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Nowadays, the Internet has become an everyday tool in our lives and in our children lives. Parents face a mission of protecting their kids in the cyber world.
The Internet has become the playground for many young children. Young children, from age two, use the Internet to play games, learn, socialize, interact with each other and much more.

There are many sites that are suited for kids, even from young age, but surfing the Web is not such an easy task for them. Young children (2- 6 years old) encounter problems when they try to surf the Web since their language skills are limited. Most browsers are not suited for such young children and they need their parents help in order to use them.

Since browsers are the gateway to the Internet, young children find themselves limited in their ability to use the Web. The solution for many parents is to sit down with their young children when they use the Internet and help them in their first steps in this virtual world. It is a great solution—it is not recommended to let young children to surf alone without adult supervision. Parents can use this time to teach the child guidelines for surfing the Internet. The problem with this solution is that some parents don’t have the time to sit with their children when they use the Internet on a regular basis. Also, many parents are not knowledgeable in suitable safe websites for kids.

This problem was recognized by a few companies which are trying to create browsers for kids. In general lines, kids’ browsers provide a gateway to the Internet suited for young children, allowing them to surf to websites that have content that is suitable for their age. These browsers function as enclosed environment protecting the young users from Internet threats. Most of these browsers are offered as a service in return for a license fee or annual fee.

A few examples for kids’ browsers:

• KidRocket -
  This browser is freeware. KidRocket blocks out the entire internet and only let the browser access limited, child-related Websites. It also has a feature of Email for Kids with Art/eCard attachments and a feature of time lock for limiting a child’s time on the computer.
  Its requirements are:
  A PC running Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000, XP or Vista and Internet Explorer 5 or a higher version.
• KidSurf -
  This is a basic filter browser that allows parents to control the content their children are exposed to when they use the Internet. You can purchase a license for this product for a fee of $5.99 USD. Parents can choose from a list of websites or add their own websites to the browser favorites. There is also optional password protection of parents’ desktop and parents’ setup screen and a usage timer that parents can set to limit their child’s online time.
  Its requirements are:
  Microsoft Windows. For best results we suggest a broadband connection (Cable or DSL).

• Kidzui -
  It is a very popular kids’ Web browser. Kidzui Web browser allows children to surf only to suitable websites and also offers access to games and videos. Kidzui also is being offered as an add-on to Firefox browser. Kidzui company states that their directory has more than 800,000 sites and suited for kids 3-12. Each child that uses Kidzui can choose an avatar that represents him/her in the browser. Kidzui is offered free, but there is a charge for premium services.
  For a free account users can:
  • Access suitable content
  • Create their own avatar – Zui.
  • Be a member in the community and make (parent-approved) friends.

  For a free account parents can:

  • Add individual websites.
  • Get access to parents account.
  • Get emailed reports of their kids’ online activity.

  For a payment of $7.95 USD/Monthly or $39.95 USD/Semi-annual or $29.95 USD/Annual –
  Users can:
  

  • Get over 100 new Zui clothes and accessories.
  • Get over 40 new backgrounds.
  • Watch as friends come online and share new stuff.
  • Say Hi to their friends.
  • Set their mood activity to tell their friends how they feel.
  • Create their own channel with favorite content.

  Parents can:

  • Block individual websites.
  • Get kids’ online activity graphed for 90 days.
  • Get unlimited history of their kids’ activities.
  • Add favorites to their kids’ accounts.
  • View their kids’ top interests by their online activity.

  Kidzui requirements are:

  • Intel Pentium III 500MHz or faster processor.
  • Windows XP (Service Pack 2 or later) or Windows Vista or Mac OS X.
  • Internet Explorer 6.0 or later or Firefox.
  • Adobe Flash Player 9.
  • 512 MB of RAM or more.
  • High Speed Internet Recommended.
• KidThing-
  Kidthing offers a work environment for children, which has interesting and educational content. It is different from kids’ Web browsers because Kidthing creates its own content. It uses the Internet, but it is not a Web browser. Kids can use this product without being connected to the Internet. After downloading the software the kids have access to limited number of activities. Parents can add content by purchasing additional content such as, books, games and videos available for a fee of 3-10 USD each.
  Kidthing requirements:
  PCs running Windows XP or Windows Vista.

• Kido’z-
  Kido’z Web browser is currently free. In the future, the company intends to charge for premium services.
  It is a Web browser that allows access only to content which is suited for children ages 3-7. This Web browser offers content that was pre-filtered to suit children, games, videos and YouTube for children.
  Parents can add their own content to the system. They can also decide to share this content and have it reviewed by the company editors. If it is found to be suited, it is added to the product directory for the use of other members in the community.

