'2 in 3 homes have no internet protection'

• 1 in 7 parents do not know what their children use the internet for
• 1 in 4 children are accidentally exposed to nudity or sexual content online
• 1 in 5 children have received a sexual solicitation online
• 2 in 3 homes have no internet protection

This is not a reason to stop you child using the internet, but rather reasons to take seriously the risks and do your best, with your children, to limit them. After all the internet is an educational and entertainment resource of almost unparalleled depth and variety.

There are several products that can block access to dangerous websites. The one we recommend is SurfOnTheSafeSide filtering software.

SOS is available through surefish.co.uk at a discount price of £32.40 a year. For more details and ordering information click here.

SurfOnTheSafeside (SOS) filters access to web pages, chat rooms, instant messaging, and Peer to Peer networks. It gives protection from over 18 million websites promoting pornography, racism, suicide and violence, with over 1 million new sites manually checked every month.

While SOS offers the best level of protection available in the world, no filter system can guarantee 100 per cent effectiveness. Please also take a look at our child safety guide.

SurfOnTheSafeSide

Buy SOS for £32.40 a year.

SurfontheSafeside (SOS) combines software running on your own computer with up-to-the-minute website filtering.

• Prevents the display of most sexually explicit material.
• Prevents the display of most graphically violent material.
• Prevents the display of most material advocating hate groups and their messages.
• Prevents the display of most material advocating illegal activity, such as drug use, bomb making, or underage drinking and gambling.
• Prevents the display of other categories of material.
• Can be password protected and supports multiple users.

SOS works by routing all the Internet pages requested by your computer through an electronic filter. Each page is checked against a constantly updated list of blocked internet sites. SOS currently uses a list of over 18 million sites.

An immense amount of intensive labour is involved in the blocking process with 100 people personally reviewing sites around the clock. One million new sites are checked every month.

While no filter system can guarantee 100 per cent effectiveness, SOS offers the best level of protection available in the world, while still giving you and your family the freedom to explore the World Wide Web.

SOS is available for these platforms:
• Macintosh OS 9, Macintosh OS X
• Windows 3.1
• Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows ME
• Windows NT, Windows 2000
• Windows XP
• Linux

The normal cost is £36 a year, but through surefish.co.uk users it is available at a 10 per cent discount (£3.60) - providing a year's protection for £32.40.

To take advantage of the surefish.co.uk discount, click the 'Special Offers' button on the SOS page and use the following special offer code: safe5444

Click here to register with SOS for 12 months' filtered surfing.

surefish.co.uk receives £2 for each order made through this website. All profits from surefish.co.uk go to funding the work of Christian Aid.

Child safety on the net

We've researched child safety sites on the net, to bring you some handy hints.

This is not a comprehensive guide to internet safety. The organisations mentioned below have done a great deal of work on this issue, and we recommend you take a look at their sites.

As well as being careful about the sites your children access, you should also be careful about the information they're giving out and who they're meeting. In this instance the Internet is very like the real world. Strangers should be treated with caution.

As a response to the dangers inherent in this kind of contact, the (IWF) has put together five SMART rules:

S - keep your personal details Secret - Never use your parents' credit card without their permission, and always keep your name, address, and password private - it's like giving out the keys to your home!

M - never Meet someone you have contacted in Cyberspace without your parent's/carer's permission, and Internet Watch Foundation then only when they can be present.

A - don't Accept emails or open files from people or organisations you don't really know or trust as they may contain viruses or nasty messages.

R - Remember that someone online may not be who they say they are. If you feel uncomfortable or worried in a chat room, simply get out of there!

T - Tell your parent or carer if someone or something makes you feel uncomfortable or worried. Remember you're in charge out there!

The charity National Children's Homes (NCH) says: 'It is advisable for you to stress the importance of correctly typing in addresses and to discuss and agree rules about the sorts of sites and materials it is acceptable for your child to access over the Internet.

NCH has produced a very useful guide, recommended by the NSPCC, called 'Parent's guide to the Internet' which provides guidance and includes details of other publications on Internet safety. It is available through the NCH website.

Software can also help you track your children's time on the internet; including how long they spend on-line and which sites they visited. These tools can filter out material and work in one of the following ways:

• Web site address (URL): these limit specific pre-defined sites, either selected by the company providing the software or by the user (you!).
• Key words: limits access to sites with potentially inappropriate key words - for instance, 'sex' or 'breast'.
• Context sensitive keywords: these are more sophisticated versions of the above, able to analyse the context of the key words and so not block sites dealing with 'breast cancer' or the 'sex life of penguins'.

For further information about these different approaches have a look at the GetNetWise guide or the IWF website.