also ensure that the child does not wander into online stores and make purchases. In addition, exiting “children’s mode” will be available only to parents.

The launcher gives parents the ability to control the device remotely, set time limits for using the gadget, and will also help track the child’s location.

Devices running Android version 5.0 and below have a built-in Pin to Screen feature that allows you to limit access to one pinned program. In order to configure this function, you need to go to “Settings” - “Security” - “Attach to Screen”. In the window that opens, you need to select one of the proposed programs and secure it. The child will not be able to exit the application without the parent's permission.

With the advent of new technologies, new problems have arisen. Today, every schoolchild has some kind of gadget: phone, tablet, smartphone, PSP, computer. Every caring parent tries in every possible way to protect their baby from the negative effects of electromagnetic waves, as well as adult games, films and web pages.

Blocking inappropriate content for children

Limit the time your child spends at the computer or in front of the TV. Set up parental controls on your PC to check the launch of programs, applications and browsers. Block channels on your TV that you think are having a negative impact on your child's mental health. To limit the capabilities of phones and tablets, turn on parental controls on Android devices. Let's take a closer look at how to do this.

Google company, developing operating software Android systems, offers more and more parental control options for devices. If your tablet or phone is equipped with a system no older than Android 5.0 Lollipop, then you can set a ban on exiting a specific application. To set a restriction, go to “Settings”, find the “Security” item and select “Screen Pin”. In the "Advanced" tab, enter a password. Go to the application, hold down the “Browse” button to display active programs and move the game you opened to the top. Click on the paperclip in the lower right corner. Now you can give the gadget to your child with confidence, since it will not go beyond the program you have attached. To exit it, press “Browse” and enter the specified password.

Restrict access for the user through “Settings”

Android tablets have a feature of limited profiles that protect all personal information from intrusion unwanted callers. This is a great way to protect your child from dangerous content. Open Settings, select Add User, and select Restricted Profile. Now you can choose which software will be available to your baby and which will be hidden. In order to remove limited account, enter password.

Setting up Internet access

The parental control feature also applies to the router. If your child exploits exclusively home point access, you can configure the router to limit work with certain resources global network. Is your modem not equipped with parental controls? Go to the OpenDNS server and you will be able to set up controls for the network.

In addition, there is additional software for prohibiting and limiting work in the browser of a phone or tablet. You can find them in Google Play.

Limited Google Play

Google Play itself also supports parental controls. To prevent your child from downloading games or applications onto the phone that could harm him, go to the “Settings” of the store itself and select “Parental Controls”. Enter your password and set age limit content. You can also block the ability to buy expensive goods through the Google store.

Dedicated parental control apps

Except personal settings phone or gadget exists a large number of various programs to implement parental control.

For example, Xooloo App Kids is a launcher that creates a special desktop with shortcuts to games available for children. Protection personal information provides a four-digit password.

"Parental Controls - PlayPad" will develop and entertain the child without endangering him. After initial setup program, your baby will see a colorful menu with four icons: “Games”, “Training”, “Development”, “Other applications”. The parent fills these folders himself the necessary programs. You can also remove the ability to make calls and send messages - the application will make the call buttons and SMS chat windows unavailable. It is advisable to note that the little rascal will have access to the function of changing the desktop style and the drawing board provided by the creators of the application.

An application similar in functionality "KidRead" also has a division into categories for software. Its distinctive advantage is the gaming interface: the child earns points for the time spent in educational applications and spends them in games. "KidRead" is equipped with a timer for counting time and scoring.

For the program "Time Away" also need to pay attention. It is designed for school-age children and has more advanced functionality. Install “TimeAway” on your children’s phones and your device (up to six users), set a password and remotely manage all your children’s applications. Regulate the operating time of games, set the device's sleep period, necessary breaks, and block certain software or phones with one click of a button. Specified program also provides statistics on the utilization of programs on a tablet or smartphone, as well as the ability to track the child’s location using Google maps.

We've covered everything possible ways protecting children from the harmful effects of Android device software. The device setup presented above for children’s access to adult content is more suitable for parents’ phones and tablets. Special programs parental control - for children's gadgets. Which one is right for you personally, decide for yourself. Extend your child's childhood by protecting him from harmful information and cruel games.