  A few of its features:

  • Supports 17 languages.
  • Exit Control protected by password so the child will not be able to leave the safe environment.
  • Daily Time Limit function.
  • Automatic Customization of the content based on the settings of the child’s account such as, gender, age, language, nationality etc.
  • Video Search.
  • Content Ratings – parents can rate the content and view other parents’ ratings.

  Kido’z requirements:
  KIDO’Z uses the Adobe AIR runtime and can be installed and used on every system for which AIR is available. These are the recommended requirements by Adobe:

  Windows

  • Intel® Pentium® III 1GHz or faster processor, 512MB of RAM.
  • Recommended: Pentium 4 2GHZ or faster, 1GB RAM.
  • Windows Vista® Home Premium, Business, Ultimate, or Enterprise including 64 bit editions, Windows Vista SP1, Windows XP Tablet PC Edition SP2 and SP3, Windows XP SP2 and SP3, Windows 2000 SP4, Windows 2003 Server.

  Mac OS X

  • Intel Core™ Duo 1.83GHz or faster processor; PowerPC® G4 1GHz or faster processor.
  • Mac OS X 10.4.11 or Mac OS X 10.5.4 and 10.5.5.
  • 512MB of RAM.

  Linux

  • Intel® Pentium® III 1GHz or faster processor, 512MB of RAM.
  • Recommended: Pentium 4 2GHZ or faster, 1GB RAM.
  • Fedora 8, Ubuntu 7.10, openSUSE 10.3.

Websites for Tweens and Teens:

Tweens (=kids ages 10-14) and teens have developed language abilities and they usually surf freely without the need of adults help. Differently from young children, they are not limited in their abilities to surf the Web. Sometimes they are more Internet savvy than their parents. On the other hand, they still need to be protected when they use the Internet.

Studies have shown that Internet parental control software has limited success in these age groups so it can not be a sole solution. Parents strive to protect tweens and teens when they use the Internet, educate them about Web ethics and warn them of Internet threats. In order to do that parents should be involved in their kids’ online activities. A great way for parents to get involved is to offer their kids suitable, interesting and safe websites. The problem is that parents are usually not familiar with websites that are relevant for these age groups.

There are sites that offer listings of safe websites for kids. Parents can use these sites in order to get familiar with interesting safe websites and direct their kids to them.

A few examples:

• SafeWeb Directory
  SafeWeb directory is a free resource for parents who are looking for kid-friendly internet sites. The directory is human-edited and spam free. Searchable by subject and age group.
• KidSites
  Children’s sites by category.
• ALA – Great Web Sites for Kids
  This site is a directory of interesting websites for kids offered by the American Library Association.

For more Information on Internet parental control you can see-
Internet Parental Control.

Virtual worlds have become a growing power in kids’ online activities. In 2008, an estimated eight million US children and teens visited virtual worlds on a regular basis. It is estimated that by 2013 this number will be doubled. Virtual worlds are a relatively new phenomenon, so there isn’t much research on their impact on kids. As parents, we ask: Is it safe? Is it educational? Do our children benefit from this activity? In lack of long-term research the best answer seems to be that like every other activity we choose to do, when it is measured and in balance with other activities, it can be enjoyable, harmless and sometimes even educational. It is our responsibility as parents to direct our children to safe constructive activities that will help them to grow as people and become contributing citizens. The same thing is true for choosing online activities for them and specifically for virtual worlds. As parents we have to make sure that our children visit virtual worlds that are suited for their age and are safe for them. We also want to direct our children to virtual worlds that offer quality content and educational value.

What is a virtual world?

Virtual worlds are services which offer Internet users a computer simulated environment imitating the real world. In the virtual world the user interacts by using an avatar (a two-dimensional or a three-dimensional computer graphic identity, which represent a user’s alter ego or the user’s real persona) in online chats.

Virtual worlds are divided into two main types:

Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs) –
These virtual worlds use point systems and competition in the simulation. They have winners and losers. Commercial MMOGs include Everquest and World of Warcraft.

Non-game worlds -
These virtual worlds are less game-like, or not games at all. They are more like social networking services like MySpace and Facebook, but with 3D simulation features. For example, Second Life, ActiveWorlds and The Sims Online.

What are the risks for kids in virtual worlds?

