Effective Monitoring

This is the meat and potatoes of any internet monitoring software. Be careful, because there are several companies out there that claim their product monitors things such as IMs and Email, but really all their program does is record keystrokes. You need a program that's going to allow you to see all web pages visited, read sent and received email, and see both sides of IM conversations...

 

 Web-based /remote data access

This means:
1. No need to repeatedly access the monitored computer to review recorded data.
2. Keep an eye on things from anywhere.
(Imagine keeping an eye on the kids' Internet activity from your office for instance.)  This is a very close second in our eyes to 'Monitoring effectiveness'. Here's why:

What use is monitoring software if you can't get to the data?! Whether you are trying to monitor your children or your employees, you are going to have to find a way to view the recorded information, and often without the person knowing it.

How do you do that if the person is using the computer exactly when you want to be monitoring things?

Our advice: go with a program that offers some kind of web-based access to the recorded information. With today's encryption it's safe and convenient. Remote data access--especially via a web interface is the ONLY way to go as far as we're concerned

 

 Invisibility / Stealth

If you want to have any hope of seeing what the person you're monitoring does when they think no one's looking, you need a program that's completely invisible... For obvious reasons, this is a critical feature for most people. While people with very young kids may not need this, if you want to have any hope of seeing what the person you're monitoring does when (they think) no one is looking, you need a program that runs entirely in the background, invisibly.

 

 Key Logger

The keylog component is a crucial part of any monitoring suite. They have several names and are often referred to as: "ghost key logger" or "stealth key logger"...This is often a highly underappreciated and misunderstood feature. When done well good invisible keystroke loggers do a couple of things, among which they:

1.      Record usernames and passwords--even ones that are "starred out"
(i.e. data shown as ****** on the screen)

2.      Capture those things that might otherwise be missed

3.      Properly format data into something readable. The lesser ones offer
no mechanism to clean up the deletes/backspaces, etc.

4.      Report what program was used--and when--to record key strokes.

One other interesting note about keyloggers is that there are two primary types of keystroke loggers:

1.      hardware keyloggers: physical plugs that attach (hopefully secretly) to the back of the computer where the keyboard plugs in.

2.      software keyloggers: software applications that install on the monitored individual's computer.

 

 

 Ability to block

Since the Internet changes so fast, we suggest that you go for a program that has some kind of contextual blocker... If you're trying to be completely invisible and have older kids, blocking is probably unwise as it draws attention to the fact that something is going on behind the scenes.

But if you have young kids, you need something that will clean up the internet--this is the group where blocking really comes in. Since the Internet changes so fast, we suggest software that has some kind of contextual blocker and is more than just a list of 'blocked sites'.

 

 Data filtering

Be sure to look for some kind of data filter, search mechanism, and "important" word alert systems that will help you quickly find the essential information... Most of what is recorded on the typical computer is mundane. Going through that data ranges from a tedious job to a downright waste of time to search through for the important things that you're looking for.

Make sure the software you purchase has some kind of data filter or "alert" word system that will do as much of this leg work for you as possible.

Bear in mind, most of these systems are going to need to be told what's important for you. (Put another way: words or content that may be important for a Catholic family to be on the lookout for may be quite different from the words and content that may be important for a family of Jewish or Muslim or other faith to be on the lookout for.)

 

 Screenshots

Some monitoring applications can take screenshots of on-screen activity; the best let you automatically trigger those screenshots when they encounter an "important" word...

Most of the good monitoring applications out there take screenshots. But few of them let you trigger those screenshots with an alert word. Left on a timer, screenshots can quickly become overwhelming.