Is your child surfing safely?

Other features that may be of benefit include so-called 'anti phishing' protection, that protects you against websites that, for example, might pretend to be your online bank but are in fact fraudulent sites that attempts to get you to reveal your user id and password.

Windows Live OneCare

While there are a number of software programs available that help you surf safely, including many that are free to download. Try Windows Live OneCare for a well-rounded solution that is easy to use and independently certified. You can download a free, fully-operational three month trial of Windows Live OneCare to assess its capabilities from onecare.live.com .

Practical tips

Make sure that you are aware of what your children are doing while online by ensuring that the PC is in a location in the house that is visible and constantly accessible to you. You should not allow children to use the PC or the Internet in their bedrooms where they are out of sight.

To help you to monitor and control what your children are doing online Microsoft offers a free, downloadable program, suitable for Windows XP and Windows Vista. This provides comprehensive reports on your child's activity while online.

It will also allow you to block their access to certain websites or prevent them from adding contacts to their messenger list unless you approve them first. Get your own free download.

Above all, get involved with what your children are doing online. While it can be tempting to bypass the complexity of the Internet and simply let children 'get on with it', it could be a very dangerous strategy to adopt.

Being more aware of the risks and ensuring you are equipped where possible to protect yourself and your children is not as difficult as it might appear at first glance, and it's certainly worth investing the time and effort to do so.