Content Filtering 101
The Internet is a vital tool for most workplaces today, and with the constant advances in technology, it won’t be going anywhere soon! The Internet can, however, present a number of challenges for businesses in terms of controlling what content can be accessed via a network and ensuring staff stay productive with all the distractions the Internet can bring.
This is where content filtering comes in!
What is content filtering?
Content filtering is a process that monitors the information that flows to and from the Internet, usually from a computer or network of computers. That information could be from web browsers, email or other data.
How does content filtering work?
Content filtering for business networks is usually implemented in the gateway for the business and can take the form of a proxy server, firewall or Unified Threat Management system.
Most content filters can be customised to control information based on keywords, website type or specific web addresses. This is often done through Blacklist and Whitelist features.
A Blacklist allows the filter's administrator to specifically block entire web sites or particular web pages by entering a URL. Many filters also allow you to build a customised blacklist of keywords and block any pages containing those terms.
Whitelists serve the opposite purpose, where administrators can specify which URLs and keywords to allow.
Another useful feature to look for in a content filter is an authentication system. This feature allows administrators to control content and specify users. More advanced content filters, such as the Endian UTM, can be customised to specify categories of content, times of day, groups of users, logging and reporting, user authentication, and selectable heuristics for how the content is scanned.
Why choose content filtering?
There are many reasons why businesses choose to implement content filtering including:
- to reduce productivity loss from non-business web browsing
- degradation of network performance
- legal compliance
- protection from virus and other threats.
If you have any questions about content filtering, or would like to discuss the options Veritech has available for your business, please contact us on 02 6964 5377 or fill in our online Contact Form.
You can also read about our UTM systems here.
