Just how good are web filtering packages? We put eight of the best head to head in our Australian review.Turn on any current affairs program, and if it's a slow day, chances are you'll hit a story decrying the internet as a haven of porn, bomb-making instructions and paedophiles. A certain quantity of this is justified -- and a fair quantity is just the TV networks making ad dollars out of hype -- but it has made people think about the kinds of access that they allow others to have to the Net, from the very top of large enterprises to the family home.
We've examined here eight packages aimed primarily at home users/small PC networks, although some are capable of being implemented on larger scales. Most packages in this range focus on the concerned parent market, and within that market products need to be comprehensive in their approach, and at the same time easy to use. Different packages use different filtering approaches, and if you're pondering installing one, it's worthwhile knowing the common technology approaches used.
Blacklist/Whitelist
Packages that rely on Black and or Whitelists check the URL of the site you're attempting to access against a master list of sites. Blacklists are lists of sites that are forbidden to view (for whatever reason), while Whitelists are the exact opposite, sites that are always acceptable to view.
In terms of total filtering capability, it isn't possible to get better than a whitelist, which blocks everything but the sites listed within, but assembling it can be a time-consuming activity; as the Internet expands you'd need to constantly adjust your whitelist parameters. If you've got the time for that kind of approach, especially if you're thinking of using a package to protect your children from viewing inappropriate content, you may be as well served simply monitoring your children's surfing habits.
The single most contentious issue surrounding blacklists is whether or not the end user has access to the master blacklist. Most packages that rely on a blacklist block access to the master list, essentially because it's what they're selling on to you, and it represents their effort and R&D funding to create in the first place. The problem with a hidden blacklist is that it removes the ability from the end user to decide what's appropriate for the end user to view; unless it's blocked you don't know if the blacklist includes sites that you might approve of, or if it misses sites that should be legitimately blocked. Only one of the packages in our roundup that includes a large blacklist, Net Nanny, allows users to see and edit the master blacklist.
Word/Content Filtering
Often just referred to as 'content' filtering by package vendors -- primarily because it sounds more comprehensive than just 'word' filtering, this is a technique whereby the contents of a page -- primarily the text, although some packages do claim to perform image analysis -- are judged against a list of offensive terms/content. Depending on the exact model used, a single instance of a word may be enough to disqualify it. Other models give the end user a level of tolerance control, so that individual approaches to material may be taken.
The best packages in our roundup use a mix of these approaches, and even then no package passed our tests with flying colours. That's not entirely surprising, of course, given the general rate of change over the entire Net, but it does point to one basic fact; the best way to control the access of others to material is to sit directly behind their shoulders as they surf.
Rhinosoft AllegroSurf 5.1AllegroSurf is the Swiss army knife of filtering products.
Webroot ChildSafe
Childsafe uses a 'Big Brother' style approach to filtering.
Zecos ChildWebGuardian
ChildWebGuardian has a decent interface, but weak filtering options.
Proxymis ControlKids
ControlKids aims itself squarely at the concerned parent market.
CyberPatrol 6.1
CyberPatrol has solid performance, but demands subscription fees.
Solid Oak Software Cybersitter 2003
Cybersitter uses a blank-page approach to filtering objectionable content.
Bionet Systems Net Nanny 5
Net Nanny's primary concern is sexually-related material
We-Web We-Blocker 1.91
We-Blocker stands out from the pack by virtue of being free.
How we tested
How do you test products designed to block objectionable material?
Editor's Choice
Which filtering package is king of the hill?
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