Understanding URL Filtering And Its Importance In The Workplace
A lot goes into keeping networks safe and secure in an office environment, such as ensuring that your antivirus software is up to date and that you have DDoS protection in place. But one area which is often neglected is URL filtering.
Let's say you are sitting at a computer or a laptop and type in the URL for your favorite website. Instead of being able to browse through the site, you may receive a message which says that the organization's policy does not allow you to access that website.
This is an example of a URL filter. A URL filter is able to categorize websites on the Internet and, based on organization policy and/or business needs, you can either allow employees access to those sites or you can block them.
Web users can be blocked either by the filter referring to a pre-categorized central database which is maintained by your URL filtering vendor, or the program can classify websites in real-time. It is also possible to only have the filter in place for certain categories during certain times or days of the week.
Why Every Workplace Should Have A URL Filter
One of the most important reasons why an organization should have a filter in place is so that they meet the most recent content regulatory compliance laws and regulations. But this is not the only benefit that comes with having a filter. By having one of these filters in place, organizations can stop web users from accessing unnecessary websites during work hours which would otherwise:
· Drain the employees' productivity
· Drain bandwidth and create an unnecessary strain on resources
· Allow users to potentially view objectionable content from the workplace
By blocking certain websites, you can also drastically reduce your chances of encountering potentially harmful websites which are loaded with malicious code or spyware.
How Is URL Filtering Done?
This process is typically carried out by a URL filtering vendor. The vendor is responsible for maintaining a highly organized and categorized database which contains almost all of the website currently on the Internet. Depending on the policy of your organization, you may then allow or disallow users from accessing these sites.
A website may be categorized in one category or multiple categories. For example, if a website is categorized as just a sports website, it may be allowed in your organization. But if that same sports website also allows sports gambling which is prohibited by your organization, it would then be filtered and blocked.
Are There Any Drawbacks To This Type Of Software?
The one drawback to this type of filtering is that it can result in over-blocking. Over-blocking may then lead to more help-desk tickets which the support team are then forced to deal with which can be time consuming. It is also possible that, if you do not choose the right vendor, that a website which has been classified as being “safe” suddenly turns malicious and is then still accessible to the web user.
