The Awareness Advisor

According to the Courant.com, David Greenfield, founder of The Center for Internet Behavior in West Hartford, has found Internet addiction to far outweigh the financial losses accrued by alcohol and drug abuse in the workplace.

Greenfield explains that in Connecticut alone, an estimated $11.8 billion (that would be billion with a 'b'), was paid in 2005 for work that was expected, but not performed.

Imagine the losses on a nation-wide scale.

And while Internet addiction may seem far-fetched to some, Greenfield goes on to discuss the kind of "withdrawals" that people have when they don't have access to the Internet anymore, as well as the negative effects such a habit can have on relationships, work, finances, and more. All of these issues point to a bona fide addiction.

Of course, there's also workplace liability to keep in mind, making the situation even more dangerous for employers. Last year, a New Jersey appellate court ruled that an employer could be held liable for damages as a result of an employee having uploaded child pornography from his work computer. This ruling could also be stretched to apply to adult pornography, sexual harassment cases, gambling in the workplace, and more.

On the flip side, allowing for no free Internet use at work has proven damaging to morale and difficult to enforce.

This is why the best answer to this situation is to allow for a small amount of free Internet time in the workplace, and to rely on computer monitoring software. When employees know that computer monitoring software is being used in the workplace, they spend much less time dawdling online, and avoid inappropriate materials altogether.

Awareness Tech's computer monitoring software program, WebWatcher, has garnered high praise for its Internet filters, as well as website recording, email recording, and chat recording software. It's also easy to install and easy to use.

It's the easiest and most economical way to protect the workplace from lost productivity and liability without creating an unpleasant or unforgiving workplace environment.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review recently addressed the use of instant messaging by Internet predators as a means of contacting their victims.

According to the article, most people think that instant messaging can't be traced because the messages don't leave an obvious trail like email. This allure is compounded by the fact that kids and teens use instant messaging to chat with each other, so Internet predators use them as part of the "grooming" process where they make their victim feel at ease.

And to be honest, it's not just online pedophiles and Internet stalkers. Cyber cheaters, or those using the Internet to begin or maintain an extra-marital affair, are infamous for relying on instant messaging since they think that their spouse won't find any evidence.

But, unfortunately for them, none of the above is true if you have good computer monitoring software installed on your computer. Computer monitoring software, like Awareness Tech's WebWatcher, includes chat recording, so instant messages are there to be seen by suspicious spouses or parents who worry that something might be going on.

WebWatcher also includes website recording, and email recording, and it's completely invisible while running.

Online predators and cheaters may be able to strike "in an instant," but with computer monitoring software anyone can have the necessary data to strike back.

The timeswv.com has recently released a disturbing article regarding online predators, the emergence of "electronic crime," and the habits of this newer breed of criminal.

According to the nonprofit group Crisis Connection, online predators, while 94-96% male, can otherwise be just about anyone. They can be from 13 to 65 years old, married, divorced or single. Other data reveals that they can be any race, and come from any socio-economic background. This explains why it is so difficult to track and catch an online predator; they blend in with the rest of us.

And worse yet, these kinds of offenders are categorized as "polymorphous, meaning they will prey on anyone and anything." So theoretically, anyone can become the victim of an Internet stalker, online sex predator, or even identity thief. What these new "electronic criminals" want is to prey upon others, and while most have a preferred method of abuse, they'll attack just about anyone they think they can victimize.

Such criminals are "ritualistic," will go to "incredible lengths" to stalk their victim, and are very, very dangerous.

So what can we do in the face of such a danger?

Computer monitoring software is the electronic answer to electronic crime. Awareness Tech’s WebWatcher, rated among the very highest among computer monitoring software systems, gives users the option of website blocking or website recording, and includes email recording, chat recording, and more. It's completely invisible while running, easy to use, and easy to install.

Every day we hear a new story about the dangers of online predators and the horrible things they do to innocent men, women, and children. Computer monitoring software can provide parents with the knowledge of who their children are exposed to, and can serve as proof for the authorities when someone has been victimized online.

"Electronic Crime" may be the crime of the future, but computer monitoring software can limit the number of electronic victims.

Dailypress.com recently addressed the social networking site Facebook, and its recent move to allow anyone with an email address to start a "region," or in simple words, join up. But, due to the once more private nature of Facebook, this move could be an Internet stalker's dream come true.

