Internet access has become a necessity for every household. But how do web content filtering solutions help block harmful sites?
Web Content Filtering Solutions
Web Content Filtering is a technology that helps keep your business safe by controlling what your employees can see online. In addition to blocking specific sites, it can be used to block categories. Web Content Filtering Solutions is designed to screen the content of a website and then decide whether the site should be blocked or allowed access.
These solutions examine the source code and metadata of the site, to determine what type of content it contains. A key feature of Web Content Filtering is the ability to block entire categories of content. This allows you to set up a list of sites that are not allowed, which includes everything from adult material to gambling, and other objectionable material.
Web Content Filtering Solutions also offers options for Internet Safety policies that can be customized to fit your company’s needs. For example, you can block specific sites, but allow access to others. You can also block sections of the site by using categories like adult material, gambling, etc.
Web Content Filtering is typically used for blocking:
1. Prevent unauthorized access to inappropriate websites;
2. Prevent unauthorized copying of materials;
3. Control web browsing time;
4. Control web usage within a certain time frame;
5. Control web usage by blocking certain websites;
6. Control access to certain websites;
7. Minimize unauthorized access to certain websites;
8. Reduce exposure to inappropriate websites;
Web Filtering Software
Web Filtering is considered a positive approach to protecting people from inappropriate content. Also, this is while at the same time restricting their access to explicit content. By using web filtering software, we can assure that there will be limited access to pornography.
This includes other inappropriate content which may harm other people physically and psychologically. Some disadvantages of using web filtering are when managers do not know what sites are appropriate for their employees. Since they will not be able to block sites containing important information for their subordinates.
However, if they know what sites contain inappropriate content, they can easily block these sites. Also, Web Filtering is also essential to prevent hackers from accessing information from computers. So, this is within an organization and uses those data for illegal activities.
Other than protecting people from harmful information, web filtering can also control employees’ access and time spent on social media websites. So, it may be considered a waste of time and money. Thus, organizations need to apply web filtering software so that they can make sure people will have limited access.
Main Categories Web Filtering
There are three main categories of web filtering: Internet Protocol (IP) filtering, content filtering, and proxy-based web filtering.
IP filtering involves the use of a server to block the access of website materials through the IP address. This method is very effective in blocking access to certain websites. But the disadvantage is that there may be security risks involved in using this method.