Monitoring software allows a network administrator to see what sites have been visited. Many educators find this approach preferable to filtering in the belief that it is important for students to make appropriate decisions on their own, facing negative consequences should they choose to misuse their Internet access. The monitoring approach requires that someone be available to read the logs and deal with infractions. Many vendors offer filtering and monitoring software designed for school use. For example, SurfWatch, published by JSB Software Technologies, recently expanded its filtering criteria to include sites that sell or promote the sale of weapons, ammunition, or poisonous substances in response to recommendations made by their Advisory Committee, which regularly reviews their filtering criteria.
Some companies offer products that include a number of services in one package.
Firewall 1 is required to run the program. Another option in this vein is iPrism from Internet Products, Inc. This dedicated server appliance can be installed on a network with no modifications to existing hardware or software. Sites that are blocked are reviewed weekly and downloaded automatically. The device also offers monitoring capabilities.