SOFTWARE PROGRAMS CAN FILTER SMUT ON INTERNET.

Byline: Ben Sullivan Daily News Staff Writer

Parents worried about their children surfing the World Wide Web are far from defenseless when it comes to guarding against material they deem harmful.

From blocking devices to tracking software, there's an arsenal of programs to help parents limit what their children see on the Web. Surprisingly, the products and services are warmly embraced by mainstream pornographers.

``We believe strongly that parental control is the answer,'' said Phil Berman, who heads the Internet division of the West Hollywood-based Free Speech Coalition, a trade organization representing the adult entertainment industry. ``It's the people censoring themselves, which is where those sorts of decisions should come from.''

The Free Speech Coalition maintains a standing $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of child pornographers.

Most of the software and services aimed at protecting children rely on a filtering mechanism that scans the content of a Web site for keywords, and a constantly updated library of Web addresses deemed inappropriate by the manufacturer.

Two of the oldest and most popular of these packages are NetNanny and CyberPatrol. Like most such programs, free, trial versions of the software can be downloaded at the companies' Web sites (www.netnanny.com and www.cyberpatrol.com, respectively). Licensed versions can be bought online for about $30.

Once installed on a user's computer, the programs prompt parents for information on what they hope to prevent their children from seeing. They also block what sort of information a child can send over the Internet in, say, a chat room frequented by pedophiles.

The second school of software depends on voluntary ratings Web sites assign themselves. Westlake Village-based Safe Surf recently signed a deal with Netscape Communications Corp. under which the next Navigator browser will let parents block certain types of sites based on the Safe Surf rating system. The grades that sites assign themselves address not only sexual material, but violence and racism as well.

Finally, for the parent wanting to find out where their child has wandered on the information superhighway, programs like WatchSoft Inc.'s Disk Tracy ($30, www.disktracy.com) let them track the sites, files and images accessed by junior, even if the little rascal has deleted the browser's history file and cache.

WatchSoft also sells the software to companies trying to cut down on cybergoofing, serving ``as a company's online detective, uncovering evidence from any employee's Internet surfing.''

Internet service providers such as America Online, EarthLink and CompuServe offer their own varying degrees of access control to parents, usually free of charge.

Ultimately, manufacturers acknowledge, some material will likely fall through the cracks, especially with determined and inquisitive children at the controls of a computer. So some decidedly low-tech steps such as keeping the computer in the family room - as opposed to the basement or in the child's room - should also be taken.

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Box: Reporting crimes

To report suspected cyberporn crimes, call the LAPD at [phone]