A decade ago, web filtering was the simplest way to enforce company productivity; Your IT staff installed a firewall which prevented employees from accessing certain websites. This solution restricted internet use by domain or category, giving you and other business owners the power to stop any non-work related web surfing.
In today’s ecosystem of technology however, things are not as simple as they were. Viewing video and social media content is now part of the job, so there are times when it does not make sense to strictly regulate internet surfing. Ruling over web browsing with an iron fist may incite other undesirable behaviors such as the use of smartphones in the office.
But some IT consultancy firms still recommend a sensible web filtering plan to ensure a high level of security, since these tools block sites that contain viruses, spyware, adult content, and other questionable materials that can damage the computers or reduce productivity in your workplace.
Common types of web filters
Client-side
These software programs are manually installed and configured in each machine, creating a time-consuming but necessary process for the IT staff.
Client-side filters need the help of other security applications since they can be bypassed by anyone with administrative privileges.
Network-based
Compared to the Client-side applications, these internet filters are installed in the network itself. By safeguarding the entire system, you don’t have to install software on each workstation or update the computers one by one as new security risks are identified.
Network-based filters also watch over the individual IP addresses of every workstation in your system. For security purposes, outside users only get to see the IP address of the filter, not the workstations.
Search engine
Search engines like Google, Yahoo, DuckDuckGo, or Bing are equipped with Safe Search settings for people who want to remove inappropriate content from their search results.
But these tools can be bypassed if users know the exact URLs of the sites they want to visit, or if they use another search engine without a similar filter.
Content-limited ISPs
This refers to Internet Service Providers that block content from certain websites so their subscribers cannot see them. You can find these companies in countries that censor online content. A popular example of a content-limited ISP would be Virgin Media, which does not let subscribers access websites like The Pirate Bay.
Browser-based
You may find these add-ons, applications, or extensions in your favorite web browser. These tools are not as comprehensive as the other products in this list, but they are widely available and are easy to use. A popular web browser filter is Blocksi for Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome, and if you don’t want to see anything from the Kardashian family in your Chrome web browser, try the Kardashian Filter.
The easiest way to bypass these filters is to use another browser, so if you have the Kardashian filter installed on Chrome but are currently using Microsoft Edge or Mozilla Firefox, you will get updates from the celebrity family.
Human intervention
In spite of machine learning and the latest technologies, there are instances where software filters will not detect any questionable content. This is when an experienced managed IT services provider can step in and manually examine the results from the machine learning program, check for any anomalies, and sort them accordingly. You can also submit a list of uncategorized websites so their expert technicians can classify each.
It’s important for your business to choose the best web filter that keeps a balance between security and freedom of information. For more information on web filtering or any IT-related concerns, get in touch with Vodigy Technologies today to find out how we can help empower your business.