Any child, already at a very early age, begins to be actively interested in the toys that his parents play with - that is, computers, laptops, tablets, etc. Often, the passion for such toys, which are forbidden to a certain extent, only increases over the years. Of course, the computer opens many useful features for development and can give your child good start in life, but for parents, from the moment your child takes his first steps and is already able to get to the magic screen, beeping when you press keys and a mysterious mouse, life will turn into a real nightmare. Young “researchers” are quite capable of destroying, almost in the blink of an eye, not only the operating system and important work documents, but at the same time the computer as a whole (here are the wires that you always want to pull, connectors that easily fail, and the system unit coupled with the monitor , which will not be difficult to drop in the heat of the game). However, the physical range of problems that can occur due to the fault of your children is a separate topic, and in this article we will limit ourselves to considering options for protecting the system and software components of a home PC.

Locking your computer

Having a small child in a family (and a big one too) is a problem, but coupled with a computer it’s already double trouble. To believe that your child, even if he is just taking his first steps, will not be interested in bright screen and tempting keyboard buttons - at least naive, and the results from accidentally pressing buttons and performing some spontaneous actions will not keep you waiting. Therefore, at the first danger from the younger generation, parents should immediately block the computer.

In principle, the built-in Windows functions blocking, activated by pressing the Win+L keyboard shortcut - then to unlock you just need to select your account and enter your password. You can also lock your computer by selecting the appropriate command - in Windows Vista/7 commands Block from the list of button commands Shutdown(Fig. 1). If you wish, if neither of these two methods suits you, you can create a shortcut on your desktop that is responsible for the same operation. The shortcut is created in the usual way, only in the field Specify the location of the object the command is entered rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation(Fig. 2). Once finished, it wouldn’t hurt to replace the standard shortcut icon with a brighter one that would immediately catch your eye.

Rice. 1. Blocking the computer using built-in Windows tools

Rice. 2. Create a shortcut to lock your computer

It is worth noting that the keyboard and mouse are not blocked by built-in Windows tools. If you are not satisfied with this, you will have to use third party utilities, which are either developed by enthusiasts specifically to protect against playful children's hands and are free (including Blok), or are professional solutions for blocking a computer and are offered on a commercial basis (an example is Lock program My PC).

The Blok program is interesting for those parents who briefly allow small children near the computer to watch cartoons (you can turn on a cartoon for your child, and then activate the blocking without closing the player - Fig. 3) or, conversely, leave the computer on for some period of time unattended . Not even the most interesting cartoon will prevent a child from using the minutes of viewing in parallel to “put things in order in his own way,” since the keyboard and mouse will be within reach. As for situations where parents leave the computer turned on completely unattended, there are even more possibilities, and the consequences can be the most dire.

Rice. 3. Locking the computer without turning off the monitor
using Blok

More reliable option locking is provided by professional tools (such as Lock My PC), but for home computer this may only make sense if you want to completely block your computer from your grown-up child, who, due to excessive enthusiasm, information technology is no longer content with his PC and looks with lust at your more powerful car. Using solutions of this kind, you can lock your computer in such a way (Fig. 4) that it will be completely impossible to access any of its elements, including the keyboard, mouse and desktop. It will be impossible to view any information on it, launch applications, access files and folders (including those currently open), and even restart the computer by pressing the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Alt+Del. Normal reboot even in safe mode or a power failure will not lead to the removal of protection - you can unlock the computer only by knowing the password.

Rice. 4. Configuring computer blocking settings in Lock My PC

Lock My PC 4.9

Developer: FSPro Labs

Distribution size: 1.6 MB

Work under control: Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7/8

Distribution method: http://fspro.net/downloads.html)

Price: personal license - $19.95; business license - $29.95

Lock My PC is a tool for locking a computer when the user is away. To block, just double-click on the corresponding icon in the system tray or press a special keyboard combination. It is possible to automatically block after a specified period of user inactivity. When locked, the mouse and CD/DVD drives are turned off (this will not allow you to remove CDs from them) and it becomes impossible to use the main keyboard combinations: Ctrl+Alt+Del, Alt+Tab, etc. On a locked computer, any type of screensaver can be displayed as screensavers. including those created independently, images in GIF formats, JPEG, BMP and animated GIF. You can unlock your computer only by knowing the user password or administrator password.