• Children and teenagers can easily get absorbed in a virtual world. It is an enjoyable pastime allowing them to try different points of view and avatars. The danger is when a child is invested more in the virtual life than in real life. This may result in withdrawal from real life activities, poor social skills, loss of ability to distinguish between the real and the imaginary, etc. It is important to limit the time a child or teenager spends surfing virtual worlds in order to keep the child’s base in the real world.
• Private information may be exposed in virtual worlds when a child is persuaded to give up his/her real identity to strangers. It is important to emphasize to the child not to give away private information under any circumstances.
• Sometimes virtual worlds especially ones that are intended for teens can become violent environments. Many virtual worlds have guardians – adults that have avatars in the game and are there to keep the peace. These guardians can not always stop violent behavior. It is important for parents of teens to be involved in their children’s online activities and to instruct them how to behave in problematic situations.
• Online predators sometimes use social network services and virtual worlds to target potential victims. They pose as children and gradually seduce them into an online relationship. This relationship might end in sexual abuse. You can read more on online predators on this post – How to protect your children from online predators.
  The chance of your child being targeted by online predator is low, but since such an encounter has severe consequences, parents should be aware and make sure that their kids don’t get involved in online relationships with strangers.
• All of these risks are worrying, but it seems that the greatest risk in virtual worlds for kids is the inherently commercial nature of many virtual worlds. Kids are encouraged to buy clothes, toys, food, books and more for their avatars using the virtual world currency. In some worlds they have to play games in order to earn “money”, in some they buy the virtual world currency with real money. You can see in many virtual worlds, avatars that are dressed in high fashion clothing and have expensive cars and homes. Many virtual worlds have a strong correlation between consumption and citizenship. Kids are learning that in order to be a good citizen they have to buy the right stuff. Many virtual worlds also have a lot of advertisement.
  In order to avoid this commercial nature, parents should direct their children to non-commercial virtual worlds that usually have more educational value.

What are the Benefits of Virtual Worlds for Children?

In virtual worlds kids are involved in informal learning. By trying different avatars, points of view and jobs they play out scenarios over and over from different angles. They can see what approach is best for them. They learn how to socialize, how to be Internet savvy, how to buy and sell online and how to be members of a society. They learn skills that they’ll need in the future workforce.

Matching the Virtual World to the Child’s Age

When choosing a virtual world for your kids or checking the ones your kids use, it is important to keep the age factor in mind.
Today children surf in virtual worlds from the age of three (usually with adult help) to 18. It is important to see that the virtual world they enter is safe for their age and offers appropriate content.

There are three major age groups:

1. Young children – age 3-10.
   Kids in this age group are just starting to discover the cyber world. They often need help from an adult in order to surf. It is not recommended to let children at this age surf without adult supervision. It is important to make sure that the virtual worlds the child surfs are safe, enclosed environments. There should be no advertisement (or very little). Online chats and forums, if such exist, should be limited and monitored.
2. Tweens or juniors – age 10-14. Tweens are kids who are stuck in this phase between being young kids and being teens. Children at this age range usually have good technological and language abilities that allow them to surf freely. On the other hand, they lack the maturity and experience to help them understand the content that they encounter when surfing—they need adult guidance.
   They are a vulnerable population. Their high technological abilities and desire to socialize exposes them to risks, as well as their PC and private family information.
   Tweens will usually look for more complex virtual worlds that will allow them to chat with their friends freely. It is important for parents of tweens to be involved as much as they can in their kids’ online activities. Parents should direct their tweens to virtual worlds they find suited for them. Guidelines for Internet use should be defined. These guidelines should emphasize Web ethics and privacy protection. Include the child when defining the guidelines in order to make the child more committed to them. An Internet-use policy may help in making those guidelines clear. Parents should talk to their kids about Internet threats, such as: malware attacks, online predators, harassments, and give them examples of immediate solutions, for example: turning off the PC and notifying a parent. Most important is to give your children confidence about approaching the adults in the family in case they encounter suspicious behavior when surfing.
3. Teenagers – age 14-18. Teens have fully developed technological and language skills. They are confident surfing the Internet (sometimes more than their parents). The Internet becomes a strong social and educational tool in their life. Teens are usually more aware of the risks that exist on the web. On the other hand, in this age group there is a tendency for risk taking. In addition, teens usually use a PC in the privacy of their own room, or they go to places that allow them to surf without supervision. So it is nearly impossible to monitor the teenager’s Internet activities.
   Teens will usually be attracted to adult virtual worlds. Adult virtual worlds are not always suited for teenagers. In some you can encounter cybersex activity and violence. It is important for parents of teens to keep being involved in their kids’ online activities. Offering teens appropriate websites that may interest them could be a great solution. There are virtual worlds for teens that offer great content and are non-commercial. Parents should also emphasize Web ethics to their teenagers and warn them about Internet threats.

