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Friday, November 2, 2012

8 Must-have Features in Your Web Security Solution





Internet access is a remarkable tool that empowers users in ways nothing else can, but free and open Internet access sometimes comes with a price too high to pay, so companies implement web security solutions to mitigate the risks and protect their data. If you are considering web security software to protect your business, make sure the solution you choose has these eight features:





1. Category blocking
There are millions of websites out there, and the best web security solutions offer category blocking to help enforce your Acceptable Use Policy by allowing you to limit web access to specific types of websites.
2. Reputation filtering
New websites appear every day; many are there simply to exploit unwary users. Reputation filtering blocks access to suspect domains, address ranges, and other systems that might not be categorized yet but that do present a risk to your security.
3. Malware scanning and file blocking
The best web security solutions scan every web page and file download, and can also prevent users from downloading file types you don’t want them to access online.
4. Block phishing sites
Even the savviest web Internet users can fall victim to phishing attacks. Look for web security software than can block access to phishing sites to protect your users from themselves, and keep your business from becoming a news story.
5. HTTPS inspection
Stronger web security solutions can even inspect HTTPS traffic, so there’s nowhere for malware to hide.
6. Safe search enforcement
Good web security can enforce safe search, just in case your users forget to use that.
7. Bandwidth restrictions
Streaming media can provide great information to your users. It can also suck up all of your bandwidth, impacting email, your company website, and more. Look for web security solutions that can rate limit streaming media so that users can access information they need, but not at the expense of mission critical apps.
8. Logging and reporting
Knowledge is power, and the ability to check logs, recreate events, and run scheduled or on-demand reports is critical to knowing what’s going on with your users and your network. Don’t settle on this count. Make sure your web security solution has robust reporting and useful logging.
There are a lot of different web security solutions out there. If you choose a solution that doesn’t offer all of these eight features, you will be settling for less than you should. Include these features in your “must have” checklist when you evaluate a solution and you’ll be on the right track to protect your systems and network.
This guest post was written by Casper Manes on behalf of GFI Software Ltd. GFI is the provider for web security solution, GFI WebMonitor.
All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

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