The sheer size and freedom of the Internet creates an arena in which your child may be able to access content that you don't want them to. When most people discuss safe surfing and child protection they talk about sexually explicit material, but there is other information on the Internet that you may not want your child to have access to. Other categories to consider are hate messages, violence, crime, and drugs. Each category has a very large presence on the Internet.

Even if you completely trust your child to not go looking for sites in the categories above you may be surprised how easily it is for them to stumble into an inappropriate site.

There are various tools that will allow you to regulate what sites your child can access. Filtering software has many features to help create a safer online experience. For example, it can block access to certain sites, prevent personal information from being given out over the Internet, and track family online activities.

Using software packages are important considerations when finding ways to protect your child while they are online, but they can never replace adult supervision.