Internet Filtering Software?

[mr_accipitres]

Greetings All,

The company I work for has requested that I implement some sort of internet filtering software on our network. This software should be site-based rather than port-based (we have a PIX501 for port traffic control). I would prefer something that uses default deny as we only need a few sites in order to perform our duties.

I know ISA Server allows you to add in sites to block, but I don't know if it is capable of default deny and then white listing sites.

We have approximately 20 users who currently have internet access.

Thanks in advance for feedback.

 

[shaylon]

We use Surf Control at my place of employment. Seems to work pretty well, sites are grouped, you turn on the groups you want blocked and the software is updated from SurfControl automatically. Any sites that get through can have exceptions made easily enough.

-Shay

 

[Black Omega]

Surf Control seems ok. Based on where I work, the usual tactic is to block everything, while sending out an email saying they are adjusting settings, if anyone has a problem getting to a site they need, send in an email. Certainly minimizes what can get through...

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

If you just want to whitelist certain sites, you could do that with the PIX. It wouldn't be bullet-proof, but it would probably stop the non-technical users.

Personally, I abhor ISA Server. I've had to support it at several locations and had nothing but trouble with it, including one big location where a virus that got loose on a client's network killed the ISA server, too. (That was a fun day -- I'm not the primary for that location, and the guy who was had just left for a month-long vacation.)

I've worked with Surfcontrol at a couple locations, and its adequate. I've never found anything I like as much as BorderManager, but that's Novell only, so probably not pertinent.

 

[IronWolf]

I would go with a Linux box running Squid and DansGuardian.

 

[talmar]

We are going through the selection process at my hospitial. We've narrowed the field down to 2, Surfcontrol and a BlueCoat Proxy SG device. We were running DansGuardian on our Squid Proxy but reporting features are lacking for upper management.

 

[mr_accipitres]

Thanks to everyone for your input. I'll look into SurfControl and see what the boss wants to do.