A web filtering online service is a DNS-based web filter service that is managed via an online portal. By implementing a service for filtering the web “from the cloud”, organizations can reduce risks from malware and ransomware with minimal maintenance overheads, and improve their online security profile.
By using a web filtering online service, organizations and businesses can also benefit from increased productivity in the workplace and protect network users from online threats – potentially increasing sales for retail businesses that provide a WiFi service by providing a safe browsing environment.
A malware infection can have serious implications for an organization. As a malware infection spreads through an organization´s network, it is capable of corrupting, stealing or encrypting data. The financial cost of resolving a malware infection can be substantial and in some cases too substantial for the organization to remain in business.
A web filtering online service mitigates risks from malware by declining requests from network users to visit websites known to be harboring malware. The web filter service does this by checking an Internet user´s request to visit a particular website against blacklists, category filters and keyword filters, and declining any request that is blocked by the filter´s parameter settings.
The best services for online filtering also have SSL inspection capabilities that allows them to inspect encrypted websites for risks from malware, and only allow access if no risks exist. This not only increases the level of protection offered to organizations, but eliminates the possibility of a network user downloading an infected file from an apparently safe site.
Although several employer organizations have acknowledged that some personal use of the Internet at work can have a positive impact on productivity in the workplace, there are still occasions when employees can take “cyber slacking” to unacceptable levels or when employees create a hostile environment for their colleagues by accessing objectionable online material.
By implementing a web filtering online service, organizations can restrict the time allowed for employees to engage in non-work related online activities and the websites they can access. Most services for online filtering have time-based controls and the flexibility to set parameter settings by individual user, by user-group or by department.
In addition to preventing excessive cyberslacking and increasing productivity, organizations can create a safer workplace environment by blocking access to objectionable online material. This measure eliminates potential HR issues and legal action by employees who may – for example – allege the organization failed to provide a workplace environment free from exposure to sexual or racial harassment, and was thereby responsible for their constructive dismissal due to failure in their duty of care.
If your organization is in the retail sales industry, you will be aware that many customer decisions on where to shop, eat or congregate are influenced by the provision of free Internet access. Free Internet access can be a magnet for some customers, but the attraction to your business is likely to have a downside if you provide an unprotected service.
If customers – whether Internet users or not – are exposed to objectionable online material being viewed on other customers´ devices, they are unlikely to give you their repeat business. Similarly if an Internet-connected customer downloads a malware infection via your Internet service, he or she is unlikely to return – and likely to spread the word that your Internet service is unprotected.
Both of these potential issues can be avoided with a web filtering online service – which has the additional benefit of generating reports about your customers´ online activities. The content of these reports can be used as marketing tools to target special offers at your existing customers, attract new customers to your business and potentially increase sales.
A further benefit of a service for filtering the web is the ability to control bandwidth wastage. Many organizations experience issues with bandwidth availability during periods of high Internet traffic, preventing them from working at maximum capacity as emails go unanswered and as employees are unable to access the Internet or suffer intolerable delays.
Organizations that experience issues with bandwidth availability have the options of subscribing to a service with a bigger capacity or finding a way to control bandwidth wastage. A service for filtering the web is a perfect solution to this issue, as it can be used to restrict access to video streaming websites and web applications that use the most bandwidth.
Bandwidth control restrictions do not have to be implemented at all times. As mentioned above, services for online filtering have time-based controls. This gives organizations the flexibility to control bandwidth wastage during peak traffic periods and relax access restrictions during quieter periods of Internet activity.
One of the more recent issues associated with web content filtering is SSL inspection. SSL inspection is the process whereby the content of encrypted websites (those with an https:// prefix) is decrypted, read and re-encrypted to ensure the content is malware-free and complies with the business´s acceptable use policies.
More than half the world´s most visited websites are now encrypted due to SEO practices and privacy guidelines, and inspecting the content of thousands of encrypted pages can place a tremendous strain on CPUs during peak web activity – affecting the speed at which the Internet is delivered to network users and causing network performance issues throughout the rest of the business.
An online filtering service conducts the SSL inspection process in the service provider´s data center – eliminating the strain on network CPUs and enhancing network performance. Network users can access the Internet – and Internet applications such as email – with imperceptible latency, while other network functions are also accelerated.
Evaluating services for online filtering can be a difficult task if you have no previous experience of a web filtering online service. There are many different solutions capable of providing a web filter service – hardware-based solutions typically requiring a capital outlay, while software-based solutions and cloud-based solutions are most often provided on a subscription basis.
The three key areas to consider for a web filtering online service are compatibility, scalability and flexibility – compatibility for obvious reasons, scalability so that the selected web filter service can expand in line with your organization, and flexibility so that the service for filtering the web does not compromise workplace productivity.
Ideally, you should select a web filtering online service that has a three-tier filtering mechanisms capable of supporting blacklists, category filters and keywords filters. Your selected web filter service should be capable of multi-lingual filtering and – for maximum protection against phishing attacks – URIBL and SURBL filtering.
FlatRock Cloud is a DNS-based web filter service that has been designed to be compatible with all systems and networks. There is no hardware to purchase or software to install as our service for filtering the web only requires the redirection of your router´s DNS. As well as being easy to implement, FlatRock Cloud is easy to manage. Our web-based portal has an intuitive interface that requires no special skill set to apply and adjust the filtering parameters.
FlatRock Cloud provides maximum protection for both wired and wireless networks with imperceptible latency, irrespective of the number of Internet users. Indeed, there is no limit to the number of Internet users or Internet-capable devices that can be supported by FlatRock Cloud – making the ideal service for filtering the web for organizations with expansion plans. Our web filtering online service is also exceptionally versatile. FlatRock Cloud is capable of blocking applications within a website without actually blocking the website itself. This is a bonus for organizations that engage in social media marketing who – for example – need to give their marketing team access to Facebook, but who would rather block access to applications such as Facebook Chat or Facetime.
Speak with FlatRock today about our web filtering online service and you will be invited to try FlatRock Cloud free without any commitment to subscribe to our service once your free trial has concluded. We believe that the best way to evaluate services for online filtering is to try them out and make a decision once you have experienced the benefits of a web filter service.