LET US PROTECT OUR CHILDREN FROM HARMFUL CONTENT ON THE INTERNET!
The solution: a special filtering software
A new Hungarian software can bring about a breakthrough in the fight against harmful content and sexual-, pedophile harassment on the Internet. The filter software named Dolphin Knight is capable of blocking content that could disturb the mental development of children. The new image-filtering module now also makes filtering of photographic content possible and as a result children won't come across harmful content or sex related pictures while using the Internet. The software also prohibits children to upload provocative pictures about themselves.
The Safe Browsing Program
In 2008 the Safe Browsing Program was launched in Hungary in the spirit of the “Safer Internet” program of the European Union. Besides promoting the Internet itself, the main goal of the program is to draw the attention to the threats our children face while using the Internet and to develop a solution for this growing problem.
The most important tool for this task is education:
a recommendation was made for children, parents and teachers how to treat registration processes, chat conversations, online shopping and social networking community sites in order to use the internet in a responsible and safe manner.
The other essential tool is the new technology:
The filter software. The participating Hungarian educational institutions are already using the basic version of the special filter software called Dolphin Knight, which is capable of content filtering.
Today 450 schools, 20.000 computers (10% of all computers operated in Hungarian schools) participate in the program and 6.000 households use the software at home with great satisfaction.
The program is operated by a civil organization called Webháló Egyesület (Webnet Association) and is supported in Hungary by the Országos Rendőr-főkapitányság (Nationwide Police Department), the Budapesti Rendőr-főkapitányság (Budapest Police Department), co-operating partners are Symantec Hungary and CERT Hungary.
The filter software
Dolphin Knight doesn't limit the gathering of information: it doesn't restrict internet usage but prevents the user from browsing to unwanted pages, downloading of harmful content, games and illegal software. It provides protection against pedophile attacks and harassment as well as viruses, worms and spy ware.
The filter software contains a default keyword-list of nearly 300 keywords and expressions (sexual, pornographic, obscene), however parents or teachers can extend or reduce them to fit their needs.
The main feature of the software is to block pages containing these keywords while the Internet is used.
Another feature is the monitoring of chat conversations to prevent sexual harassment and violence: first the child is warned about the threat and then the conversation is blocked.
With the time schedule feature parents and teachers can easily schedule time restrictions for Internet usage or any software installed on the computer.
BRAND NEW FEATURE: IMAGE FILTERING!
With the release of the new, advanced version of Dolphin Knight the range of safety features was extended: the software is now also capable of image filtering. An easy to use interface enables parents and teachers to manage incoming and outgoing images and restrict or permit their transmission or publication on the World Wide Web.
The new image analysis module enables parents and teachers to:
- Parents and teachers can check with a single click if there are any pictures containing pornography or relating to sex or otherwise provocative pictures on the child's computer.
- Supervising picture uploads: if the child tries to upload an image to the internet it will only be published if a parent or teacher approved the upload.- This way we can be prevent anyone tricking our children into uploading provocative or sex related pictures about themselves, meaning that family values can be protected, assuring that under no circumstances provocative pictures of our children or family members appear on the internet.
- The image analyzing module inspects each image found during searches, before displaying them. If the module detects sexual or provocative content it prevents the image from being displayed (blocks it).- These way children are prevented from browsing pornographic pictures on the Internet. Not even accidentally can they be diverted to such content.
Dolphin Knight is available in two versions: one version for home users, and another (network) version for communities.
The language variations of the filter software and multilingual keyword-lists help parents and teachers to protect their children from harmful Internet content all over the world.
The special technology: Dolphin Knight filter software
Dolphin Knight is a complex content filtering system. It enables the monitoring of individual (home) computers and computers connected to a network (school). Monitoring includes programs installed on the computer, Internet content, images on the computer and images requested to be uploaded on the Internet. The applied restrictions can only be altered by the system administrator (parent, teacher, system administrator).The new version of Dolphin Knight is divided into four modules:
- image analyzer
- network filter
- program restriction and scheduling
- education module
Image analysis
The image analyzer consists of 3 parts:
- Parents and teachers can check with a single click if there are any pictures containing pornography or relating to sex or otherwise provocative pictures on the child's computer.
