Protect your kids from Facebook stalkers and cyberbullies with SocialGuard
CheckPoint Software has introduced a new member of its ZoneAlarm product family. ZoneAlarm SocialGuard has a narrow focus: its sole aim is to monitor children's Facebook accounts in order to alert parents to suspicious activities such as cyberbullying, Internet grooming and inappropriate content.
SocialGuard works alongside existing security software, including ZoneAlarm's own free firewall software, to provide real-time alerts should potentially dangerous activity be detected on up to five monitored Facebook accounts. The parent can then review the alert and take whatever action he or she deems to be appropriate.
CheckPoint is keen to stress that ZoneAlarm SocialGuard is not a general purpose spying tool, giving parents unfettered access to their children's Facebook accounts. Instead it respects the child's privacy by only providing alerts to suspicious activities based on a number of criteria: cyberbullying, friend requests from strangers, inappropriate content (including links), age concerns and hacked accounts. All other activity is ignored, and the parent has no other access to the child's Facebook account.
These alerts are, by default, emailed to both child and parent, and ZoneAlarm SocialGuard requires that both email address and password for each Facebook account is entered in order to set up the initial connection between the two. This is a one-time only action, and in most cases will require the child's co-operation in the form of either releasing the password or entering it into the program.
The application also allows parents to review the child's list of friends, providing extra information about each friend to help the parent identify them as trusted. It also scans previous content as well as providing protection going forward.
ZoneAlarm SocialGuard is available as a free download of a 7-day trial for Windows XP, Vista and 7. The software is currently available for an introductory rate of $1.99 per month, or $19.99 per year.
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