- Internet Filtering Server
- Filtering
- Reporting
- Technical Spec
- FAQs
Internet Filtering Server
Filter and report on Internet use in your organization with CyBlock.
Functional Features
- Internet filtering by category, content type, and extension
- Blocks Web sites that threaten productivity, e.g., shopping, sports, and video
- Lets you create "white lists" for individual users and/or groups
- Real-Time Monitor gives you a live view of employees' Web activity
- Produces Web-use reports that are detailed, accurate and actionable
- Filters over 500 million Web pages in 81 different categories
- Customizable blocking message
Technical Features
- Internet filtering for Web sites that consume the most bandwidth
- Protects against spyware, malware, public proxies and other security threats
- Supports import of groups and IDs from Active Directory
- Automatic daily URL list updates
- Easy to install, set up and configure
- Array configuration capability lets IT manage policy configurations and reporting from one server
Filtering
Block Internet access to any site you choose with CyBlock Proxy.
Block Internet by Category and Content Type
- Block Web sites in 81 different categories, such as gambling, spyware, downloads, etc.
- Easily create your own categories for additional site blocking and reporting
- Increase blocking coverage by blocking content types, e.g., video, audio, images, etc.
- Customize content blocking by adding your own content types or URL extensions
- Allow employees to surf normally blocked categories at specific times with hourly blocking
Create White (Allow-only) Lists
- Use white lists to gain tighter control over which Web sites can be accessed
- Ensure that users only access approved Internet and intranet sites
- Greatly reduce your risk of security threats, e.g., viruses, spyware, malware, etc.
- Create several white lists and apply them to different users and/or groups
Customize a Blocking Message
- Create a text file or configure a Web page for your blocking message
- Link to your AUP and increase awareness of your organization's Web-usage policy
Reporting
Employee Internet reports that are detailed and accurate.
Employee Internet Reporting Features
- Customizable high and low-level reports show the Internet activity of a single user, a specific workgroup, or the entire organization.
- Interactive Reports provide single click action drill down so that you can quickly get more detailed Internet use on a specific user, category, classification rating and more.
- Internal Database speeds up reporting, easily handles large amounts of data, and lets you export Internet-use data to other applications for further analysis.
- Automatic Abuse Detection system identifies Internet abuse instantly.
- Custom Categories allow you to monitor sites of specific interest.
- Anonymous ID option ensures that ID names and IP addresses do not show in reports.
- Report Scheduler runs and distributes reports automatically.
- Access Accounts allow other personnel to run reports (supports Active Directory authentication).
Accurate Reporting
Employee Internet reports are often used as the basis for sensitive personnel actions and evidence in court. In both areas, erroneous information can lead to disastrous results. Wavecrest ensures the accuracy of its reports by using a couple of methods that will give you a clear view of employees' Internet activity.
- We Distinguish Visits from Hits.
Wavecrest reports show actual human click actions (‘visits’ or 'page views') separately from automatically generated extraneous hits (ads, banners, graphics, audio, etc.). “Visits” count how many Web pages a user actually requested, not all the elements downloaded as a result of those requests. - We Provide Reliable Metrics.
Wavecrest reports do not measure how long a user was online, and the reason is simple. The fact that a user downloaded a Web page to a browser doesn't necessarily mean that he or she was actually looking at that page while it was "open." After all, the user could have suddenly received a phone call, gone to lunch, attended a short-notice meeting, been interrupted by a colleague, or gone to the restroom. Also, users typically have more than one Web page "open" at a time, but only one is truly viewable. When a computer user clicks on a URL, that action merely constitutes a one-time request for a document, and the "connection" with the server is immediately broken. There is no "session," no end-of-session, and no possibility of measuring duration.
Interactive Reporting
With Interactive reports, you can quickly drill down to get more detailed Web-use data by simply clicking on a report's elements. It is an efficient way to get the detailed employee Internet reports that you need. It can also save administrators and report recipients a tremendous amount of time. It eliminates the need to log in to the product to run a detailed report on the same time frame. Instead, an audit detail report for the same time frame can quickly be retrieved by simply clicking on a user, category, etc. The image below illustrates how Interactive Reporting works.
1. Run a High-Level Summary Report
A Site Analysis report, for example, will show the number of Web visits that were acceptable, unacceptable, or neutral for the specified time period. To get more detailed data on the Unacceptable visits, simply click on "Unacceptable" and an Unacceptable Visits report will run.
2. Drill Down to an Unacceptable Visits Report
The Unacceptable Visits report will show all unacceptable categories, the users, and the number of visits to each unacceptable category. If a potential problem area is spotted, i.e., a user has an excessive number of visits, just click on the ID Name or IP address, and a User Audit Detail report will run.
3. Drill Down Further to a User Audit Detail Report
A User Audit Detail report is one of the most detailed reports CyBlock offers. This report includes every URL that a user visited, its category, and the date and time that the user accessed the Web page.
Sample Employee Internet Reports
High-Level Activity – Click on the links below to see excerpts from our most-used high-level report, "Site Analysis." They provide a quick look into a company's overall Internet use.
- Acceptability data: Activity totals grouped by your own “acceptability” criteria.
