Monitoring Instant Messages

Are your children using Instant Messengers to communicate back and forth with each other? Do they use chat rooms? If you have answered yes to either of these questions then equipping yourself with software that will allow you to record instant messages might be a good idea. Be able to silently and invisibly record conversations between two parties over chat programs, either locally on your computer or through web-based chat programs. IM or Instant Messaging is the ability to chat with friends and family over the Internet via an Instant Messaging application. Instant Messengers can be in the form of downloaded software that resides on you computer, or they can be web-based. Here are a few examples of Instant Messengers:

• AOL Instant Messenger or AIM
• ICQ
• MSN Instant Messenger
• Trillian

Though instant messengers are a great tool for communication, they can also be used for unlawful activity. "Internet Predators" who are mostly middle-age males, tend to use instant messengers to trick children into providing them with personal information. Instant Messengers are programs that should be closely monitored to ensure your child's safety and well being.