Block 4.5

Developer: Sergey Tsumarev

Distribution size: 1.33 MB

Work under control: Windows XP/7/8

Distribution method: freeware (http://remontnik-it.ucoz.com/load/0-0-0-1-20)

Price: for free

Blok is a utility for blocking the keyboard and mouse from small children with or without the function of turning off the monitor. The first option is designed to provide a PC-safe opportunity for your child to watch cartoons or exciting animated screensavers; the second is designed for situations where the computer is turned on and left unattended for some time. Blocking is not instantaneous, but with a delay of 6 seconds, which, in the case of blocking without turning off the monitor, allows the parent to switch to the player window or turn on the screensaver. Unlocking is carried out by pressing the key combination Ctrl+Alt+Del.

Freezing the system

If the child is still quite small, but has already received at his disposal own computer(for example, an old laptop), then the safest way to “freeze” the operating system is to use a “freezer” program - for example, such a recognized commercial solution as Shadow Defender, or the free ToolWiz Time Freeze utility.

This kind of program takes a “snapshot” of almost the entire hard drive from system partition, including the system registry, and when you restart the computer, the operating system returns to its original state. This automatically means that any fatal changes made on the PC by a young experimenter (changing system settings, deleting system files, dragging in an unknown direction system folders etc.), the computer will not be afraid. In this way, you can roll back not only unwanted changes that occurred as a result of accidental actions or user errors, but also changes to the system made by malware. At the same time, one should not perceive this kind of software products as tools for protection against malicious code, since the rollback technology used in “freezer” programs in practice does not help in all cases, in particular, it does not provide protection against rootkits. Therefore the presence antivirus solution on a computer is strictly necessary.

“Freezing” the system is a rather radical remedy, since after rebooting the computer, all changes made while working in “freeze” mode will be canceled. This is optimal when it is assumed that the younger generation, due to their young age, does not yet need to save documents, images and other data. If it is absolutely necessary to save data on your computer, you will have to worry about this in advance and include the folder for saving it among the exceptions.

It is not difficult to use the “freezer” programs in practice - in fact simple version It is enough to indicate to the utility the disk to be protected (Fig. 5) and configure the program so that the “freeze” mode is automatically turned on when the system boots. However, it is worth keeping in mind that in order to work in this mode, the “frozen” disk must have quite a lot of free space, since a certain area of ​​the disk is temporarily (until a reboot) reserved for a virtual area - in case of shortage free space The program may not work correctly on a protected partition. Another nuance is that when you exit the “freeze” mode (this may be necessary if you need to install or change something), the computer restarts - this is not entirely convenient, but tolerable if such manipulations are performed infrequently. Also, do not forget about the possibility of excluding folders (Fig. 6 and 7).

Rice. 5. Enabling disk protected mode in Shadow Defender

Rice. 6. Determining folders excluded when working in “freeze” mode in Shadow Defender

Rice. 7. Adding a folder to the exclusion list in Toolwiz Time Freeze

Shadow Defender 1.3

Developer: Shadowdefender.com

Distribution size: 2.68 MB

Work under control: Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7/8

Distribution method: shareware (30-day demo - http://www.shadowdefender.com/download.html)

Price:$35

Shadow Defender - simple and effective solution to protect your computer from unwanted changes, aimed at small businesses, educational establishments and home users. The application allows you to control the “freezing” of any of the disks, and the disk can remain in the “frozen” state after the system is rebooted. In protected mode, the system starts in virtual environment Shadow Mode ( shadow copy, emulating the original files), and all changes made are not saved on the original partition. Possible exception separate files and “frozen” disk folders - changes in such folders and files will be automatically saved; In addition, it is possible to exclude certain sections of the system registry from freezing. If you need to save some files or folders that are not included in the list of exceptions, while working with a “frozen” disk, just use the tools from the tab Save. For security purposes, the user is notified about the lack of free space on a “frozen” disk and access to the program is protected with a password.

Toolwiz Time Freeze 2.2

Developer: ToolWiz Software

Distribution size: 2.63 MB

Work under control: Windows XP/Vista/7/8

Distribution method: freeware (http://www.toolwiz.com/downloads/)

Price: for free

Toolwiz Time Freeze - simple program to “freeze” the system. The utility can be launched when Windows boots immediately in “frozen” mode; It is also possible to enable the “freeze” mode by activating the corresponding command from the menu in the system tray or from the launchpad on the desktop. Only data on the system disk is protected from changes; some folders and/or files can be added to the exclusion list to save changes to them in “freezing” mode. Access to application settings can be password protected.

