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Lesson 1: Configuring Parental Controls 311 Lesson 1: Configuring Parental Controls Through Internet access, computers have a tremendous amount of potential. Users can access a wide variety of Web sites, ranging from informational to entertainment resources. Windows Vista also provides a great platform for playing games. Although these capabilities provide users with significant benefits, they can also come at a cost. For example, it is often difficult to restrict which content is accessible. For situations in which parents want to be able to manage the types of content that their children can access, it can be very difficult to create and enforce rules. In this lesson, you’ll learn how you can use the Parental Controls features in Windows Vista to limit the types of access that are available to children. Although this is the primary use for this feature, there are other applications. For example, perhaps you might want to restrict some shared computers to only specific Web sites or restrict the times during which users can access them. Regardless of the purpose, Parental Controls are a good way to help limit the types of content users can access. After this lesson, you will be able to: n Define how to set up user accounts to enable Parental Controls. n Define Web Restrictions settings to filter inappropriate content. n Configure time limits for computer use. n Manage content-related restrictions for gaming software. n Restrict which applications children can run on the computer. n Configure and review activity reports to monitor children’s activities. Estimated lesson time: 50 minutes Understanding Parental Controls The Windows Vista Parental Controls feature is designed to provide several different types of restrictions on how children access programs and Web sites. It can also control when they can use the computer. The specific types of restrictions include the following: n Web Restrictions Managing which Web sites children can access Specifying when children are allowed to log on to the computer and how long they can use it n Games Controlling access to games and other entertainment software based on thirdparty content ratings n Allowing Or Blocking Programs Preventing children from running specific applications on the computer n Time Limits 312 Chapter 8 Configuring Parental Controls and Browser Security You’ll learn how you can enable and configure each of these options later in this lesson. To enforce these settings, the Parental Controls feature is integrated with several other operating system features. For example, filtering Web sites requires interactions with Internet Explorer (which you’ll learn about in Lesson 2, “Securing Internet Explorer 7”). Similarly, games-related restrictions are based on ratings provided as a part of certified Games for Windows entertainment titles. This integration enables Parental Controls settings to manage which types of content children can access. Configuring User Accounts Parental Controls restrictions are based on the creation and management of user accounts. Users who have Administrator accounts are able to create new user accounts and enable controls on them. Standard user accounts may have restrictions placed on them. The primary method of managing user accounts is by accessing Control Panel and selecting User Accounts And Family Safety. The Add Or Remove User Accounts link launches the Manage Accounts window (see Figure 8-1). For more information about creating and managing user accounts, see Chapter 6. Figure 8-1 NOTE Accessing the Manage Accounts window A note about user names Although it might seem a little strange, the screen shots in this lesson use a standard user account simply named Child. This helps identify the account for which Parental Controls are enabled. Customers usually use their children’s f irst names for the user account names. Lesson 1: Configuring Parental Controls 313 Typically, parents create and use an Administrator account for themselves. They then create a separate user account for each of the children for whom they want to restrict access. Although it is possible to allow multiple children to share the same user account, it is generally preferable to create individual accounts for each user. You can also access the Parental Controls feature by clicking the Set Up Parental Controls link at the bottom of the Manage Accounts page. Enabling Parental Controls By default, Parental Controls are not enabled in Windows Vista. You can start the process of creating and managing these settings by accessing Control Panel. The User Accounts And Family Safety section includes a Set Up Parental Controls For Any User link. Figure 8-2 shows the default view of the Parental Controls window. Figure 8-2 Accessing the Parental Controls configuration window The main Parental Controls window provides access to several different functions. As mentioned in the previous section, the first step in configuring a computer to enable Parental Controls is to create at least one standard user account for a child. (If you have not done so already, you can create the child’s account by clicking the Create A New User Account link in the Parental Controls window.) To enable restrictions, start by clicking the name of the account that the child uses to log on to the computer. This provides a list of all of the major types of controls that you can manage (see Figure 8-3). 314 Chapter 8 Figure 8-3 Configuring Parental Controls and Browser Security Enabling Parental Controls for a standard user account The first two options determine whether Parental Controls are enabled for this user account. When you select On, Enforce Current Settings, all of the other restrictions are enforced when the user logs on to the computer. This option is also useful for testing purposes because it does not automatically change any of the other settings on the system. For example, if you suspect that Parental Controls are preventing access to a particular program, you can temporarily select the Off option to see whether that resolves the problem. Because all of the other settings remain at their original values, you can then easily reenable Parental Controls without reconfiguring all of the options. When you click OK to save the settings, the Parental Controls window shows the message “Parental Controls On” for the child’s user account. Real World Anil Desai Windows Vista includes numerous features that enhance security and oversight significantly over which types of content children can access. These improvements can help filter out unwanted materials. They are not, however, perfect. Determining which types of content are appropriate is often a matter of significant subjectivity. Some types of filtering (such as Web site access) are based on voluntary ratings. The majority of online businesses use valid settings, but some might ignore or circumvent the guidelines. Lesson 1: Configuring Parental Controls 315 So how can parents help ensure that their children are accessing acceptable content only? One of the most important security measures is not directly related to technology. Parents should educate their children about the potential security risks and other problems associated with accessing unapproved content. The children should also feel confident in reporting those issues to their parents. Additionally, parents should review the content regularly that their children access. In some cases, natural curiosity might lead children to access unexpected content. Children can also be extremely clever in their attempts to circumvent security-related configuration options. Overall, the task of maintaining parental control and oversight must be a team effort to be successful. By informing and educating children about potential risks, you can decrease their ability to access undesirable content. Defining Web Restrictions Web restrictions settings enable