best spyware program for pc

[oldgit9]

my daughter wants to join facebook to keep in touch with her old school friends. as in september, she will be going to a different secondary school to her friends. i know the legal age for joining facebook is 13, but reluctantly, the wife has said "ok she can join. we just have to lie about her age". im not too thrilled about it but i understand why she wants to join. now...i told the wife...before we let her join facebook, i want to install some sort of spyware on to her laptop, so that we can monitor her web and facebook use. not to spy on her...just to keep an eye on her and to make sure that she is not being groomed by some pervert. all parents can understand where im coming from.

so in a nut shell....what is the best (preferably free) spyware program out there that we can use to keep our daughter safe on the net and facebook???

[AlanDITD]

Have a look at spybot search and destroy mate, it will only look for spyware/adware iirc but its very good!

[andyleaves]

:iagree:
Currently running on this as I type.
Zonealarm, Spybot, AVG and Ad-Aware
The last three are all free and well worth it...

[Kryton]

I also agree, spybot all the way. If you want to keep track of everything. You could also install a key logger to record everything she types + set it to take screen shots at set intervals. Might be a little bit OTT but works a treat, especially if you are trying to catch someone out, for example, a cheating girlfriend! Grrrr!

[oldgit9]

You could also install a key logger to record everything she types + set it to take screen shots at set intervals. Might be a little bit OTT but works a treat, especially if you are trying to catch someone out
thats exactly what im after.

im sorry guys...i was in a bit of a rush to make the post before i sat down for tea and i wasn't very clear.

but im after some sort of spyware to put on to her laptop to monitor what she is doing. ie, monitor her key strokes, which web sites she goes on etc and to email me or the wife with a daily log.

it's not that we don't trust her....we do...but we just dont trust other people. you've all heard the stories of kids being groomed on facebook etc...i just dont want it happening to my daughter...no matter what age she is.

[chris g]

Yes we have spybot to scan for spyware but from what you say, and it has been answered, you seem to want some software to 'spy' on her.

Notthe best way to describe it but a way to monitor her activity and particular who may be in contact with her so as to to keep her safe

Not certain at all how that can be done, IT nerds will prob know on here, but I guess it's about teaching her about inappropriate behaviour/ requests by others and only giving personal details to people known to her and about reporting dosdgy behaviour..

[Kryton]

The problem you've got, is that you are never going to know everything the other person is typing to her on facebook, so the best way to do it is simply use the key logger to get her password. You can then log in + check to see if there is anyone random requesting to be her friend or sending private messages without having to go through the entire report. That way, you get peace of mind + she still gets some privacy. I will have a look to see which ones I have used in the past when I'm next near the computer. Also, I think they have released a panic button which can be installed + you can click to report anyone registered on there. I will try + find a link in a bit unless someone beats me to it

[oldgit9]

Yes we have spybot to scan for spyware but from what you say, and it has been answered, you seem to want some software to 'spy' on her.

Notthe best way to describe it but a way to monitor her activity and particular who may be in contact with her so as to to keep her safe

Not certain at all how that can be done, IT nerds will prob know on here, but I guess it's about teaching her about inappropriate behaviour/ requests by others and only giving personal details to people known to her and about reporting dosdgy behaviour..

she has been using the new for a year or so...but has only been onto kids sites. and we have in the past, checked her history and google searches. we did have an instance when her friend typed "sex scene" into google. but luckily, they didn't go any further. and the daughter had one hell of a shock when we told her what they had been up to. and to this day, she still not sure how we found out....lol

there are programs out there to monitor anyone's keystrokes. hackers and companies like microsoft have been using them for years. i just need to find a one thats good and free.

