I really need some advice. I've got a 13 year old son who fancies himself a hacker, and though he's quite a decent kid "in the real world", he's fallen into some pretty shady stuff online. Easily finds web info on how to hack our devices (wifi password mysteriously getting reset to default that he knows), gets around the parental software we've tried, Facebook chats with unknown men on the other side of the world, has seen porn videos, tries P2P downloads, downloading TOR browsers (and I think a whole linux-based Tor operating system that runs off a USB), and is currently looking into Kali and Bitcoin mining, etc.

So, I find out, and since I can't effectively block this, I lock down all laptops and devices, but it's like depriving a fish of water. I have to find some way to allow him to be on the computer safely (and hopefully keep him focused on reasonable topics like his Arduino coding), so I'm looking into stronger Parental Monitoring Software. Most get bad reviews, but the one that looks like it might work (as in he can't get around it) is Sniper Spy.

Then I read the following: "You can simply attach SniperSpy to an e-mail or embed it into a Microsoft Word or Notepad document. Then send the file via e-mail and when it is opened, it will automatically install and not display any signs it is installed." Whoa! Isn't that how spyware works? Is this software legitimate? I really don't want to be the big secret spy , but I don't like what's happening online. School requires him to have a computer, and he needs to explore his techie passions somehow. Of course, I have let him know that he can only be on the computer if it's monitored, but is this software dangerous spyware? Will SpyBot, Malwarebytes, or Windows Defender simply remove this?

I know I'm opening myself up to major criticism of my parenting, but what would you do in my shoes?

Kay