Have Kids? Try Spector Pro (Yes, a Keylogger!)

It must be agonizing to have kids using the Web. A friend called and asked what I'd recommend to keep an eye on the Internet access of her five kids. Four of the kids are girls; the oldest is about 16 and spending lots of time in chat rooms.

You've probably guessed I abhor programs that spy on users. The but was obvious: Mom and Dad really needed to know what was cooking online.

Don't Spy on Me
Philosophically, I'm okay with watching what people do on their PC provided they're fully aware that it's happening. I discussed this with Mom and Dad (remember, I still have a license as a Marriage and Family Therapist) and they agreed: Trust with verification. If you don't agree, tell me about it in Comments below. (Seriously, I'm curious how this strikes you.)

Hello Spector Pro
Spector Pro costs $100 and I was stunned at how efficient it was at tracking everything -- and I mean everything -- a user does. It works in the background and unless you're really PC savvy, the program is invisible. Even if you do find it, you can't access the setup without a password.

I installed Spector Pro and it watched keystrokes of all the users. I logged in as each user, did a bunch of stuff -- opened applications, sent e-mail, sent instant messages, and chatted in a chat room. The program recorded everything I did on the computer, and even took snapshots of the screen. Mom and Dad (or, of course, your boss) can review every bit of the recorded activity. Heck, I watched a video and Spector Pro recorded it, too, so I was able to see the desktop and media player showing the video. And with all these kids, there's a tab that reports on MySpace activity, a useful addition.

Another way to use Spector Pro is to see what sites users were on, and review their actions to learn how and when they might have picked up spyware or adware. The setup allows you to block access in a number of ways -- including by time, application, and specific sites.

With all the separate users on this system, I was able to review the data of all the activity from each of the kids. It's also easy to use a filter to look at specific data for a particular type of activity.

Now that I've tried it, it's clear that in the right hands, and for the ethical user, Spector Pro is perfect tool.

Comments

I have kids. I have teenagers. I have a huge grocery bill and no money left over. Is there a keylogger review site that's worth looking at? Can you suggest a keylogger that's less than $100?

Kezopster

January 22, 2007

9:31 PM PT

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