In order to find a suitable virtual world for your kids you can check out – SafeWeb – Virtual Worlds section. This is a web directory that offers safe websites for kids.

The Internet has become an everyday tool in children’s lives. They use the Internet to manage their social lives, get help in their homework, play games, listen to their favorite music, see movies and much more.
Parents face a new reality. They have to protect their children in a virtual world.
Many parents choose to approach this issue by using Internet parental control software that manages and controls their kids Internet use.
Unfortunately it was proven that Internet parental control software is not efficient enough to ensure Internet safety when it is used as a sole solution.
It could be more efficient when it is combined with educational efforts that teach children Web ethics and warn them of the threats that exist on the Web. Parents’ involvement in their kids Internet activities is very important. One way to do that is to offer children safe and interesting websites that they can enjoy. You can check – SafeWeb Directory website that offers safe entertaining website for kids. You can find there safe websites for kids organize by categories. You can also suggest a safe site for kids and contribute to the directory and to the effort of making the Web safe.

Symantec has launched a new online safety option for families called OnlineFamily.Norton. This service is free of charge until 2010.

Symantec’s OnlineFamily.Norton is a hybrid of a website and software installed on children’s computers that can be used to set rules, monitor activities live and deliver e-mail alerts of violations, including circumvention attempts.

In an article from the The Globe and Mail
Rowan Trollope, senior vice-president of consumer products at Symantec Corp said –

Why is it that existing parental control software doesn’t work? It isn’t just that they don’t support the new paradigms but it’s also that they have, fundamentally, the wrong approach.

It is a well known fact the Internet parental control software is not so effective in managing children Internet use. There are always new ways that children come up with to overcome the software. This is why it is so important that parents’ efforts should focus on the educational aspect. Parents should help their children to become responsible citizens and it applies also to the cyber world. Internet parental control software can assist the educational efforts, but surely can not replace them.

Symantec claims that their Internet parental control solution presents a new approach to Internet parental control. They emphasize communication rather than control. It is a great refreshing approach, but there are many Internet parental control products that already doing exactly the same. The difference between them and Symantec is in the way Symantec presents the solution. Symantec focus on communication in the family is great and her Internet parental control software is free of charge until 2010, which makes it very appealing, but parents should remember that there is no magic solution and there is no technology in the world that can replace parental guidance.

The Internet has become an important tool in our everyday lives. Surfing the Web has become second nature for our children.
In the same way we put boundaries for our children in the real world, we should also do so in the virtual world.
There are different types of Internet parental control software that were created to enable parents to manage and control their children Internet use. It is important for parents to understand that no matter how efficient the software is, it can not replace educational efforts and open communication in the family.
Internet parental control software can be efficient when it is combined with parental guidance for safe Web surfing and Web ethics.

If you decide to use a parental control software you can start with Content Advisor which is a basic tool included free in Windows for IE6 or later versions.

1. Make sure you have IE6 (=Internet explorer 6) or later versions installed.
   Open an Internet Explorer new window. In the Help menu click About Internet Explorer. If the version number is 6.xxx or later then it is OK. If not, you should download and install a later version of Internet Explorer – IE6 or later. To do that click that link – Internet Explorer. The following steps are relevant for IE7 version.
2. In the menu bar click Tools and then click menu item Internet Options.
3. Choose the Content tab and click on the Enable button.

   

4. In the Ratings tab select filter settings for the categories shown.
   When the slider is on the left side of the bar the restriction is the highest.
   For each change of rating click the Apply button. When done click OK button.
   
5. You are prompted to define a password that will be used in all future changes performed in the settings of the Content Advisor.
   
   The Content Advisor is now active.
6. After defining the password click on the Approved Sites tab. In the Allow This Web site text box type in the URLs of websites (one by one) you wish to treat specially. Choose the relevant button on the side of the text box. If you want this website not to be viewed click Never button. If you want this website to be viewed click Always button. When you are done click OK. You can edit this list at any time.
   
7. If you want to change the password of the Content Advisor or other general settings you can do so in the General tab.
8. If you want to disable the Content Advisor, open Tools menu and click menu item Internet Options.
   Choose the Content tab and click on the Disable button. You are prompted to enter the password of the Content Advisor. Enter your password. The Content Advisor is now disabled.
   

