Managing Online Risk – Software to Keep Kids Safe

Thank you to Sophos for sponsoring this post helping parents to manage their kids online risk and keep them safe. 

From the moment I found out I was pregnant, my quest to become a great mom began. I read dozens of books, gave up foods & drinks I loved, became cautious about things I never thought twice about, like asking waiters about ingredients in salad dressing and buying shoes based on comfort rather than style…wild times for a 28 year old!

Managing Online Risk

All of those changes were in the name of doing the very best for my baby, protecting her and ensuring her safety. Once she arrived, I quickly discovered it was far easier to ensure her well-being in my belly than out of it. After surviving the baby proofing years, the hours spent installing carseats, an occasional call to poison control for my plant eating son, and bandaging dozens of boo-boos, the elementary school era dawned and I felt pretty confident I had a grasp on child safety with a fairly impressive history of keeping my four kiddos alive.

And then came the new, unexpected challenges, the ones there weren’t tons of books written about, the ones that could be a danger right in my own home. I had to figure out how to manage my family’s online risk, to keep the internet access safe, fun, and manageable for young to old.

I wasn’t completely certain of the best tools to keep my children protected on the internet. There was chatter here and there about special software to block unwanted content but truthfully, I wasn’t quite sure what my options were when it came to helping my family have a healthy internet experience and then I discovered Sophos. Take a look at the options available when it comes to managing online risk, Sophos definitely leads the way when it comes to best features:

Sophos Home protects every Mac and PC in your home from malware, viruses, ransomware, and inappropriate websites. It blocks sites with pornography, online gambling, and more! It uses the same award-winning technology that IT professionals trust to protect their businesses. Best of all, you can manage security settings for the whole family from any browser. And it’s FREE! Yes, I said FREE!

Technology is a vital component in our daily lives, but it also leaves us vulnerable, especially since much of our lives and personal information is online and I’m trying to keep my kids from accidentally clicking inappropriate content. Sophos Home is a way to combat these vulnerabilities and a simple way for busy moms to keep their children safe on the internet. My favorite part? You don’t have to be an amazing tech guru and jump through 100 steps to install & set up Sophos, it’s completely mom friendly and simple to use!

Technology is so important in our daily lives, but it also leaves us vulnerable, especially when all of our work is online or we are trying to keep our kids from accidentally clicking inappropriate content. Sophos Home is a way to combat these vulnerabilities by helping people keep themselves and their loved ones secure online. There is also a toolkit that Sophos has come up with a a way to give tips and tricks about things like content filtering on YouTube and how to navigate the security settings on an iPhone. has come up with as a way to give tips and tricks about things like content filtering on YouTube and how to navigate the security settings on an iPhone. We’ve also got an excellent resource, The Worst Apps for Kids, that’ll help you navigate the tricky world of what your tweens and teens are downloading. If you’re looking for ways to manage all technology or screen time at your house, don’t miss our post on Technology 101 for Parents, it’ll guide you towards making your family healthy, smart users of smartphones, tablets, and computers.

There are many exciting and wonderful things about the internet and we’re all fortunate to live in a time of such amazing technology. Don’t fear what’s out there, take the necessary steps to protect your family, like using Sophos, and enjoy the advantages the 21st Century yields to us! Happy exploring!

Want more ideas for using the internet with your family? Be sure to read Taking Control of Technology Before Technology Takes Over Your Family, where you’ll find this free printable of Family Tech Rules:

Do you have a plan for managing online risk in your family? We’d love to hear your suggestions about keeping kids safe! Be sure to leave us a comment!