Restricting access to system resources

When using a computer together with a child, it is quite difficult to use the “freezers” of the system. Why? For normal operation You will have to turn off the “freeze” mode every time, and therefore restart the computer, and at the end of your work life, do not forget to turn on the protection, which is very tedious. Another option is possible: configure the PC so that parents can normally work with frozen system disk. The latter, in practice, involves painstakingly setting up a list of exclusion folders in which information should be stored. At the same time, some of the folders will still have to be protected in one way or another so that your child does not create something in fits of enthusiasm. In our opinion, the most correct thing would be not to “freeze” the system, but, if possible, to limit access to system resources, important folders and files.

The very first thing in this case is to set up a separate account for the child, under which he will log into the system, and set preferences system settings, and also determine the right set applications. Of course, the guest profile on the computer must be disabled, and a password must be set for the administrator profile - otherwise, it will not be difficult to bypass such a lock if desired.

At the same time, it will be useful to take advantage of the parental control capabilities built into Windows 7/8 and note which programs the child is allowed to use (Fig. 8). It is worth keeping in mind that after limiting the list available applications built-in means to restrict access to important system operations, such as changing settings in Control Panel components (in particular, in the “System and Security”, “User Accounts and Family Safety”, “Programs”, “Network and Internet” folders, etc.) etc.), launching the system registry, etc. may not be necessary, since all such actions will automatically be prohibited.

Rice. 8. Configure parental control settings for a child's profile in Windows 7

You can go the other way and through the editor group policy gpedit. ms block access to those components of the operating system, changes in which are most critical and can even lead to fatal consequences. In particular, it would not hurt to close access to the control panel (or hide the “System and Security”, “User Accounts and Family Safety”, “Programs”, “Network and Internet” folders, etc.) and deny access to tools for editing the system registry and using the command line, set a ban on launching a number of applications, etc. To change settings you must be logged into Windows. account with administrator rights and launch the Group Policy Editor by pressing the Windows key combination + R and entering the command gpedit.msc. Then open the thread User Configuration ® Administrative Templates and adjust the settings of interest - for example, completely deny access to the control panel (Fig. 9). Of course, “banning everything and everyone” is not always the most reasonable solution. It is much better to manually adjust the list of prohibited/allowed control panel elements, removing the most dangerous ones from it, but this is longer and more difficult, since you will need to know the so-called canonical names of control panel elements (you can find them in the MSDN Library - http://msdn .microsoft.com/).

Rice. 9. Setting a ban on launching the Control Panel in Windows

There are other ways to set restrictions on changing system data, but with the involvement of third-party applications. These may be specialized tools aimed at system administrators(for example, the WinLock program, which is affordable and relatively easy to use), or utilities for setting up parental controls (Child Control, TimeBoss, etc.).

By connecting the WinLock program to your case, you can block access to important components of the operating system in a matter of seconds. So, it’s easy to prohibit the use of the editor Windows registry, launching the control panel and booting in safe mode, preventing the cmd.exe console from launching, prohibiting the installation and removal of programs, depriving a child of the ability to lock the computer, etc. It may be reasonable to prohibit others (which do not have such fatal consequences, but also cause certain complexity) operations - for example, hide screen properties, remove the “Folder Options” item from all Explorer menus, prohibit dragging objects into the Start menu, pin the taskbar and prohibit its customization, block renaming shortcuts on the desktop, etc. (Fig. 10).

Rice. 10. Setting up locks and bans in WinLock

As for the tools for setting up parental controls, their ability to block access to operating system settings is, of course, more modest, but these solutions are of interest to those parents who want to simultaneously protect their data and establish control over the work on the computer for the younger generation. For the Russian-speaking audience, in this regard, the TimeBoss program is of greater interest (Fig. 11) - mainly due to the presence of a Russian-language interface. With its help, for example, you can easily disable the control panel and task manager, block the launch of the system registry, as well as changing the date and time, etc. The Child Control application has more impressive capabilities in terms of controlling access to Windows settings: you can prohibit the use of the command line, launching the system registry, opening the control panel, changing user accounts, etc. (and taking into account the selected security level), as well as hide some drives (Fig. 12).

