Overview
K9 Web Protection is a product offered by Blue Coat, a Symantec subsidiary. K9 is designed to protect individuals and families from harmful and inappropriate content while they are using the internet. Given the number of ways internet use has expanded in modern times and the fact that nearly everyone has an internet capable device in their pocket, there is a huge market for this program.
Pros
K9 works across all devices, including Windows, Macs, and Android and Apple mobile devices and tablets. Therefore, it’s one of the few internet monitoring and filtering applications we’ve looked at to cover any device you might have in your house. This is important given the number of different internet-capable devices in modern households, and the number of ways children have found to circumvent controls.
When it comes to controls, K9 is also near the top of the class. The program has specific anti-tampering measures so that you can be confident your kids won’t be able to get around it. This means you can be confident the other features, like blocking harmful and inappropriate websites, forced safesearch for search engines, and time restrictions will be up and running to protect your children.
K9 lets users bypass the restrictions by entering a password. Therefore, you don’t have to be subjected to the same restrictions as your children. Moreover, you can set different profiles to avoid running into complications that can come from having internet monitoring software installed.
Finally, K9 uses real-time categorization of adult and malicious sites. This list is constantly being updated, and the second it goes into Symantec’s database, K9 knows the site isn’t to be trusted. As a result, users can be sure the program is up to date with the latest list of dangerous and inappropriate web content.
Cons
Some people might think that the password feature that K9 uses is a con. If your children are able to guess your password, or if you use the same password for a number of different services, then the program becomes ineffective. Therefore, you’ll have to stay on top of your password security to ensure that the program is functioning how you want it to.
Verdict
K9 is a good program with the backing of one of the largest internet security companies behind it. They offer a free trial and are one of the most highly reviewed programs for internet monitoring by parent magazines. The application has received write-ups in several prominent publications, and seems like a good place to start your efforts to impose safe internet controls on your children.