[oldgit9]

The problem you've got, is that you are never going to know everything the other person is typing to her on facebook, so the best way to do it is simply use the key logger to get her password. You can then log in + check to see if there is anyone random requesting to be her friend or sending private messages without having to go through the entire report. That way, you get peace of mind + she still gets some privacy. I will have a look to see which ones I have used in the past when I'm next near the computer. Also, I think they have released a panic button which can be installed + you can click to report anyone registered on there. I will try + find a link in a bit unless someone beats me to it
the wife has just told the daughter, that she will know her password and will be checking her profile regularly. also, the wife is on facebook nearly ever day and will be checking to see what she is typing. hopefully, that will be enough to keep the daughter careful enough when she's on facebook.

it's about time facebook installed the panic button. they are mental not to already install it on the latest revamp of the site.

i've just done a quick google and found an app that you install on to their profile that acts as a panic button. http://apps.facebook.com/clickceop/

[welshman010]

you could install ultravnc. Its a remote desktop app, but with that you only be able to monitor in realtime.

[Nick VR4]

You mean something like Webwatcher

http://www.webwatchernow.com/Monitoring-Software/Consumer/

[Nick VR4]

This one looks free :D

http://www1.k9webprotection.com/get-k9-web-protection-free

[oldgit9]

You mean something like Webwatcher

what the feck!!!!! WOT (my firefox browser security) has just flagged that site as dangerous and it said that i shouldn't enter it.

did you know that it is dodgy??? i would seriously recommend you not to visit that site again.

[oldgit9]

This one looks free :D

http://www1.k9webprotection.com/get-k9-web-protection-free
thanks for that link. it looks free. there must be a catch there somewhere. i think i will download it onto my pc first. as i can then monitor it's performance and see if it can protect me from all the nasties i can throw at it. and if it's any good, i'll put it on the daughters laptop.

on another note but just as equally important. has anyone had any trouble using google in the past few weeks?? it doesn't do it every time, but when i click on a link that i've just searched for, i get re-directed to another site. like bing or some other random search site. i've done a scan using ESET and spybot. they both found a few viruses. after i removed them and rebooted the pc, i still have the same problems :(

[c0xxy]

that web watcher one looks good, not surprised it gets flagged.
quote from the site;
"WebWatcher It's not just a product, it's a total solution. WebWatcher begins working IMMEDIATELY, and absolutely invisibly - Bypassing my antivirus and all my firewalls! This is truly a best-in-class product."
no pop ups or anything when i visited it tho.
ash

[oldgit9]

that web watcher one looks good, not surprised it gets flagged.
quote from the site;
"WebWatcher It's not just a product, it's a total solution. WebWatcher begins working IMMEDIATELY, and absolutely invisibly - Bypassing my antivirus and all my firewalls! This is truly a best-in-class product."
no pop ups or anything when i visited it tho.
ash
im not sure if i can trust them. as i already mentioned, WOT had flagged the site for being untrustworthy. as soon as it does that, i stay well clear...no matter what it states. it's like clicking onto a site where there is a big red button in the centre of the page with a title saying "Press the button to instantly receive £1,000,000". and when you do press it, instead of getting £1,000,000 you get 1,000,000 viruses for your troubles....

[Barney]

im not sure if i can trust them. as i already mentioned, WOT had flagged the site for being untrustworthy. as soon as it does that, i stay well clear...no matter what it states. it's like clicking onto a site where there is a big red button in the centre of the page with a title saying "Press the button to instantly receive £1,000,000". and when you do press it, instead of getting £1,000,000 you get 1,000,000 viruses for your troubles....

Never trust them mate, I was told I was the 1,000,000th then without closing it then told me I was also the 999,999th are these hackers/virus/trojan/spyware/malware nerds thick or something?

[Kryton]

If in doubt, avoid. They are not thick, they just work on the theory that lots of people that use the internet are! One website put an advertising banner at the top of their site saying "click here for a virus" + something like 5 percent of visitors to their site that day clicked it. I still fail to see why they create viruses though, clearly got nothing better to do with their sad existence of a life, they have to try + mess up everyone elses! Ba57ards

[c0xxy]

avg states its a trusted site, big green tick next to url

[VR4Kaos]

i use avast free and a comp geek put me onto it innit