DeriveIt's Web Content Filter

DeriveIt's is a simple but effective parental filtering application only for Internet Explorer. With a customizable white list and blacklist, password controls, and a tiny footprint, the 60-day trial is a generous amount of time to give the app a chance.

The category filters run the gamut from gambling to pornography, but can also be configured to games or just about any other genre you might want to block. Although the white list allows for legitimate sites to go through, DeriveIt's is aggressive enough to block Google searches for banned topics. Occasionally, we noticed a bit of lag time, when a banned site began to load before the "blocked" message loaded in its stead. Its not inconceivable that some banned content could be seen during the 5- or 10-second interim.

The interface is very unobtrusive, but only accessible from within the Tools menu. Simply laid out, with no bells or whistles, it's easy if not engaging to change program settings. We'd like to see support for Firefox and Opera in future editions, but DeriveIt's is an effective piece of parental controlware.