Clearly this is an attempt on Facebook's part to compete with Myspace, the most popular social networking site on the planet.

However, Facebook has, until now, been populated by college students and then high school students who regularly post personal information regarding their school activities, friends, and personal thoughts. Already this kind of environment has been a concern to parents and Internet safety experts who fear (and rightfully so), that an Internet stalker who has access to this information could easily use it to pinpoint and prey upon an unsuspecting victim.

And now, with Facebook open to everyone, all of that personal information, and all of the naive, unsuspecting, and vulnerable kids who posted it, are there on the World Wide Web for online predators and stalkers to find.

For anyone concerned for their own safety or the safety of a loved one, computer monitoring software is a great option. Computer monitoring software, like Awareness Tech's WebWatcher, allows anyone invisible email recording, chat recording, website recording, and more. For someone threatened by and Internet stalker WebWatcher could provide the proof that authorities need. For parents, it's a great way to know who your kids are talking to and what's being said.

Social Networking sites like Facebook will continue to grow in popularity and scope, and anyone who ventures into the cyber world ought to have the cyber tools required to protect themselves from those who would do them harm.

It is with much applause that fox19.com reports the first life sentence handed down to an online predator for child porn charges.

The convicted man was given life in jail for producing child porn: he was sexually abusing a little girl that he baby-sat while her parents were away. He then sold the images of himself abusing the child online for a profit.

And this isn't the first time this predator has abused children.

So how should parents feel? Both elated, and yet cautious.

It's great to see online predators and child abusers truly pay for their crime -- however, with so many Internet stalkers out there, stopping them all is simply impossible.

Child porn has seen a 2000% increase in the last 15 years, and 25% of all children have been exposed to unwanted sexually explicit materials, all due to the Internet.


This is why parents still need parental control software. With parental control software parents can record emails, record chats, block websites, and more.

There are simply too many online predators out there seeking to abuse children, and parents still need to know that Internet safety always begins in the home.

The magic-city-news does a great job of examining the way that computers and the internet have changed our lives both for the better (as in greater communications ability) and for the worse (think online predators and Internet stalkers).

And one point they make clear is this: that the older a kid is, the more time they get online unsupervised. This makes them the perfect victim for online stalkers looking for overconfident, naive, or simply lonely children.

But as a child's age goes up, the parent's ability to keep them under control goes down. This is why it is so difficult to protect older kids from online predators and Internet stalkers: they just don't want to tell mom and dad who they talk to online, and they certainly don't want to reveal what's being said.

And with 1 in 5 kids being approached for sex online, that's dangerous.

So is the fact that these same kids are more likely to post photos of themselves online, as well as personal information that an Internet stalker could use to find your child or to arrange a meeting with him or her.

Here's another reason why parents who rely on parental control software can rest a little easier. Parental control software, like Awareness Tech's WebWatcher, allows parents to implement email recording, website recording, and chat recording on their home computer.

WebWatcher is also completely invisible while running, so parents with more devious kids (who may use someone else's computer if they know that theirs is being watched), don't need to know that mom and dad are aware of what they're doing when they log online.

Even older kids are still kids, lacking the age and wisdom required to make smart decisions. And, since online predators are betting on this when they choose a victim, parents need to plan for it too.

U.S. Representative Mark Foley's techno-blunder has served to remind many that, as it says at columbusdispatch.com, "Internet exchanges are not confidential," and computer monitoring is quickly becoming a common practice.

The article discusses how easy it is for our Internet mail and chat sessions to be recorded for posterity, especially at work. And while the article quotes executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center Marc Rotenberg as saying, "There is a lot of monitoring that takes place in the American workplace that probably shouldn't," at Awareness Tech we're aware of exactly why computer monitoring should be going on.

Namely, to save workplace productivity. Workplace productivity suffers a serious blow when you consider that the average worker spends hours a day online. American businesses lose billions of dollars a year to this problem.

And then there's the cost of liability when someone misuses workplace computers (like Foley). This is why 26% have fired employees for e-mail abuse and 4% for offensive blog content and chatting. Not doing so simply costs companies too much.

This is why we created WebWatcher. WebWatcher is a comprehensive computer monitoring software system that allows managers and employers to block offensive websites, and includes email recording and chat recording.

People who abuse technology in this way need to be stopped, and especially when it happens in the workplace.

