Reccomendations for net nanny softwares & PC lockdowns.

zoombini · 08-03-2005, 15:13

Hello, I now have a nice shiny new PC, which has XP on.

I also have 3 kids.

kids - pc don't get on too well, they tend to go on kiddy game sites & I suddenly get a virus etc.

So with this new one (never been on the net yet) I want to lock it down so that we cannot get a trojan/virus etc dropped on it, no screensavers etc.

I also want to be able to control & review what websites they are going to.

What freeware software can you reccomend?
What paid software is better?

I have winlock, adaware, spywareblaster, avg7, spybot s&D, all ready to install & will be behind a Belkin wireless modem/routers firewall.

AVG I will have autoupdate daily & scan regurally, spywareblaster I will do regurally.

Years ago I used to have to have my youngests desktop replaced every bootup (hundreds of "new folder" on it

) but now they are old enough to make thier own desktop wallpaper & themes, I just want to be able to stop them installing stuff & esp screensavers & games off of the web.

Your advice is appreciated.
thankyou,
Zoombini.

Aragorn · 08-03-2005, 16:52

I've not used any Netnanny software myself, but I have a number of suggestions.

Firstly (and I don't do this myself !) give them each a non-admin account and password your own admin account. At least that way they can't install programs or chuck stuff in the Windows directory.

Have you tried IE's own content advisor. If they are computer savvy they may be able to get around this, but worth a look.

Depending on how paranoid you are, the IE history/cookies will show you where they've been, but it can be cleared (sign of a guiltty conscience

). I'm sure there are tools out there that will format/report on these.

Having found a 'dodgy' java class on my system recently, I now do a quick AV scan of 'Documents & Settings' and Windows every morning.

If it's XP Pro you can use the 'Local Security Policy' in 'Admin Tools' to lockdown the system even further, but prob a bit ott for a home system.

HTH

Paul K · 08-03-2005, 16:59

How about a read through here for a few bits and pieces.

zoombini · 09-03-2005, 08:38

Does the content advisor work by profiles or is it an overall setting?

I'd like to give my eldest a bit more leway than the younger ones.

Paul K · 09-03-2005, 08:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by zoombini

Does the content advisor work by profiles or is it an overall setting?

I'd like to give my eldest a bit more leway than the younger ones.

Think it works via the per person profiles but I'd need to check into that to be sure.
More info here that might help though
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/...dv/config.mspx

zoombini · 09-03-2005, 09:04

CA may work, but it looks like an awful lot of work to type in all the black listed sites.
Surely there must be readily available lists that I can import?

If I use other software it usually comes with a predefined list & can be updated automatically.

Aragorn · 09-03-2005, 09:14

You can find some more info on CA here :
http://support.microsoft.com/default...n-us;867470#13

A quick browse of the MS site suggests that you can Allow those that you are happy with rather than Deny dodgy sites, eg allow BBC, Google, CableForum

Not tried it, but I would think you can set different rating levels for different logins.

zoombini · 10-03-2005, 23:02

HELP!

I have setup the rest of the family as users and done some security settings but I seem to have locked them out of the CD-rom?

I admin tools, local security policy, security options. the option for "Devices - restrict CDrom access to locally loged on only" is disabled.
Thats the only thing I can see that stops it.

What else could I have done & how to restore CD access?

I can access it fine.
If I set them as an admin they still cannot acces it.

Also, I cannot see any other groups to assign people to than admin or user, what about power users etc?

soneill · 10-03-2005, 23:11

In XP the only way to assign other user types other than admin and "basic" user is to use User Manager (I think that is the correct name). I'm not on an XP machine at the moment but I think the option is under Control Panel/Admin Tools.

From some bizare reason the normal maintenance route then says unknown user type but it does work.

Can't help with CD access though.

Richard M · 10-03-2005, 23:18

Mozilla Firefox

zoombini · 10-03-2005, 23:45

eh?
whats firefox got to do with it?
__________________

Yes, it says there are only 2 types of user.
but I can't for the life of me figure out what stops them other users accessing the cdrom?

Richard M · 10-03-2005, 23:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by zoombini

eh?
whats firefox got to do with it?

You mentioned spyware/malware:

Quote:

kids - pc don't get on too well, they tend to go on kiddy game sites & I suddenly get a virus etc.

So with this new one (never been on the net yet) I want to lock it down so that we cannot get a trojan/virus etc dropped on it, no screensavers etc.

I also want to be able to control & review what websites they are going to.

Firefox is more secure against this kind of crap than IE.

Paul K · 11-03-2005, 07:38

http://nsa2.www.conxion.com/win2k/guides/w2k-8.pdf
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/...0c46bad1987b69
might help but I just found this registry entry information on a google group search

Quote:

Hi guys, I have this problem and I have found a fix on another forum that has worked for people so I thought I would post it here to help anyone else who has this problem. posted by "cloudair" at http://forum.xatrix.org/viewtopic.php?t=94 "Hi there, yes I had found the problem and had fixed it.. The problem is caused by a value within windows registry had been changed. My fix is: 1) Goto start and run 2) Type in regedit 3) HKey_Local_Machine 4) Goto Software 5) Goto Microsoft 6) Goto WinNT 7) And goto Winlogon (click on winlogon) Go the right is a name called "allocatecdroms" 9) If the value is "1", you will get the error message with cab files. 10) Change the value to "0" and save. For me this fixes the problem. Hope this helps you. Cheers Winston" End of post from Winston

You may want to check the registry settings for it too.

Valerie · 11-03-2005, 12:43

I use IProtectYou from www.softforyou.com as a web filter ($34.95 for 1 pc). It is pretty good and configuarable eg it lets you permit/deny sites/words of your own. It records what sites have been visited, and logs all banned pages (these can be banned silently, or with large signs that pop up on screen). It can also send you an email with a snapshot of what's on screen when it triggered the filter. The filter can be disabled temporarily with a password (useful for allowing single sites) and cannot have settings changed nor be uninstalled without the password. It can also be run for networked pcs where it logs from either pc and allows rules set on master pc to affect client. All in all pretty effective - no I don't work for them.

I also take the opportunity to discuss with my teenage children any banned pages it finds.

doesn't do anything bout the problem of downloading files though - some of that is down to educating the children.

zoombini · 11-03-2005, 13:57

Somehow with this CD-rom access problem, I think that I'll be reinstallling while I have little on.

Then I'll use winlock to lock it down as I have that already.

Ta.