- Supervising picture uploads: if the child tries to upload an image to the internet it will only be published if a parent or teacher approved the upload.- This way we can be prevent anyone tricking our children into uploading provocative or sex related pictures about themselves, meaning that family values can be protected, assuring that under no circumstances provocative pictures of our children or family members appear on the internet.
- The image analyzing module inspects each image found during searches, before displaying them. If the module detects sexual or provocative content it prevents the image from being displayed (blocks it).- These way children are prevented from browsing pornographic pictures on the Internet. Not even accidentally can they be diverted to such content.
Network filtering
Network filtering is based on IP addresses, URLs and keywords.
IP filtering
Restrictions can be set on a client computer by determining IP address, subnet mask, port and packet type. Network connections within the Intranet are also managed with these settings. This way children can't reach servers that provide illegal content.
URL filtering
URLs can easily and quickly be permitted or denied: children can only access websites permitted by the parent or teacher.
Keyword based internet content control
Keyword based content restriction enables global control over excursions on the Internet. The keywords and expressions to be filtered upon can be defined over a user-friendly interface (the software contains approx. 300 predefined keywords, expressions by default). If a match is found the software immediately restricts and prevents the page from being displayed. Keyword based restrictions can be fine-tuned with statistic filtering, meaning that security or threat levels can be determined. This way the supervisor can refine the restrictions on the display of Internet content according to their individual ethic, religious and ideological orientation. The default keyword-list delivered with the software is only a suggestion and can easily be extended or reduced.
Keyword based chat control
The unique Keyword based chat-control enables automatic termination of chat conversations if the conversation is going in the wrong direction.
The solution is based on the previously defined keywords and expressions, similarly to Network filtering. The software is constantly monitoring the flow of the conversations in the used chat-rooms if it detects a match to a keyword/expression it automatically blocks the conversation to protect the child against harassment.
Program restriction
With the program restriction module programs can be approved or restricted: meaning that the children can only use software on the computer that was previously approved by an adult. The usage of programs can be restricted to scheduled timeframes: children can only use programs for the timeframes defined by the adult and can't spend entire days or nights playing or surfing the internet.
Education
The system registers any attempt of starting a web browser. It only allows to use the browse the internet if the user (child) is able to answer the questions regarding safe internet usage (the number of questions can be set individually, the topics and questions can be determined centrally).
If the child doesn't manage to answer the questions correctly the software denies Internet usage and redirects to a page with the correct answers: children are only allowed to surf the Internet if they prove, that they their knowledge about internet safety is satisfactory.
THE DOLPHIN KNIGHT FILTER SOFTWARE PROVIDES COMPLETE PROTECTION
- parents and children can make sure if there are any sex related images on the computer used by the child,
- we can make sure that our children don't upload provocative images of themselves on the Internet,
- we can be sure that nobody can trick our children into uploading provocative images,
- the users (children) can only use the Internet if they manage to answer the questions regarding Internet security to prove that they have learned how to use the internet safely,
- the children can only play games approved by the adults,
- the children can only use programs at specified times and can't play or surf the whole day or night,
- the children can't reach servers with illegal content,
- the children can only visit websites that where previously approved by the parent or teacher,
- every supervisor can individually define keywords and expressions for determining content that should not be displayed according to their worldview, ethic-, ideological- and religious orientation. The default keyword-list delivered with the software is only a suggestion and can easily be extended or reduced
- the solution provides reassuring protection against harassment for the children
System requirements
Network:- clients have to have access to the server
- 100 Mbit/sec network with TCP/IP protocol
- Pentium III 1 Ghz
- 256Mb RAM (depending on the number of clients the amount of required RAM can increase)
- HDD as needed
- Windows 2000/2000 Server, Windows XP, Windows 2003, Windows Vista, Windows 2008
- Microsoft Windows XP, Windows 2003, Vista, Windows 7 operating system
- Min. Pentium II / 128 MB RAM configuration