Infidelity and Internet use are linked once again at ezinearticles.com, where one of the "6 signs you have a cheating wife" includes inordinant amounts of time spent online.

Of course in all fairness, each of these 6 signs could also apply to cheating husbands, and in the case of both partners, infidelity may become an issue when a spouse spends more time online than with their family.

Some say it's an issue of living in a new cyber world, where things we wouldn't usually do seem harmless or removed from reality. Others say that the Internet simply provides cheating spouses with a new way to plan and carry out their infidelity.

Regardless, according to divorcesupport.com, nearly 1/3 of all of today's divorce litigation involves Internet infidelity.

It's no wonder that so many spouses rely on Awareness Tech's Webwatcher. Webwatcher is invisible while running, easy to install, and features website recording, email recording, and chat recording capabilities.

So, while there may be 6 signs that you have a cheating spouse, thanks to Awareness Tech there's only one thing you need to have to find out for sure: WebWatcher.

The Ada Evening News offers a great article with tips to protect kids at myspace, and any social networking site for that matter, from online predators.

However, where the article falls short is in telling parents how to handle kids who don't want parents to know who they're talking to online.

Yes, it's true that for today's kids posting a profile on myspace is as natural as chatting on a cell phone, or downloading music to an MP3 player. It's also true that there are many things parents can do to protect their kids from online predators, including creating false profiles, avoiding sharing personal information, not meeting with online "friends," etc.

But, the real truth is that many teens and tweens don't always tell their parents "if an online friend is pushing for personal information or urging to meet." In fact, many kids don't tell their parents anything, let alone clue them in on who they're talking to and where they plan to go.

What the article needs to include is a bit on how parental control software can also protect kids from online predators when they log-on to places like myspace.

Good parental control software, like Awareness Tech's WebWatcher, gives parents options like website blocking, chat recording, email recording, and more.

We would all like to rely on our kids to tell us the details of their lives, but unfortunately that just isn't the case. With WebWatcher, parents can enjoy the security of knowing that if they really need to involve themselves in their child's online experience, the data will be there for their inspection.

The latest GOP scandal, involving Representative Mark Foley, has created an embarrassing situation for Congressional leaders who had no idea what was going on.

Apparently, Foley was sending sexually aggressive email and instant messages to boys, one of whom was definitely a Congressional Page and had been 16-years-old at the time of the harassment. Ironically, at the same time Foley was stalking this young page, he was also authoring legislation designed to protect children from predators.

What the GOP needed to do was to follow the example of more than half of America's Fortune 500 business models: they needed to implement computer monitoring software.

You see, Foley isn't the only person using the company computer to send inappropriate email and instant messages. Nationwide this same conduct has become such a problem that managers and employers now routinely implement computer monitoring software, both to enhance workplace productivity and to limit liability.

And certainly to control the bad PR that comes out of a situation like this.

What the GOP leaders need to do is to rely Awareness Tech's WebWatcher. WebWatcher comes with website blocking, website recording, email recording, and chat recording programs.

It is also remotely accessible, meaning that while the Conressional house leaders are away, they can still keep an eye on their less-than-well-behaved cohorts.

At the Concordmonitor.com, Internet safety expert and detective James McLaughlin discusses some of the 585 online predators he himself has arrested.

They've been everything from teachers to priests to lawyers, and cover various ages and ethnicities. But one thing is for certain, online predators will "travel far distances" in order to prey upon a child.

And what kinds of behaviors do they look for in their victims? According to McLaughlin, online predators will search for kids who seem lonely or vulnerable, who spend a lot of time online, and, "who are online during hours when their parents aren't home, which is when they'd be most likely to engage in risky behavior."

Clearly the war against online predators is even more difficult to win for parents who work. And while it's true that computer software could never replace good parenting, parental control software can still fill in the blanks for parents who worry about what thier child does online while mom and dad are away.

And in terms of parental control software, there's only one that offers remote access: Awareness Tech's WebWatcher. Like other, standard parental control software systems, WebWatcher implements website blocking, email recording, chat recording and more. However, WebWatcher combines these with the ability to monitor its results in real time, giving parents a full picture of what happens when they're away and their child logs-online.

So while it's true that parental control software could never replace good parenting, it can certainly work to help parents who need an extra hand! With WebWatcher, busy parents can still keep a watchful eye out for online predators who would hope to prey upon their child.