Using active surveillance applications may interfere with your system's Antivirus and/or Security protection. Download.com cannot guarantee the security of surveillance software because of their nature.
Editors’ Review
Download.com staff
Though a bit overwhelming at first glance, this deluxe application diligently monitors and blocks unsuitable online material. You have to supply your name and e-mail address before launching OnlineSafetyShield, but once you're past that hurdle, you'll find a logically designed interface with numerous multifaceted options. OnlineSafetyShield quickly delivers pop-up blocking along with the ability to block objectionable Web sites by URL or keywords. You can halt P2P-file sharing, images, and movies in one step or block Firefox, Internet Explorer, Netscape, and Opera altogether. Beckoned out of hiding with hot keys, OnlineSafetyShield provides a host of monitoring tools for online and offline activity, including Internet access scheduling, instant-messenger blockades, screen captures, and keyloggers. It also creates a complete report of all actions. A particularly impressive bonus is the Internet tracks-removal feature, which allows you to quickly remove cookies, caches, and histories. Requiring 13MB, this feature-rich module is well worth the memory cost if you need to oversee computer use and do a little cleaning of your own.
What’s new in version 1.10
Version 1.10 may include unspecified updates, enhancements, or bug fixes.
After installation, this program will begin failing at boot time. Tried it on two different machines, with the same results. E-mails and trouble tickets to the company for support go unanswered. Their telephone number is never answered by a human - just a VM system that tells you to go online, or leave a message. Guess what - messages aren't returned either! Their "support" page is only partially active (no Troubleshooting content, no Downloads), and the Online Support link at the support site always shows that no support agents are available. Software that doesn't work, and a company that doesn't support it - don't even take the time to put this on your PC!
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<p>BTW, if you read all the "positive" reviews for this product, you'll notice the same verbiage in many of them, and blatant marketing content in nearly all. It's pretty obvious that all of these positive reviews are shills posted by the company to attempt to trick users into believing that there are people out there who are happy with this software.
Summary
THIS ONE INCLUDES ALL THE DESIRED FEATURES
armando_venezuela
Pros
Blocks the websites based on schedule; provides limitations on the user access time based on schedule ; Filters the keywords based on schedule ; As per requirement of the administrator I ran block the other users from accessing certain drives ; Automatically deletes all saved temporary files that internet explorer creates when you visit the web sites or download the content with it.
Cons
Some features are included in only some editions of it. So in case of change in our requirements we need to upgrade the software.
Summary
THIS ONE INCLUDES ALL THE DESIRED FEATURES
dreamscape_88
Pros
Blocks the websites based on schedule; provides limitations on the user access time based on schedule ; Filters the keywords based on schedule ; As per requirement of the administrator I ran block the other users from accessing certain drives ; Automatically deletes all saved temporary files that internet explorer creates when you visit the web sites or download the content with it.
Cons
Some features are included in only some editions of it. So in case of change in our requirements we need to upgrade the software.
Summary
THIS SOFTWARE PROVIDES THE BEST SAFETY SOLUTION
netsavy_1
Pros
Software can provide us with option to suggest the website for a review by which the website which we believe to be offensive can be reviewed or judged; Updates the list of block listed websites time to time; gives recommendation on websites which are relative to our criteria or need.
Cons
Need to modify the block list as given in the manual to make it work as desired.
Summary
KEEP A WATCH ON STUDENTS’ ACTIVITIES
frasier_fan
Pros
“Online Safety shield “seems to be the best solution for institutes like schools, colleges or any education institute. We are one of the best education institutes in our city. Actually, we were looking for such software as some of our students were misusing the internet facility provided by our institute. Our main aim in providing the internet facility is to allow students to explore on technical topics and to go through its technical papers available on net. This software allows us to do the same with authorized access.
Cons
The picture libraries can be allowed to access, if blocked, by modifying the block list.
Summary
KEEP A WATCH ON STUDENTS’ ACTIVITIES
submariner_uk
Pros
“Online Safety shield “seems to be the best solution for institutes like schools, colleges or any education institute. We are one of the best education institutes in our city. Actually, we were looking for such software as some of our students were misusing the internet facility provided by our institute. Our main aim in providing the internet facility is to allow students to explore on technical topics and to go through its technical papers available on net. This software allows us to do the same with authorized access.
Cons
The picture libraries can be allowed to access, if blocked, by modifying the block list.
Summary
PERFECT SOFTWARE FOR CYBER CAFE
velocity_in_motion
Pros
Actually I am a cyber-cafe owner. Before using this software, we were facing many problems like some people accessing porn-sites, some hackers accessing unauthorized data, people downloading anything anywhere and so on. But after having used this software the business looks so simple and without any burden. All the credits for this goes to this software only. Certainly, such a situation would not have been possible without this software.
Cons
Some features like allowing the records of all users to be stored on server can be requested and timely response is provided for this.
Summary
KEEPS COMPLETE TRACK OF MY CHILD
rosewell_51
Pros
This is the best software that I ever found for personal cause. Actually I was looking for one such software which can keep track of each and every activity that my child does on the net. After testing much such software, I found this the best. Some of the things that make me crazy for this software are its flexibility, non-interference with other applications, easy to setup and update. Really the best for parents like me, who want to keep track of their children.
Cons
We need to modify its settings to maintain the records for long time as it maintain the record for small period of time due to small memory allocation for it, by default.
Summary
SAFETY AT ITS VERY BEST
patriot_usa_1
Pros
Best in terms of adjustable filter sensitivity. Also displays a warning dialog box every time any possible threat is detected. It overrides blocked page to provide completely user-friendly services of the system, which is not provided by most of the such softwares.
Cons
The list of filtered files can be requested to be stored on the server, so that it is possible to retrieve such sites latter on.
Summary
OnlineSafetyShield is the most comprehensive Internet safety tool
broken_wings_39
Pros
It helps me by recording and monitoring what my child is doing online and reporting me what has happened from the moment he signed on to the Internet. The most amazing and important thing is that my child doesn’t even get the feel that someone is tracking him on the net.
Cons
Needed some help to run it on Apple and Linux platform.
