All of the programs came with a relatively ease-to-use setup program. They installed the programs automatically with very little required input from the user.
The programs allowed the parents to configure the programs to suit their needs. SurfWatch, Cyber Patrol and CyberSitter were the simplest; only a simple checking or unchecking of a box was needed. NetNanny offered more options but as a result, also made the configuring more difficult.
All four programs began automatically. SurfWatch was the only one whose icon was visible when it was running. The others ran inconspicously until they were triggered (by a child going to a blocked site, for example).
The four programs had an option that allowed the filtering to be disabled by the parent.
Options such as the disable and other configuration settings required a password so that only the parents could modify the program. SurfWatch asked for a password during the installation process while CyberPatrol and NetNanny asked for it after the installation. CyberSitter did not ask for a password at any point. The user had to go to the options menu and set it manually from there. This step may be overlooked and will compromise the security of the program.
Each of the four programs offered some way of protecting against children trying to get around it. The uninstall process required a password and could not be disabled by simply changing .ini files.
Each of the four programs also had secure files. Some programs automatically recreated files that were deleted while others blocked all Internet access if certain files were tampered.