How Does Internet Monitoring Work?

Who Monitors Internet Traffic

Internet monitoring is rapidly turning into a standard practice for concerned business owners, parents and, in some cases, government agencies. While Internet monitoring may be desired for a multitude of reasons, the ways in which it is implemented are relatively the same. In most cases a customizable software interface is installed onto a computer, or network, to monitor Internet traffic. This software program acts as a firewall that closely watches Internet traffic in real-time for certain actions to take place. Instead of having direct access to the Internet, all connections go through the software first.

Controlling Internet Access

Parents of young children or teenagers can install a third-party software application on a commonly used computer in the home. The Internet monitoring software can be customized to only allow Internet browsing during specific hours or control what type of websites may be accessed. Depending on the level of control that may be desired, software applications for single computer or home use can be found on the Internet for less than $100, or even free in some cases.

A blacklist of websites can be modified by parents that will not allow children to visit specific Internet locations. If a more secure option is desired, one can opt for whitelisting websites instead. Whitelisting websites acts in an opposite fashion of blacklisting. Only the websites added to the whitelist can be visited; all other websites will be blocked. The Internet monitoring software acts as a guardian between the computer and Internet.

Productivity in the Workplace

Internet monitoring for business owners works in a similar way, but usually for different reasons. Primarily, business owners are more concerned with their employee's productivity on company time. Whether installed on each computer in the business location or from a common Internet gateway for the entire office, a business owner generally needs more functionality out of his Internet monitoring solution. Internet monitoring software for businesses can have a wide range when it comes to pricing. The administrator needs to know the level of monitoring desired, amount of users licenses needed and reporting needs of management before inquiring about pricing from their favored software vendor.

Business owners can be sent a report from the Internet monitoring software letting them know which employees are visiting specific websites and at what time of the day. Since the software is customizable, the business owner can choose how and when to receive these activity reports. Once again, the Internet monitoring software is constantly monitoring all Internet traffic in order to provide these usage statistics.

Administrator Customization

No matter who wants to monitor Internet activity, these monitoring programs perform the same basic function. An administrator in charge of the Internet monitoring sets the desired level of security from the Internet monitoring software's user interface. The monitoring software then watches all the data in real-time and compares it against the administrator's list of triggers. Any undesired activity can initiate a custom report for the administrator. These reports can come in the form of an e-mail, printed report or even a text message to a phone number. The functionality is only limited to how robust of a solution is needed and the amount of money to acquire such software.