Be aware that the content restrictions exist only in Internet Explorer browsers. If you have another Internet browser, such as, FireFox or Google Chrome, installed on your computer your child will be able to surf using these browsers without limitations.

Internet savvy kids may install alternative browsers on their PC once they discover you have limited their surfing options.

To prevent such actions create an additional user on the child’s PC with limited permissions – no permissions to install new programs on the PC. Make sure you only have Internet Explorer installed on the PC and give your child access only to this limited user.

Remember that whatever you do there are children who are smart enough to overcome it if they really want to. Invest time in education and guidance for safe Web surfing and Web ethics. Remind your children what are the threats that exist on the web. Teach them how to protect themselves.

For more information on Internet parental control software see – Internet Parental Control Software

All Internet browsers today have safe browsing features such as, pop-up blocking and phishing site protection. The new Google chrome browser also has security features that protect you when you surf the web. You can check out this YouTube video – Defenders in Tights. You can also check Google safe browsing documentation – Google Chrome safe browsing features.
Parents should be aware that Google chrome browser has privacy mode that you can initialize by opening the ‘Customize and control Google Chrome’ tab and choosing ‘New incognito window’. In this window history of your Internet activities will not be kept. This feature may allow children to surf unsupervised. Internet savvy kids can use this incognito window to hide from their parents their internet activities. Since IE8 and Firefox 3.5 have also privacy features parents may find it hard to supervise their children Internet activities by relying on the Internet history on the child’s PC.

Online communication is an important aspect of the Internet.
Online communication can be established on the web by various tools, all falling under the generic name – social software.

Social software covers a range of software and technologies used by Internet users to interact with each other. It covers different means of online communication techniques such as text messaging, voice communication and video in diverse Internet environments. Social software includes: email, IM (=Instant Message), P2P (=Peer-to-Peer networks), newsgroups, chatrooms, forums, blogs, social network services, virtual worlds etc.

When you use online communication you have the ability to choose how you want to present yourself in a specific situation. Online communication allows you to be open about who you are, be anonymous or make up a new persona. This aspect has a major affect on the authenticity of online relationships.
Anonymous online communication holds serious risk factors for children. They can easily become victims of abuse by individuals communicating with them due to lack of mature judgment skills. Sometimes they are not able to interpret the nature of the relationship correctly and can be misled, bullied, abused or fall victim to scams and ploys.

Child predators take advantage of the anonymity in online communication and target unsuspecting children.

In order for parents to protect their children from such predators, they should become involved in their children’s web activities and learn how to recognize a problematic online relationship.

How Do Child Predators work?

Child predators use the anonymous nature of online communication in order to contact children and gradually seduce them into an online relationship. This relationship might end in sexual abuse.

They use various forms of online communication, such as, IM, chatrooms, forums, newsgroups, and virtual worlds to target potential victims.

Child predators invest a lot of effort in targeting and seducing children into a relationship. They often pose as children. They are knowledgeable in children’s popular hobbies and interests. They seduce children by giving them attention, affection, understanding, kindness and sometimes gifts. They try to target vulnerable kids who crave for attention and affection.

Who is vulnerable?

All children that use the Internet are at risk. It is more likely that children will be exposed to unsuitable material than encounter an online predator, but the outcome of such encounters is so severe that parents can not be indifferent to this issue. Although all children are at risk, young adolescents are the most vulnerable age group due to the specific characteristics of this age group. Children in this age group usually have good technological and language abilities that allow them to surf freely without adult help. They are frequent users of social software such as, IM (=Instant Message) , P2P (=Peer-to-Peer networks), social network services and newsgroups.

On the other hand, they lack the maturity and experience to help them understand the content that they encounter when surfing. They can easily misinterpret an online relationship, especially one which engages an adult with ulterior motives.

They want to be free of their parents’ control and to gain respect as grown-ups.
They explore their sexuality and have the desire to socialize.
They are in the rebellious phase of their lives and try to establish relationships outside the family. Child predators are well aware of these facts and exploit them.

Victims of child predators might be:

• Seeking attention and affection.
• New on the Internet scene and unaware of web ethics.
• Lacking in social skills in the real world.
• Unpopular in their social circle.
• Rebellious.
• Confused regarding their sexual identity.
• Naïve and unsophisticated in comparison to their age group.

What can parents do to protect their children?

