Safekeeper

For computer users with inquisitive children or careless roommates, parental control software can be a viable solution. Safekeeper is one such program, offering a host of features including offensive site blocking (KidSafe Blocker), chat monitoring and transcription, and time controls for up to six users on as many as three PCs. It also includes maps and email alerts for predators who move to your neighborhood.

However, Safekeeper has some faults and quirks that prevent us from giving this program more than a modest recommendation. On the plus side, the program installs quickly and easily and is invisible on your PC. (It installs an icon on your Desktop, but this won’t show up on other users’ Desktops.)

On the minus side, Safekeeper is far from imperceptible, it slowed down browsing noticeably. Also, although it turned itself on after the first reboot, it did not begin monitoring and blocking until we rebooted the PC a second time.

One of Safekeeper’s features is remote monitoring, which lets you check or change your settings from any Internet-connected computer. This is the only way to adjust settings, yet the program fails to mention this (or provide instructions) at installation or reboot, and there is no login link on its main site. Documentation is scanty, and the operational FAQs are not available from every FAQ link on its site.

Once Safekeeper got going, it did a good job of blocking sites, monitoring chat, and generally performing its tasks, although it was quite a struggle to turn off monitoring for the Administrator account. If you can get past these frustrations and don’t mind saddling your kids with sluggish Internet speeds, give it a whirl (there is no free trial, however).