- Top cateories: Activity totaled and shown in categories, e.g., News, Porn, etc.
- Top users' visits: Most active Internet users, listed in descending order of total visits.
- Top bandwidth users: List users consuming the most bandwidth.
Low-Level Activity – Click on the links below to see the extensive and detailed drill-down capability built into Wavecrest's reports.
- Top Web sites: A list of domains visited most often by your users.
- Single category analysis: All Internet visits in a single category, e.g., Sports or Porn.
- Single user activity analysis: Breakdown of a single user's Internet visits.
- Top bandwidth sites: A list of the domains consuming the most bandwidth.
Abuse-Detection – Based on your company's Web-use policy, you can specify how many visits are acceptable in each Web category in a 24 hour period. If this threshold is exceeded by users, the reports will show it. Click below to see how Wavecrest's products automatically flag instances of abuse based on your threshold criteria.
- Top Abusers
Report Descriptions
CyBlock Proxy has numerous standard reports with customizable parameters to give you the employee Internet use and bandwidth utilization information you need.
Technical Spec
An all-in-one Internet filtering proxy server for almost any network.
Use the links below to find out how CyBlock Proxy Server fits into your network.
Network Configuration
CyBlock Proxy Server software is easy to evaluate, administer and use.
- Install it on any Windows PC.
- Enter a few simple settings.
- Point your users' browsers to CyBlock Proxy.
Now it's ready to block access to the sites or categories of sites you specify, monitor user Web activity, and generate clear, categorized reports.
NOTE: CyBlock Proxy can also be used in a "chain" configuration as illustrated below.
Array Configuration
Install CyBlock Proxy on multiple servers and manage settings from the designated primary console. This makes for easy administration when managing different locations or a large number of employees.
- Install CyBlock Proxy on each server.
- Designate one server as your primary.
- Go to the primary's console and enter your settings. These settings will also be applied to your secondary server(s).
- Point your users' browsers to one of the primary or secondary CyBlock Proxy installs.
Now CyBlock is ready to block access to the sites or categories of sites you specify, monitor user Web activity, and generate clear, categorized reports. For more information, check the CyBlock Proxy product manual.
Operating System Requirements
The supported operating systems for CyBlock Proxy Server are shown below. Please click on the links for recommendations and details.
Minimum Requirements
- Processor: 2.0 GHz
- Memory: 1GB RAM
- Hard Disk: 200 MB free disk space
Supported Operating Systems
Windows Server 2008/2003/2000
Minimum Hardware Requirements
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Processor: 2.0 GHz
- Memory: 1 GB RAM
- Hard Disk: 200 MB free disk space
Recommended Hardware
| 1 - 500 Users | 500 - 5,000 Users | 5,000 - 10,000 Users | 10k + Users |
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Note: Windows XP Professional and Windows Vista Home Edition workstations will allow ten concurrent connections only. For this reason they should only be considered for use during evaluation periods and not for use in a production environment.
Windows Vista Business Edition
Minimum Hardware Requirements
- Processor: 2.0 GHz
- Memory: 1 GB RAM
- Hard Disk: 200 MB free disk space
Recommended Hardware
| 1 - 500 Users | 500 - 5,000 Users | 5,000 - 10,000 Users | 10k + Users |
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Note: Windows XP Professional and Windows Vista Home Edition workstations will allow ten concurrent connections only. For this reason they should only be considered for use during evaluation periods and not for use in a production environment.
Windows NT
Minimum Hardware Requirements
- Processor: 2.0 GHz
- Memory: 1 GB RAM
- Hard Disk: 200 MB free disk space
Software Requirements
- OS Requirements: Service Pack 6.
Recommended Hardware
| 1 - 500 Users | 500 - 5,000 Users | 5,000 - 10,000 Users | 10k + Users |
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Note: This product requires only a single processor.
Software Requirements
- Supported Browsers: Internet Explorer version 6.0 or higher, Mozilla Firefox 1.0 or higher, Netscape 7.0 or higher. Test your browser for compatibility.
NOTE: For evaluation purposes, a Windows XP or Vista workstation may suffice if you intend to test with less than ten users. Windows XP or Vista workstations will not allow more than ten concurrent connections.
Answers to the most frequently asked questions about CyBlock Proxy.
Functionality and Pricing
- What is the difference between CyBlock Proxy and CyBlock ISA?
- Can I create a "white" (allow-only) list?
- Can CyBlock Proxy tell me how long somebody has been online?
- Can different Web policies be created for groups?
- What protocols does CyBlock Proxy block?
- Does CyBlock Proxy do anything about spyware and phishing threats?
- How is CyBlock Proxy priced, i.e., is it subscription-based, priced "per seat," etc.? And can I get a free trial?
Technical Integration and Product Administration
- For CyBlock Proxy, what hardware specifications do you recommend, i.e., processor and memory?
- Can CyBlock Proxy be remotely administered?
- Can I test CyBlock Proxy without affecting other users' Internet access?
- Do I need any software or plug-ins on users' computers?
- What is the difference between the 30-day evaluation software and the purchased product? If I purchase the product, will I need to reinstall?
