Monthly Archives: July 2015

Another exciting new enhancement from Wavecrest…Cyfin Automatic Log File Detection!

Wavecrest Computing is excited to announce a new enhancement to our Cyfin Log File Analyzer Solution, Automatic Log File Detection. This enhancement allows for the easy setup and import of log files by automatically analyzing and matching the closest suitable log file types. You no longer have to worry about making sure you select the correct log file type manually before importing. All you have to do is locate your log file and select. Cyfin Automatic Log File Detection will display a short list of matches with sample data in fields, allowing you to select from the list the best log file type ensuring you are getting the best match available.

Constantly improving, developing and enhancing, to make your Web security more efficient, Wavecrest Computing has been the recognized leader in Web Security Solutions for over 19 years. Wavecrest’s scalable filtering and forensic reporting analysis product lines, CyBlock and Cyfin, are designed to enable organizations to successfully address Internet abuse, legal liability, shadow IT, workforce productivity, Malware, and many other Web security threats.

automatic logfile analysis

CyBlock/Cyfin Release 9.2.0 Now Available

In Release 9.2.0, we are thrilled to announce the availability of reporting for your CyBlock Hybrid deployment. With this feature, you can monitor live Web traffic, run reports, and view Dashboard charts on your cloud users. Another CyBlock feature in this release is the ability to use Safe Search with YouTube to block adult content.

For Cyfin customers, log file detection is available to assist you in quickly creating a log file configuration. Cyfin will analyze your log files to determine the log file format for you. The enhancements are described below.

  • CyBlock Hybrid Reporting. The following features have been added:
    • When your local CyBlock installation is paired with your CyBlock Cloud account, the following occurs:
      • Cloud log files are imported nightly into the Report Database similar to your local logs.
      • Cloud log files are compressed when transferred.
      • A data configuration field is displayed on the following pages to allow you to view your cloud configuration, local CyBlock configuration, or all configurations if applicable.
        • Data Management – Log Data Source – Viewer
        • Data Management – Log Data Source – Revalidate
        • Data Management – Report Database – Import – Manual
        • Data Management – Report Database – Viewer
        • Data Management – Report Database – Delete – Manual
        • Real-Time Monitors – Web
        • Reports – Manager (all reports)
        • Reports – Dashboard (excluding Top Classifications, Top Coached, and Trend Classifications)
      • The cloud configuration is displayed as the pairing cloud server to which your local installation is connected, for example, cloud.cyblock.com.
    • Real-Time Web Monitor. The Real-Time Web Monitor displays the Web traffic of your cloud users. Messages are displayed if sync communication is temporarily stopped, your CyBlock installation and cloud account are unpaired, or the pairing cloud server is down for some reason.
    • Reports. Reports can be run to analyze the Web usage of your cloud users. Cloud reports are current as of the previous day. To get a report with the current day’s cloud data, you would need to perform a manual sync on the Settings – Hybrid screen, and then run the report. You can verify that cloud logs have been transferred by going to the Data Management – Log Data Source – Viewer screen.
    • Dashboard Charts. Dashboard charts show cloud Web activity for the top users, groups, categories, and sites, and provide trending for users, groups, categories, and denied and allowed traffic.
  • CyBlock Safe Search for YouTube. The ability to enable Safe Search for YouTube has been added. When Safe Search and SSL Inspection are enabled, adult content is blocked on YouTube regardless of its Restricted Mode setting.
  • Cyfin Log File Detection. The following features have been added:
    • On the Log Data Source Setup page, you have the option to manually select your log file type or have the system analyze your log files to detect the type.
    • If you choose “Analyze,” you can browse to locate a log file, and the analysis will display the closest matching log file types.
    • You can then select the log file type that is the closest match and continue the configuration process.
    • If no matching log file types are found, a link is displayed so that you can upload a sample log file to Technical Support for analysis.

There are also corrections in this release for CyBlock as well as Cyfin. To see the full release notes for your product, visit our Web site or knowledge base.

If you are at version 9.0.5 or later, you can upgrade to the latest release by going to the Help – Check for Updates screen in your product.

If you are at version 6.8.3.a or earlier, you can download the latest release by going to CyBlock Software Downloads or Cyfin Downloads. To upgrade CyBlock Appliance, please contact Technical Support at (321) 953-5351, Ext. 4 or support@wavecrest.net.

For additional assistance, please feel free to contact us.

Can you see your enterprise shadow IT?

shadow-it-300x171Can you? It’s there…hidden on your employees’ devices and on your network. We all know people try to use the path of least resistance in getting something done. Today, cloud computing allows us all to do almost anything from anywhere with relatively no resistance at all. Within corporations though, this can become a problem commonly known as shadow IT. “There are an astonishing 10,000 cloud services available on the market today, which creates a growing problem for IT around Shadow IT as only 9.3 percent of those apps meet enterprise data, security and legal requirements, cloud security company Skyhigh Networks found in its Q1 2015 Cloud Adoption and Risk Report.” Corporations need to control their proprietary information, network, and Web security. While employees may be thinking they can get their job done faster, the corporation is thinking about threats. “The result is technologies that empower individuals and teams limit the organisation as a whole.”

There are several views for this, all valuable. From the employees’ view, they believe they are finding ways to be more productive and efficient by using technology that is easily accessible and likely, not costing the corporation anything additional. It is quick and easy and can get the job done before the IT department would even have a chance to look at a request form. So, why would the corporation be upset? Here’s why–unauthorized applications, or shadow IT, can cause serious risks, such as Malware, data loss, and other severe network security concerns. As the responsible party, IT needs to know what is happening, especially when it comes to the random unauthorized applications users are bringing into the network.

What can be done? Which view holds more importance? That depends on your organization but gathering the information to make that decision can be quick and easy. You need total visibility into Web use so you can find and analyze any potential shadow IT. Proactive, comprehensive reporting of all Web-use activity allows a full view of users’ activities. IT and management need to see detailed drill-down activity per user, per group, or per category, and determine if the “shadow” application is to be quarantined, or discover the application is actually useful to the organization as a whole and add to the acceptable applications list.

It is important to take into consideration the employees’ need to have access to useful and contemporary tools. No post, article, or news story can tell you what to do within your organization. Only you know what will best suit your environment. Try collaboration though, between users, management, and IT. The key is to find the most useful applications and move toward applications that work, with the best interest of the overall corporation at heart.

Wavecrest Computing has been the recognized leader in Web Security for over 19 years with CyBlock and Cyfin Solutions. These scalable filtering and forensic reporting analysis products are designed to enable organizations to successfully address Internet abuse, legal liability, shadow IT, workforce productivity, and Web security threats.