CYBERsitter 97

Need a nanny for your network?

The Internet is like a city: It has good sides and shady sides. How can you protect your corporation from the dark side? Solid Oak Software has released a Windows NT update to CYBERsitter, a filtering program that provides extra online protection from undesirable sites. You can block access to specific Internet areas, such as Web pages, Internet Relay Chat (IRC), FTP, and newsgroups.

CYBERsitter arrives on a high-density floppy, and you can install it on a single computer or in a network environment. Installation is as easy asinserting the disk, entering the drive letter, and double-clicking the Setup file. The program automatically searches for the winsock.dll and installs itself in the same location.

In a network setting, administrators can load the software onto adesignated workstation or a server. However, administrators must also run theclient setup from the floppy on each workstation to ensure CYBERsitter copiesthe .dll files to the workstation. CYBERsitter uses these .dll files to accessSolid Oak's blocking filter file on the network.

The program opens to a simple, yet powerful control screen, asshown in Screen 1. This dialog box is where you make filtering selections andall other option choices. The interface was easy to use, and most options wereunderstandable. After you've installed the program, it starts when you boot upyour system and stays active until you click the Active/Inactive toggle button.This button retains its setting until you change it.

Solid Oak created a Web site filter list, which focuses on topics such asillegal or illicit activities. Solid Oak searches for undesirable sites toinclude in its updated filter file, and the company encourages users to submitany undesirable sites that they access while using CYBERsitter. If a userattempts to access one of the sites in the filter file, it might be blocked,depending on the block options the administrator has set for that user.

One of CYBERsitter's unique filtering features is that users can enterwords that CYBERsitter can analyze in relation to context in a search engine,email, or chat session. This process lets you block material that might beobjectionable, yet it prevents CYBERsitter from inadvertently blocking siteswith words that have double meanings.

The program was successful at blocking access based on my configurationsettings. However, CYBERsitter failed to block sites I expected it to block. Forexample, when I selected the option, Block sports sites and leisureactivities, I could still access the ESPNet SportsZone site.

I had another problem when I selected the option, Block all IRC Chatlines. Because of the option's wording, I expected CYBERsitter to block allaccess to chat, but I was wrong. In my test, CYBERsitter let me initiate IRCsessions on servers such as Undernet and DALnet, and it also let me access theirchat rooms. However, the "bad-words" filter blotted out bad words thatparticipants typed during the chat session. After a call to tech support, Ilearned that this option will block Web browser chat sessions.

The custom-area feature is where you can enter information specific to yourusers or sites, such as telephone numbers, and CYBERsitter will block specificareas beyond the filter file. CYBERsitter's filter file is proprietary, andusers cannot view or change it.

CYBERsitter establishes security through a password option that appearswhen users attempt to open the program. Once users are in the program, no othersafety guards prevent them from compromising or changing options or the accesspassword.

With the network version of CYBERsitter, you can customize options for eachworkstation. You must select options before you open your Web browser, chat, ornewsgroup program. To change an option, you must exit the program you're in,change the option, and reopen the appropriate program.

CYBERsitter is a beneficial program when you use it with clearemployee guidelines concerning acceptable use of the Internet. It is a goodchoice for companies that want to filter undesirable material from the Internet.