Not a day goes by without talk in the media about some problem related to the Internet – from children exposed to danger, to Internet porn addiction, to financial scams, to Internet addiction. Yet most people are still unaware of what solutions are available to help them control their Internet environment. One of the most basic solutions is a web filter. A web filter is also sometimes referred to as a porn filter, parental control software, Internet filter, url blocker, Internet safety software. The list goes on.

There are a wide range of Internet safety products available. Internet security suites from the large security software companies sometimes include filtering features. When choosing one of these security suites, it is important to understand what they deliver as far as Internet filtering is concerned. A partial solution can make you think you are safe when actually, there is not enough protection against harmful content. Sometimes, the bigger software vendors add some very basic features and claim the suite includes a web filter. This can be misleading.
Some companies offer porn filters based on the idea that pornography content is the top concern of parents. But this is a highly limited solution and often, based on a database of porn sites. The dynamic nature of the internet can make a database obsolete in hours! Further, if you are already determined to create a safe Internet environment, you will need to be concerned with more than exposure to sex and pornography. Consider the tremendous increase in teen gambling as a result of internet access. Zynga poker is the most used Facebook application today with children as young as 8 learning to play poker for free online.

A good web filter should include many categories of content for blocking websites and not focus on just one type of content. Good solutions will also include additional features such as online time management, alerts, controlling downloads and more. Take time to try out the software before you buy it.