Content Filtering (Surf Protection)

Astaro’s Content Filtering application can measure or block access to 60 categories of web sites. Sophisticated URL classification methods ensure accuracy and completeness in identifying questionable web sites. Comprehensive reporting gives administrators the data to analyze web behavior in their organization.

Flexible Policy Creation

Astaro’s Content Filtering lets administrators define web access policies quickly and precisely. A point-and-click web interface makes it easy to define profiles of inappropriate web sites from among 60 categories. Administrators can tailor profiles for their organization by aggregating the categories into 18 customizable groups and by creating whitelists and blacklists of web sites that should be accessible or blocked.

Comprehensive Coverage

A database of categorized web sites currently includes more than 60 million entries. This is the largest database available for any commercial URL filtering system.

To assign web pages to categories they are analyzed using sophisticated
classification techniques such as:

The database classifies web pages in 13 languages.

If a user requests a web page that is not included in the database, the URL is sent to the web crawlers and classified within 24 hours.

Blocking Files From Spyware Web Sites

Astaro’s Spyware Protection prevents users from downloading files from spyware web sites. It checks a database of 60 million classified web sites to identify those that have been identified with spyware.

As an option, downloads from unknown and uncategorized web sites can also be blocked. This addresses situations where spyware writers change servers.

Once an Astaro customer requests an uncategorized web page, the web site is classified within 24 hours, so other customers are quickly protected from new spyware threats.

Filtering Embedded Objects and Scripts

Customers can prevent “drive-by downloads” by filtering embedded objects, such as ActiveX Controls, Java and Flash downloads, out of HTTP traffic.

Web downloads and web email

Astaro’s Virus Protection for the Web detects and blocks viruses in files downloaded from the web. It scans all HTTP traffic and FTP downloads initiated from a browser.

Astaro’s Virus Protection for the Web also scans email messages and attachments from web-based email services such as MSN Hotmail, Yahoo! Mail, and Google Gmail. Because these emails don’t go through the corporate email server, they are never scanned by conventional anti-virus packages.

As more computer users utilize web-based email services in addition to corporate email accounts, scanning web traffic becomes critical to keeping viruses from infecting corporate networks.