Rice. 11. Restricting access to system operations in TimeBoss

Rice. 12. Setting system restrictions using Child Control

WinLock 6.11

Developer: Crystal Office Systems

Websiteprograms: http://www.crystaloffice.com/winlock/

Distribution size: 4.96 MB

Work under control: Windows 2000/2003/XP/Vista/7/8

Distribution method: shareware (30-day demo - http://www.crystaloffice.com/download.html)

Price: WinLock - $23.95; WinLock Professional - $31.95 (at Softkey.ru WinLock Professional - 450 rub.)

WinLock - handy tool to restrict access to important system resources and user data. The program is presented in two versions: basic WinLock and extended WinLock Professional; possibilities basic version do not allow you to restrict access to web resources and use encryption.

The main purpose of WinLock is to configure user access restrictions to important system resources and confidential information. The program loads automatically from the OS and allows you to deny access to system registry and control panels, disable hot Windows keys(for example, Alt+Ctrl+Del, Alt+Tab, Ctrl+Esc, etc.), hide the Start menu and lock the taskbar from changes, etc. The utility can be used to block access to removable media (CD/DVD drives, USB devices, etc.) and hide the display of certain drives in the My Computer folder and in Explorer, block startup specific applications(for example, for security reasons, you can prohibit downloading of download managers), as well as files and folders with important information. It is possible to prevent access to dubious web resources based on black and white lists (the black list is compiled by keywords) and set restrictions on the duration of the user’s work on the computer. All such settings are made taking into account the user profile and cannot be changed without knowing the password specified for the utility.

Child Control 2013

Developer: Salfeld Computer

Websiteprograms: http://salfeld.com/software/parentalcontrol

Distribution size: 23.26 MB

Work under control: Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7/8

Distribution method: shareware (30-day demo - http://salfeld.com/download/)

Price:$29.95

Child Control is perhaps one of the best solutions on the market for setting up parental controls, allowing you to limit access to your computer in terms of introducing a limit on both time and resources used. The program also provides detailed statistics regarding usage system resources and website visits, can send generated reports to parents at specified e-mail and is equipped with functionality for remote control.

With the help of Child Control, it is easy for each child to clearly regulate time access to the computer in general and the Internet and individual programs in particular; block use individual applications and visiting unwanted Internet resources, taking into account the selected security level, preset categories, keywords, official blacklists of websites and whitelists of URLs allowed to be visited. It is possible to set the time s x limits on website categories such as videos and online games. Tools are provided to restrict access to the most important Windows system components - you can block access to the system registry, command line, control panel, date and time changer, etc. and deny access to personal folders and even separate disks. In order to protect the utility from hacking, the younger generation is provided with the use of a password to access the program and work in hidden (“Stealth”) mode.

Time Boss 3.08

Developer: Nicekit Software

Distribution size: 1.4 MB

Work under control: Windows XP/Vista/7/8

Distribution method: shareware (30-day demo version - http://nicekit.ru/download/timeboss.zip)

Price: Time Boss - 620 rub.; Time Boss PRO - 820 rub.

TimeBoss - simple and convenient program for organizing parental control. The application is offered in two editions: basic Time Boss and extended Time Boss PRO. The Time Boss PRO edition additionally provides functionality for remote control within the local home network(you can change settings remotely, quickly add time, etc.) and is equipped with protection against keyloggers (to prevent a child from obtaining the password to access the program).

TimeBoss allows you to limit the time a child spends on computer activities (including games and the Internet), determine the list of available applications (including games), and introduce restrictions on a number of system operations, deny access to individual folders and drives, and also regulate visits to sites when surfing the Internet. The program provides control for all users registered in the system and therefore, if necessary, can be used to configure different options for restrictions for different profiles. For security purposes, the use of a password to access the program, operation in hidden (“Stealth”) mode, as well as protection against application deletion when loading Windows in a safe mode have been implemented. Safe mode mode.

Restricting access to personal folders

Using different profiles for your child, coupled with a connected parent profile Windows control will in no way limit your child’s access to folders and files on the disk with all the ensuing consequences. Therefore, without additional protection not enough. Options for setting access restrictions to important folders may vary. Most affordable way prevent children from accessing them - enable the “Hidden” attribute in the properties of the corresponding objects. Folders and files hidden in this way will not be visible in Explorer to other system users, but only if the “Do not show hidden files, folders and drives” checkbox is enabled in the properties of the parent folders containing them (Fig. 13). In principle, at first this may be quite enough to protect your data.

