Web content filtering

technology overview

How does it work?

SurfProtect^® intercepts web page requests as they leave your network. It does not require any application to be installed on your computer or local network.

It is a real-time web-site filtering system designed to adapt to your particular needs. Its main advantage over many rivals is its unique architecture that provides real-time classification of any unknown site, ensuring a safe and responsive browsing experience.

Since the categorisation of certain types of content as either good or bad can be extremely subjective, it may be dependent on the particular user or group accessing it. The blocked and allowed lists provide you with the ability to grant or deny access to sites, this overrides the default behaviour of SurfProtect^® for specified sites.

The experience can be further improved by making use of the website classification option which allows you to select the type of websites you want to block and which ones you want to continue having access to.

By default, SurfProtect^® automatically limits access to a reasonable standard; you may not need to change anything. However, if you want that extra control, you can.

Filter based on internal IP addresses

By using ICAP technology SurfProtect^® now allows the ability to setup separate profiles/policies for individual private IP addresses or ranges on a customer's network!

Watch a demo of the control panel

Configuration

A simple control panel allows you to decide what to allow or block.

To change the default configuration, the first step is to set up a number of profiles. One profile for each different filter configuration. e.g. You may require for example two, one for each of the following areas: Staff and Pupil Networks. The configuration of each profile allows you to define a specific range; or ranges, of IP addresses that will then each have each profile filtering options. This allows you to enforce the policies as required. e.g. on a site by site basis or based on job function.

You can create many profile lists, but only one of each type can be active on a profile at any one time. You can apply the same list simultaneously to as many profiles as you wish.

Category lists

There are two lists: "Recommended Banned Categories" and "Other Categories". The first section of categories are more commonly used and so there are two buttons to aide in selection of these categories - 'Select all' and 'Deselect all'. The categories in this section are the default categories used when you have a profile and have not selected ANY categories to ban. These categories will be applied by default for your protection.

Proxy Support

One of the most appealing features of SurfProtect^® is its plug and play nature. Sitting in between your internet connection and the remote web server, it can protect every machine on your network without the need for any extra configuration on your behalf. More important than the obvious convenience provided is the added security this introduces; there are no configuration options or software to be installed on youe hardware.

There may, however, be situations where you would like the benefits of SurfProtect^® but you are not on a connection purchased through Exa Networks. For such a scenario, we have a HTTP proxy server which any popular web browser or proxy can use to request its web pages. Please talk to us if this is something you think you may want to use.