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The Benefits of URL Filtering|
- By Aarti Shah, Dec 22, 2007 1740 hrs IST
- Tags : The Benefits of URL Filtering
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URL filtering provides a way to block access to specific websites. It can also be used to secure sites needed for day-to-day functions. It is simple and easy to deploy and also helps organizations to better manage network resources. Some URL filtering solutions control and protect enterprises and employees from Internet threats including spyware, adware, shareware, malware, etc.
Among other things, it also prevents malicious content from entering your network and significantly reduces productivity losses, bandwidth consumption, and legal risks caused by unauthorized employee access to inappropriate or distracting web content. These benefits are causing interest among enterprises, with more and more organizations turning to URL filtering to increase their business growth and protect their employees, and office networks.
"URL filters must make a point-in-time decision about the safety of a site. The Internet is a big universe. It is impossible for URL filters to categorize all domains and pages on the Internet, thereby leaving significant amounts uncategorized. The best practice would be for organizations to block all uncategorized sites, but this might temporarily block access to intranet and extranet sites and increase the administrative burden of managing an active white list." said Shailendra Sahasrabudhe, country manager of Aladdin Knowledge Systems.
Anonymous proxies are popular among employees for bypassing office firewalls. Anonymizer web sites allow Internet users to connect to the web through web sites that are outside the office firewall, thereby bypassing any restrictions typically imposed on the local network. This bypass mechanism can be dangerous for business, schools and other organizations, because it can open computers to malware, spams, adware, etc.
Traditional URL filtering solutions stop users from visiting certain categories that cause liability, loss of productivity or bandwidth, but do very little to protect against compromised legitimate websites.
Patrik Runald, security response manager of F-Secure Security Labs commented,"During 2007 we have seen a shift from emails to websites being used to infect computers. Today, majority of the infections are coming from websites. URL filtering is a good complement to already existing desktop-based solutions. This should be seen in a similar way to scanning emails for malware, corporations have to do the same for websites."
Most of the defenses currently deployed by organizations against Internet threats are reactionary in nature. Companies tend to commonly use URL filtering at the web gateway. However, URL filtering was mainly designed to monitor employees' Internet activity and enforce acceptable usage policy to avoid hostile litigations at the workplace. "URL filtering is basically a productivity improvement tool rather than a security tool," said Sahasrabudhe.
Related Links:
IronPort Systems Adds URL Filtering
Online Security
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