We have a public computer for roommates but don’t know how to set up the restrictions for the public computer’s networking. It’s sort of like being able to get on trustworthy information sites, but not able to get onto, say, Myspace or anything like that. I want to know how to set up the securities for it. Thanks.
There are several ways to block certain sites or certain types of content from the users of a public computer. I’m not sure if you’re concerned about viruses and spyware, or if you are simply concerned about content issues, but these answers should address both.
Firewalls
In any case, you should have and run a good antivirus program. Many programs such as Norton Internet Security or Zone Alarm have security built in. These firewalls are built in to the programs that monitor and restrict information to certain websites. Check with the manufacturers of your specific system to see what controls you have.
Windows Controls
The easiest thing to use is the controls that come with your Windows system. The first thing you need to do is get the latest Internet Explorer version. Click on the link to download Internet Explorer 7.0. Once you have that installed, open IE. Go to Tools and then Internet Options. Choose Content and then Enable. Here, you can select filter settings for broad categories such as Nudity, Language, Violence and Sex. The further to the right you slide the control, the more restricted the system becomes.
Then click on the Approved Sites tab. Here, you can enter website addresses that you either want to always allow access to or that you always want to restrict. This is where you would type in the web address for MySpace, or any site that you didn’t want the users to be able to access. Choosing websites for this tab will override the controls you set above. For example, if you enter an approved site that does contain offensive language, you will be able to access that site because it has been approved.
To prevent other users from changing these settings, you need to go to the General tab and click on Create Password. This will give you control over the settings, as long as you keep the password to yourself. Click Ok and exit.
The major issue with this method of control is that it only works with Internet Explorer. If another user installs a different browser such as Firefox, these controls won’t apply. If you want to prevent the installation of a different program, you will need to create a different User ID and Password and have all of the roommates log in using this password. Once you set it with limited powers, they won’t be able to change or install new programs like Firefox.
If you want to use a different browser, you might want to look into a downloaded program that will give you similar controls. There are many downloads out there - two good ones to try are K9 Web Protection and CyberPatrol. These will give you similar control options.
You might also consider using the built-in Parental Controls found in Windows Vista. While designed for parents restricting their childrens’ Internet usage, it can also be used in your situation to limit access to social networking and adult sites. In addition, you can set it up to prevent users from downloading suspicious downloads along with numerous other settings.
Kat Delong | January 22nd, 2009
You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.