parents to define which types of content are accessible to children who are using the computer. To access these settings, first enable Parental Controls for the child’s user account. Then, click the Windows Vista Web Filter link in the User Controls dialog box for the child’s account to access the available options. Figure 8-4 shows the default settings for Web restrictions. Figure 8-4 Configuring Web restrictions for a user account 316 Chapter 8 Configuring Parental Controls and Browser Security The first option, Block Some Websites Or Content, is the master setting that determines whether Web filtering is active. When it is active, parents can specify a wide array of options to manage which content is accessible. Allowing and Blocking Web Sites In some cases, parents might want to determine actively which Web sites are available to their children. These settings can be managed by clicking the Edit The Allow And Block List link in the Web Restrictions dialog box (see Figure 8-5). Figure 8-5 Defining the list of allowed and blocked Web sites The Allow Or Block Webpages dialog box contains two columns: one for a list of allowed Web sites, and another for a list of blocked Web sites. The Website Address text box enables users to specify a complete Uniform Resource Locator (URL) to a particular site. One easy way to obtain the URL if it is not known is for a parent to open Internet Explorer, navigate to the site, and then copy and paste the URL. The Allow and Block buttons determine how the Web site is managed. There are two main approaches to managing which sites are accessible. The first is to define a list of allowed Web sites and to prevent children from accessing any other sites. The other approach is to block access specifically to a list of Web sites. In general, blocking access to specific Web sites might be easier to configure (especially when considering the other options Lesson 1: Configuring Parental Controls 317 that you’ll learn about in this lesson). Defining a list of allowed Web sites can be tedious and time-consuming, but it can offer the best protection against access to unwanted content. The Only Allow Websites Which Are On The Allow List check box specifies which approach is used. When the check box is selected, the list of blocked Web sites is effectively unused because all sites are blocked unless they appear on the Allowed Websites list. Parents can remove an entry from either list by selecting it and clicking Remove. Managing lists of Web sites can be a time-consuming process. When parents need to configure these settings on multiple computers, it is often difficult to type in each site address manually on every computer. The Import and Export buttons enable parents to save the current collection of settings to a file that they can import to other computers or allow other accounts to use on the same computer. Blocking Sites Based on Content When configuring Web restrictions, it is practically impossible to define specific Web site exceptions for every site on the Internet. The primary goal for parents is to ensure that inappropriate content is not available to children. Because site contents often change, it is important to be able to filter the content dynamically. Many Web site operators are just as concerned as parents about the suitability of their content. Because they often do not want children to visit their sites, they can choose to rate their own content voluntarily. This information is sent to the Web browser automatically with each page request. Although the system does not prevent potentially malicious Web site operators from misstating these details purposely, it does provide a reasonable level of protection. To ease the task of filtering Web content, the Web Restrictions dialog box contains a section titled Block Web Content Automatically (see Figure 8-6). This feature works by analyzing the content of a particular Web page or Web site automatically and then testing it based on a variety of built-in algorithms. There are four main settings for the Web restriction level, as follows: n High This setting blocks all sites except those that specifically include information that they are approved for children. Therefore, this is the most secure option, but it is also the most restrictive. n Medium This setting automatically blocks content that does not contain rating details and analyzes the page for a variety of unsuitable content. n None This setting effectively disables automatic filtering. Settings on the Allow and Block lists are still respected, however. n Custom This setting enables parents to specify which types of material should be blocked. 318 Chapter 8 Figure 8-6 Configuring Parental Controls and Browser Security Selecting the Custom option for automatic Web filtering Regardless of the option chosen, it is important to note that the Web filtering algorithms are not perfect and cannot always block all of a certain type of content. The Web Restrictions dialog box also enables parents to block file downloads for their children. This is often appropriate for security and privacy reasons because it prevents them from installing potential malware or unwanted programs. Providing Site Reviews Categorizing, rating, and filtering Web site content is a particularly difficult process. Because the definition of appropriate content is a subjective measure, site administrators, parents, and third parties (such as Microsoft and content rating companies) can disagree on whether certain content should be filtered. If parents or site administrators believe that content has been improperly classified, they can click the Go To The Site Review Website To Give Feedback On Website Categorization link. Figure 8-7 shows the Web site. The site enables users to provide information about a particular URL and to specify why they feel that the content was improperly categorized. Microsoft staff members can then review reports and decide whether the content should be reclassified. Although the process is not immediate, it is a good way for concerned parents to help filter unwanted content for their children. Lesson 1: Configuring Parental Controls Figure 8-7 319 Accessing the Windows Site Review Web site Attempting to Access Blocked Web Sites When Web restrictions are enabled for a user account, all Web content that is accessed through a Web browser is automatically analyzed. When the content of a Web site is found to be inappropriate based on the Allow and Block lists or based on automatic filtering settings, children see the notice shown in Figure 8-8. Parents can instruct their children to notify them to review blocked content. If the site is appropriate, then parents can use an Administrator account and make the appropriate changes to the settings. Although it is likely that adjustments will be needed periodically, the Web restrictions feature can help ensure the safety of children’s online experience. 320 Chapter 8 Figure 8-8 Configuring Parental Controls and Browser Security A message informing the user that certain content has been blocked Using Internet Explorer Content Advisor In addition to the standard Web restrictions settings that are available in Parental Controls, Internet Explorer includes a feature for advising users based on the type of content that is being accessed. Figure 8-9 shows an example of the available settings. Each setting pertains to various types of content that can be detected through details reported by Web sites. It is important to keep in mind that the rating levels are often voluntary and might not agree with parents’ filtering requirements. Internet Explorer also includes options for determining whether sites that do not include rating information can be viewed (see Figure 8-10). Further, it is possible to include additional ratings systems for use by Internet Explorer. Lesson 2 covers more information about configuring this and other security features in Internet Explorer.