ContentKeeper® Web Filtering System - Internet Filtering

Internet Filtering Policies

ContentKeeper® allows you to create and manage up to 200 different web filtering policies based on users, groups of users, IP addresses, Networks and ranges of IP addresses, Internet site categories, individual sites, groups of sites, individual web sites, pages and objects (including images) on individual sites, time of day, file types, protocols, etc.   It allows control of groupings of sites, users and network addresses down to the individual elements that make up a web page, an individual user or IP address (static and dynamic).   Up to 6,400 policy/category combinations can be created.

ContentKeeper® has both a Custom/Local and a Global Control List. The Custom/Local control list overrides the Global Control List and is under the complete control of the local administrator.   All changes are implemented in real time and without system disruption or restarts.   Complex policies can be developed, tested and verified off-line and then implemented with certainty.

ContentKeeper® supports multiple wild-card site, file and object specification.   Specific sites can be included, allowing (for example) all Government sites in the USA, regardless of content, as easily as entering < *.gov >.   Wild-cards can also be used effectively for control over file downloads, including unique video and audio streams.

ContentKeeper® also allows for Default and Global Policy definitions. Global Policy applies to all users, Default Policy applies to all users and IP addresses not covered by any other policy. Custom ContentKeeper® Policy creation rules include:

• Allow
• Block (with customized blocking screens if desired)
• Coach (warning screen)
• Authenticate (user/password required)
• Block discard (block but log activity separately)
• Time of day controls with a combination of controls available for multiple periods
• Full and extensible file-type control settings
• PSU (Personal Surfing Units - i.e. time or byte limits)
• Custom URL settings (with multiple wild-cards) - create URL lists
• Silent mode controls (allow traffic but monitor activity without blocking)
• Expiry Date - optional expiry for implementing temporary policies
• URL Argument Keyword Matching - block search engine results based on keywords or pattern-matching of URLs

In addition, ContentKeeper® offers a powerful Policy Verification facility , which allows the administrator to develop and test the outcome of filtering policies applied to individual users or groups prior to enabling the policy.

Secondly, as described earlier, new URLs deemed to be in any non-business category are transferred automatically and anonymously on an hourly basis to the ContentKeeper® Datacenter for further in-depth analysis and verification using powerful servers and AI techniques.   If verified, these URLs are added to the Global Control List and made available for download by every ContentKeeper® appliance in the world during the next hourly cycle.

ContentKeeper® has been inherently designed for maximum flexibility.   Controls over new file types can easily be added by the administrator as part of an extensible list.  

In addition, ContentKeeper® allows for the use of single and multiple wild-cards to identify and control file type downloads, for refinements down to particular files for particular users, IP addresses, networks or ranges of IP addresses on a policy by policy basis.

The Policy Blocking Rule Protocols operates by blocking specific TCP and UDP port numbers. The Global Protocols facility uses signatures to identify and block protocol traffic.

The Protocols facility contains a range of predefined protocols as well as a facility for creating user defined protocols. The list of protocols is divided into the following 8 protocol types:

• Instant Messaging
• Network OS
• Peer to Peer / File Sharing
• Proxy
• Web
• Mail and Cooperation
• Audio and Video Streams
• User Defined Protocols

Custom URL Filtering Lists
To provide complete flexibility, ContentKeeper® allows local administrators to create custom lists of URLs including links to images to which blocking rules and policies are applied.   As described above, wild-card syntax means that any level of general to specific URL definition is possible.

Time of Day Controls / Personal Surfing Units / URL Argument Keywords
ContentKeeper® Policies can be applied with reference to Time of Day settings.   The T.O.D. Blocking State allows an administrator to specify which hours of the day a particular blocking type will be processed by a particular blocking state.

Personal Surfing Units allow an administrator to control access to Internet content types based on cumulative time usage. This means that ContentKeeper® can be configured to allow an individual or group access to a specified content type or types for a nominated period of browsing activity.

Any Internet content that matches a Category, File-Type or Custom URL that is set to T.O.D. or P.S.U. settings may be processed with the Allow, Coach, Authenticate, Block or Block-Discard blocking states.

With URL Argument Keyword settings, administrators are able to enter sets of keywords or URL segments that will be matched against the search terms entered into any search engine dialogue box and block when a match is found - preventing even thumbnail search-result images from view.

No Obligation Evaluations
A fully functional ContentKeeper® installation is available for a 21 day evaluation without obligation in either the Appliance option preconfigured for your network; or as an ISO download with auto-installer for installation on a customer-provided server.

The Advanced Reporting Module (ARM) is also available for evaluation and represents a popular option for more sophisticated reporting requirements. 

Join the US DoD, Federal Agencies, state and municipal governments, enterprise and academic organizations of all size and experience the advantages of ContentKeeper® in your network.

Visit the Demo & Downloads page to register for an evaluation or just contact us.