1. Kid Tested, Tom’s Guide Approved

Here are our top-10 software titles for keeping kids safe on the Internet in 2009: browsers, e-mail, games, activities, and content blockers.

Different families have different online needs, and while many companies have tried to market the “ultimate” online safety solution, there isn’t one easy answer to keep kids completely safe online. Nevertheless, most parents think they ought to take some Internet safety precautions. To that end, Tom’s Guide took a look at some of the most new and well-known online browsers, Internet-security applications, gaming platforms, and email servers. We tested them from the registration process to the gaming phase while getting feedback from our kid testers, too. 

Some of the products were merely adequate for covering the needs of key-tapping three-year-olds and preschoolers with little interest in Googling dirty words or seeing R-rated movie trailers. Others were better designed to keep boundary-pushing tweens in a safer place–at least until their parents could find time to sit and chat with them about the dangers of the Internet. All of these software products, however, were created by parents, teachers, or companies with the desire to protect kids from harm, and we give kudos to those who continue to upgrade their products and adapt them to our continually changing online world.

Why are these products needed? Simply because relying on the tools built into your operating system or browser is not enough. Since we've been battling safe browsing for years, we've found that simply adding on to existing browsers without extra help leaves us a bit wanting. For example, most browsers give you a host of solutions like pop-up blockers, phishing notifications, and some site blocking, but they aren't intuitive enough for a young child to operate seamlessly. Instead, what parents need is something designed for children to use out-of-the box, because most of us do not have the time to tweak and modify our existing browser configurations to be 100% kid-friendly. A separate child-specific browser or tool is really the way for busy parents to go. 

Another compelling reason: Kids use computers other than your own (think of the PC at Grandma and Grandpa's house). Would you really want to have to explain how to set up site exceptions for third-party cookies to someone who isn't really versed? It's easy to install a kid-specific browser or other software on a family member's PC and feel safe, even if Grandma doesn't understand how it all works.

Another thing to consider is that many of these programs are continually updated to be compatible with each new operating system. If you are moving up to Windows 7, it's nice to know that eventually (even if not in the next week or so), your child-safe tools will automatically update and you won't have to learn a new set of security settings for every upgrade or update.

A word about downloads: While you can set your standard security software to block any and all downloads that your kids might attempt, most of the sites that are allowed by the kid-oriented software highlighted here do point children to downloadable coloring pages, projects and wallpapers. You may reconsider blocking all downloads because of this. Keep in mind that to access the items they've downloaded, kids need your help via a password to access the desktop, so you'll know what they've downloaded. Once kids realize that they can't go outside the browsing environment without assistance, they likely won't attempt to download anything off-limits.

Here are our top-10 software picks for 2009’s online families. We hope you find one (or two) options in this guide that work for you and your children.