• Show an interest in your children’s Internet activities. Nothing can be as effective as good communication when discussing means to protect them in the cyber world. Don’t be judgmental. Try to understand their experiences and understand their frustration expressed against your efforts to manage their Internet use.
• Be a role model. Direct your children to appropriate websites that could be of interest to them. Teach your children web ethics and explain to them about the threats exist on the Internet.
• Become Internet savvy. If you have knowledge about services and applications that are available on the Internet, you will be more effective when guiding your children.
• Supervise your children when they use the Internet. If you have young children, make sure that the PC they are using is in a family space.
• Define clear guidelines for your children for Internet use. You can define an Internet use policy. Place the use policy near the PC that they use to keep the rules visible at all times.
• Much in the same way you educate your children not to talk to strangers in the real world, educate them not to communicate with strangers online. Instruct your children not to answer IM or emails from people they don’t know.
• Young children should not use social software such as: chatrooms, IM, newsgroups, forums and so on. The risks far outweigh the benefits. As for young adolescents and adolescents, make sure that they only use monitored children’s chatrooms, newsgroups or forums. Instruct your children never to leave the public chatroom area. (Chatrooms usually offer the option of a private chat were the conversation is not monitored and can not be seen by others).
• Don’t allow your children to meet with Internet friends in person without your approval and supervision.
• Don’t allow your children to use a private email account. Let them use the family account or an alias you have created for them in order for you to monitor the incoming and outgoing emails.
• Help your children to create a safe username or nickname in the social software tools that they use. A safe username/nickname should not reveal personal information, gender or age.
• If your children use the Internet in unsupervised places such as, libraries, school or friends’ houses, check the security measures that are enforced at these places.
• Instruct your children never to give away personal information online without your approval.
• Instruct your children not to upload personal photos to the web without your approval.
• Instruct your children not to accept photos or files from strangers without your approval.
• Encourage your children to let you know if they encounter any strange behavior or behavior that caused them an uncomfortable feeling. Instruct them on what to do if they encounter such behavior. For example, turning off the PC and notifying a parent.

How can you recognize if your child was targeted by an online predator?

Your child may:

• Withdraw from family and friends.
• Seem depressed and moody.
• Be aggressive towards members of the family. Child predators try to emphasize problems that the child has at home which can cause an aggressive behavior.
• Spend a lot of time online, especially in chatrooms.
• Have pornography on the computer. Child predators often send pornography to children.
• Try to hide his/her Internet activities from you. For example, Opens a private email account, hides the computer screen or shuts down the PC when adult approaches.
• Spend a lot of time on the Internet at friends’ houses in order to avoid your supervision.
• Receive presents from people you don’t know.
• Receive emails from people you don’t know.
• Receive phone calls from people you don’t know. Child predators sometimes try to seduce children to engage in phone sex.

If you have suspicions,

don’t hesitate to confront your child about it.
Emphasize again the guidelines for safe web surfing to your child.
You can also monitor your child Internet activities by using Internet Parental Control software.
If you choose to do so without the child’s knowledge, be aware that it can result in a loss of trust between you and your child.

If all the safety measures you have tried don’t work

and you find out that your child is a victim of a child predator or in initial contact with one, the most important thing is –

not to blame the child.

Always remember that the blame is on the offender.

Immediately contact –

• Your local law-enforcement agency.
• CyberTipline at www.missingkids.com (1-800-843-5678) – This tipline is managed by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which has representatives from the FBI, the U.S. Customs Service (USCS), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at its headquarters. You can report incidents of child sexual exploitation, including child pornography, online enticement of children for sexual acts, child prostitution, child-sex tourism, and child sexual molestation.

Mozila released the latest version to Firefox 3.5 browser. There are few new security features, but the interesting part is that it gives the user more tools to manage privacy setting. For those who use public computers, or otherwise wish to keep their browsing habits confidential, Firefox 3.5 includes a new private browsing mode.
When enabled (via the Tools -> Start Private Browsing menu item) Firefox browser will not remember visited pages, form and search bar entries, passwords, download List entries, cookies and cached files.
You can still create bookmarks, and these will be retained when exiting private browsing mode.
A similar feature exists also in Internet Explorer 8 browser. Internet Explorer 8’s InPrivate Browsing feature enables privacy mode by not storing history, cookies, temporary Internet files, or other data.
These features probably make live easier for Internet users who want to keep their surfing habits to themselves, but in the same way it helps the adults in the group it also may allow children to surf unsupervised. Internet savvy kids can easily hide their Internet activities from their parents. So it is very important for parents to understand that monitoring of their children Internet activities by viewing the browser history on the child’s PC might not work. It probably will be better to invest time in educational efforts and constant guidance to safe Internet surfing.