Internet Safety Tip - How to Check a Computer For Internet Pornography

By Matthew Yarro

Everyone is concerned about Internet pornography and Internet safety; but not everyone knows how to check a computer to see if anyone has been accessing Internet porn. Whether you suspect that someone has been abusing pornography or not, if you have computer and an Internet connection in your home, you need to check and check regularly.

Starting with the Internet Browsers

One of the first applications to check are all of the Internet browsers installed on your computer-that's right, I said all of them. There are several browser applications that exist and almost all of them are free to download and use. Some you may have heard of-such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, and Opera-and others you may not have heard of-such as Netscape Navigator, Maxthon, Avant, Ace Explorer, and many others.

Why is it important to check all of the browsers installed? Because, each browser maintains its own records of which websites have been accessed. If you check your Internet Explorer regularly, but your child uses Firefox to access Internet pornography, you would never find any clues. You have to know what browsers are installed on your computer and check them all.

What Browsers are Installed?

To determine what browsers are installed on a Windows computer, click on start > control panel > add and remove programs. This utility will show you a list of every application that has been installed on your computer. Scroll through the list. If there is a name that you don't recognize, use Google to determine what the application is. Keep a list of the browser application you find so that you can check them.

You might also want to make it very clear to your family that, as one of your Internet-use rules, only one or two browsers can be installed on the computer. If someone keeps adding new browsers to your computer, chances are you have a problem.

Checking the Browser History

The next step is to launch each of the Internet browsers one by one, and check the browser's history. To open the browser history, click the Control and H keys simultaneously (Command and H key for Macintosh).

The panel that opens shows you all of the websites and URLs that have been accessed. When you are reviewing them, look for obvious word combinations that might suggest an inappropriate website. You can also click on any of the sites listed to open them in the browser window.

Some sites may not be what they appear to be. For a very long time, whitehouse.com was a pornographic website. So if you don't recognize some of the websites you see, click on them and make sure they are clean and appropriate.

Deleted Caches

Unfortunately, a person can easily delete the browser cache, removing any evidence that he or she has been accessing pornographic content. If you check a browser's history and it is empty, and you know for certain that someone was just using that browser to surf the Internet, someone has deleted the cache. Deleting the cache is a big warning sign that someone is doing something they shouldn't be doing.

There are legitimate reasons for clearing the cache. But, as another house rule, only parents should be allowed to clear the cache.

Other Files Swapping Applications

Furthermore, browsers are not the only applications that an individual can use to exchange pornographic content over the Internet. FTP clients, P2P clients, email, instant messaging, cell phones, thumb drives, iPods, and many other applications and devices can all be used to exchange files. Just because you checked a computer's browser history doesn't mean that somebody hasn't been accessing pornography.

For further investigation, what you need is a tool that allows you to quickly check for pornographic content throughout a computer system. You should consider purchasing a pornography-detection tool.

Pornography Detection Tool

A pornography-detection tool, such as SurfRecon, allows you to quickly and easily scan a computer system for pornographic images and/or video. The advantages of SurfRecon is that it automatically finds and identifies pornographic content for you-not only in the browser caches, but anywhere pornography could be hidden on the computer system or on any other device that could be connected to the computer.

If your child has a collection of CD-roms, DVD-roms, thumb drives, external hard drives, or other digital devices, you may want to scan those occasionally, along with the family computer system.

SurfRecon should be an important part of your Internet safety strategy When combined with an Internet filter it offers a superior level of parental control and Internet protection.

The Element of Surprise

Lastly, make sure to pop-in on your children and others unexpectedly. When you do, don't just asked them what they are doing, push right into the chair next to them and start checking what applications they have open, check the history quickly to see what websites they have been visiting, and see what content is still open in the browser window.

Ambushing them like this will give you access to applications and history before they have a chance to exit or delete anything. It may seem a bit pushy, but when you children's safety and well being is at stake, it is worth it.

Anonymity versus Accountability

One of the side effects that result from you regularly checking a computer or other devices is the loss of your child's online anonymity. If he or she no longer thinks that she can do anything and get away with it, she is more likely to act in a responsible way-especially if you surprise her now and then with a quick SurfRecon scan.

The fear that at any time mom or dad could check their computer system for pornography may be just the nudge your child needs to realize that messing around with porn simply isn't worth the risk.