- How do I prevent users from changing their browser settings once I have them going through CyBlock Proxy?
Q1. What is the difference between CyBlock Proxy and CyBlock ISA?
A1. Functionally, the products are virtually identical. The chief difference between the two product editions is technical, i.e., the way in which they integrate into your network. CyBlock ISA is a plug-in application that depends on the pre-existence of Microsoft ISA 2000/2004/2006, MS Proxy or Microsoft Small Business Server Premium. CyBlock Proxy is a standalone proxy solution that requires none of these. For reporting purposes, it creates its own logfiles.
Q2. Can I create a "white" (allow-only) list?
A2. Yes. CyBlock Proxy has several custom categories that can be used to create white lists. This is done by simply blocking all other categories and allowing users to access only the sites listed in your custom white list category. (Custom categories can also be used to monitor or block sites of special or local interest).
Q3. Can CyBlock Proxy tell me how long somebody has been online?
A3. No, and be careful of products that say they can. The reason is simple. The fact that a user downloaded a Web page to a browser doesn't necessarily mean that he or she was actually looking at that page while it was "open." After all, the user could have suddenly received a phone call, gone to lunch, attended a short-notice meeting, been interrupted by a colleague, or gone to the restroom. Also, users typically have more than one page "open" at a time, but only one is truly viewable, and there is no technical way to know which one. When a computer user clicks on a URL, that action merely constitutes a one-time request for a document, and the "connection" with the server is immediately broken. There is no "session," no end-of-session, and no possibility of measuring duration. Because of these variables, the default time for a Web page "visit" in reports has been set to 3 seconds. This is the approximate minimum amount of time it takes to load a Web page. Read more about the importance of reliable metrics when using Web-use monitoring software.
Q4. Can different Web policies be created for groups?
A4. Yes. Different Web policies can be created for groups and individual users. Customers can customize CyBlock Proxy to fit their Web policies, whether they have a universal policy or multiple policies for different groups. A VIP group is also included in CyBlock Proxy's core grouping structure, and IDs placed in this group will not show up on any reports.
Q5. What protocols does CyBlock Proxy block?
A5. CyBlock Proxy blocks http and https protocols, i.e., it blocks Web-based protocols.
Q6. Does CyBlock Proxy do anything about spyware and phishing threats?
A6. Yes. CyBlock Proxy blocks categories with Web sites that are known security threats, e.g., spyware/ malicious, phishing/ fraud, hacking, and download sites. Social networking is another category with Web sites that are known for being high security threats to company networks. View all of CyBlock Proxy's categories.
Q7. How is CyBlock Proxy priced, i.e., is it subscription-based, priced "per seat," etc.? And can I get a free trial?
A7. CyBlock Proxy is a licensed, subscription-based software service. Pricing is tiered, based on the number of people ("users") to be monitored. In general, the price-per-user decreases as the number of users goes up. Get a price quote and a free 30-day trial of CyBlock Proxy today.
Q8. For CyBlock Proxy, what hardware specifications do you recommend, i.e., processor and memory?
A8. For optimal reporting performance, we recommend 1.5GHZ-3GHZ processor speed and a minimum of 1GB RAM. Once installed, you should set the product to use at least 512MB of that memory on the Setup - Memory screen. NOTE: Bear in mind that processor speed is the most important hardware factor affecting reporting speed. If you double the processor speed, the time to create a report is cut in half. Memory becomes increasingly important with larger logfiles.
Q9. Can CyBlock Proxy be remotely administered?
A9. Yes. While it can be administered from a server computer ("local" administration), it can also be administered from a separate, remotely-located client computer using CyBlock's browser interface. This design enables CyBlock Proxy to support local and/or remote administration. In addition, CyBlock Proxy's software can accommodate a wide variety of complex installation configurations, including those in heterogeneous environments with multiple servers.
Q10. Can I test CyBlock Proxy without affecting other users' Internet access?
A10. Yes. As administrator, you control which users’ browsers go through CyBlock’s proxy server. For test purposes, you can configure just your browser to go through the proxy. No other users will be affected in any way until you configure their browsers for CyBlock Proxy filtering. You get to independently test all functionality, become very familiar with CyBlock Proxy and its simplicity before moving it into production.
Q11. Do I need any software or plug-ins on users' computers?
A11. No. CyBlock Proxy is a server-based application. It does not require any desktop software installation for administration, filtering or reporting. It does, however, require a minor setup change on each monitored user's browser to ensure that Web traffic is routed through CyBlock Proxy.
Q12. What is the difference between the 30-day evaluation software and the purchased product? If I purchase the product, will I need to reinstall?
A12. The evaluation "mode" of CyBlock Proxy is the real product, not a special piece of evaluation software. The only difference between the evaluation mode and the licensed software is that actual URLs in adult content categories are not visible to trial users - however, reporting on activity in these categories is fully operational. Once the product is purchased, an Activation Key will be provided that will "turn-on" the product and all categories will be active. No reinstallation is required.
Q13. How do I prevent users from changing their browser settings once I have them going through CyBlock Proxy?
A13. There are a few ways to do this. Visit our browser settings page for instructions.