Rice. 13. Hiding a folder using built-in Windows tools

Using the built-in operating system tools, you can also configure access restrictions certain folders- for example, allow only their viewing, which will prevent accidental deletion of important data. To do this, just click on the disk, folder or file in Explorer right click mouse, select from context menu team Properties, activate tab Safety, select the child’s account, and then determine for him access rights to the selected object, setting up the required restrictions (Fig. 14). Of course, you need to configure access restrictions under an account with administrator rights.

Rice. 14. Defining folder access restrictions using built-in Windows tools

In this way, you can even completely deny access to individual folders, but the folders themselves will remain visible in the system unless the “Hidden” attribute is set on them, coupled with a display ban. hidden folders and files. Unfortunately, hidden using built-in tools Windows folders will be visible in file managers (FAR, Total Commander etc.) that do not use a standard dialog to display files and folders. Therefore, such concealment is not suitable for everyone.

To organize more effective protection for those folders that you would like to keep away from the prying eyes of children, you can go the other way - use a specialized solution, such as the Free Hide Folder utility or Protected Folder. Completely hidden from prying eyes separate folders using them is as easy as shelling pears - just drag the corresponding folder from Explorer into the utility window or add this folder to the protected folder directly in the utility window (Fig. 15 and 16). Hidden with connection free utility Free Hide Folder folders will not be visible in Windows Explorer even if the “Show hidden files, folders and drives” option is enabled, however, if your child is savvy enough and you forget to prohibit the use of file managers (FAR, Total Commander, etc.) in the child’s profile, then bypass the protection you have established will not be difficult for him. The commercial program Protected Folder provides a more reliable level of hiding - folders protected in it will also be invisible in file managers; access to them without knowing the master password is impossible. It is worth noting that you can protect confidential folders using the above-mentioned parental control utilities Child Control (Fig. 17) and TimeBoss.

Rice. 15. Hiding a folder in Free Hide Folder

Rice. 16. Installing protection on a folder in Protected Folder

Rice. 17. Hiding important data in Child Control

Hiding data in this way will help protect it from unauthorized access and accidental damage or deletion in many cases, although a young hacker has a chance of gaining access to the folders if you do not take care to block the ability to boot the system from optical drive or flash drive and setting a BIOS password. In addition, theoretically, you can bypass the protection if you remove the disk and connect it to another computer. True, if the offspring has such qualifications, it hardly makes sense for parents to fight using software.

Protected Folder 1.2

Developer: IObit

Distribution size: 3.4 MB

Work under control: Windows XP/Vista/7/8

Distribution method: shareware (demo version for 20 launches - http://ru.iobit.com/downloads/pf-setup.exe)

Price: 600 rub.

Protected Folder is a convenient program for protecting files and folders from unauthorized access by completely hiding them or restricting access to data. In terms of access restrictions, it is possible to set a read ban (the files will remain visible, but they cannot be run, copied or read) or a write ban (they cannot be moved, deleted or modified). Hidden data is invisible in Windows Explorer and file managers. Access to the program is protected by a master password. Functionality is provided for setting up exceptions - by default, a number of system folders and files are included in the list of exceptions, since restricting access to them leads to incorrect operation of the system.

Free Hide Folder 3.0

Developer: Cleanersoft Software

Distribution size: 875 KB

Work under control: Windows 9x/Me/NT/2000/XP/2003/Vista/7/8

Distribution method: freeware (http://www.cleanersoft.com/download/FHFSetup.exe)

Price: for free

Free Hide Folder is a simple and compact utility for hiding personal folders. Protected folders become completely invisible to Windows Explorer even with the “Show hidden files, folders and drives” option enabled, they will be displayed in other applications, such as FAR, Total Commander, etc. Access to the program is restricted by a master password.

As everyone knows very well, there are always a lot of problems with children, and if you also have a computer at home, then you definitely won’t be bored. You will probably more than master a lot of ways to secure wires and hide them from children’s eyes system unit with valuable stuffing, strengthening the monitor, and then move on to studying a variety of software (for example, what was discussed in the article) to limit the younger generation’s access to the computer, operating system, as well as important folders and files. However, if a real computer genius grows up in the family, then even after protecting everything and everyone, you are unlikely to be able to rest on your laurels. In this case, all you have to do is admit defeat, which may be for the best, because then it will immediately become clear that computers are your child’s true calling.