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New Release – CyBlock 6.3.1 and Cyfin 8.3.1

We’re excited to announce that some new enhancements have been added to the latest versions of CyBlock and Cyfin.  You asked and we listened!  Included in these enhancements are filtering by thirty-minute increments instead of hourly (CyBlock only), real-time bandwidth monitoring (Proxy and Appliance only), and the ability to email user audit detail reports to individual users.  Below is a full list of enhancements added to the latest CyBlock and Cyfin releases.

  • Filtering by Half Hour (CyBlock Only). Web categories can now be filtered by half hour increments instead of hourly.
  • OtherWise. We have made it easier to participate in our OtherWise program to optimize your categorization results. You can participate in OtherWise by simply going to the Setup – Otherwise screen, select Enable and Submit.
  • Email Report(s) to Individual User(s). Email addresses can now be applied to individual IDs in Groups and IDs, and as a result, an option to “Email Report(s) to Individual User(s)” has been added to audit detail reports.
  • Real-Time Bandwidth Monitor (Proxy and Appliance Only). This new monitor displays the top users based on bandwidth consumption in real time and automatically updates every 10 seconds. The Bandwidth Monitor can be accessed by going to Reports – Real-Time Monitor – Bandwidth Monitor.
  • PAC File URL Bypass (Proxy and Appliance Only). The PAC file now has the ability to check the full URL for bypassing over just the domain.

To see the full release notes for your product, visit the Support Forum. You can download the latest release by going to the Administration – Product Update screen in your CyBlock or Cyfin product.

Happy Holidays! Wavecrest’s Holiday Hours

We want to end this year by wishing you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! We hope you have a wonderful holiday!

In addition, we want to remind you of Wavecrest’s holiday hours.  Wavecrest Computing offices are closed from December 25, 2010 – January 2, 2011.  Our offices will re-open on Monday, January 3, 2011 at 8am.

Should you need support or customer service during this time, limited email support will be available. You may contact either Sales at sales@wavecrest.net or Support at support@wavecrest.net, and they will get back to you as soon as possible.  You may also visit the Wavecrest Support Forum and post your questions there.

Remember to Set Block Policies for New Custom Categories

When you create a custom category at the Advanced Settings — Category Setup — Custom Categories screen, the custom category is automatically set to ‘allow’ in all of your block policies.  So anybody will be able to access the sites listed in the newly created custom category.  If you want to block the sites in this category for some or all filter policies, be sure to go to the Advanced Settings — Filter Settings — Block Web Categories screen and set the policies to ‘block’.

Managing Web Application Authentication Problems with Wavecrest Proxy Products

In order to obtain usernames for filtering and/or reporting purposes in CyBlock Proxy, Cyfin Proxy, or CyBlock Appliance, authentication must be enabled. An issue that arises with authentication is that there are some Web apps and URLs/Domains that do not respond to the authentication request properly.  Because of this, in versions 6.2.0 and 8.2.0 we added the Authentication Manager in CyBlock Proxy, Cyfin Proxy and the CyBlock Appliance.

The Authentication Manager helps prevent these issues by automatically detecting the disruptions, identifying the failed applications, and employing automatic authentication-bypass techniques (when authentication is enabled in Moderate mode). This allows users to bypass proxy authentication (not the proxy server) with those web sites and web applications that do not properly respond to the proxy authentication request.  An example of this is your offensive line in a football game.  Just like your offensive line creates a hole for the running back to run through, bypass authentication opens a hole in the proxy so that the request can go through. The request will bypass authentication but not the proxy.

To learn more about proxy authentication and the Authentication Manager, read our document “Managing Web Application Authentication Problems” and see your product manual for specific instructions on fully utilizing the Authentication Manager.

Online Holiday Shopping Is Coming Soon

With the holiday season coming up, now is a good time to remind your employees of your organization’s Web-use policy.  Black Friday and Cyber Monday are just around the corner, and many employees may want to do some pre-searching and shopping to find those upcoming holiday deals. Online holiday shopping can generate network security and performance issues and be a huge productivity waster for businesses.

If you have CyBlock, your product can be set up to block Web access by categories and by hour so employees can access shopping sites on their lunch break or after hours. This approach can help sustain morale while minimizing the risks associated with online shopping. If you have Cyfin, you can monitor employees’ Web use to ensure that Web-use policies are followed or that unwanted spyware or malware is not downloaded as a result.

Wavecrest Computing: Fourteen Years of Internet Monitoring and Filtering

Wavecrest Computing, a leading developer of Internet usage management products, has now been in business for fourteen years. Since 1996, from their base in Melbourne, Florida, Wavecrest Computing has developed, marketed and supported a spectrum of innovative Internet monitoring and reporting solutions. Their products help all types of organizations manage employees’ online activities and ensure compliance with acceptable use policies. Starting fourteen years ago with a single customer, their client base has grown to more than 3,000 organizations, many of them Fortune 500 companies and high profile government agencies.

What makes Wavecrest stand out from competitors is their on-going commitment to customer service. When customers call, they talk to a real person from Wavecrest’s Melbourne, Florida location, and they get personalized attention. Their support personnel know that customer satisfaction is key to the company’s (and their own) success. For years these dedicated men and women have listened to Wavecrest customers and made sure that Wavecrest consistently delivers the products and services needed to meet the many dynamic challenges associated with use of the Internet in the workplace.

Those challenges have certainly evolved over the years. Examples include the very real and seriously increasing risks of social networking, video streaming and other Web 2.0 technologies that produce productivity losses, bandwidth drains, legal liability, and network security threats in the workplace.

As the Internet grows and the challenges escalate, Wavecrest has kept pace every step of the way.

Taking a look at Wavecrest’s product history, they started with a basic software application called ProxyReporter. It read and analyzed employers’ outbound Web logs. From that data, it then produced reports that helped management and IT monitor employees’ use of Web access.

As the Internet became more sophisticated, Wavecrest went on to develop a series of increasingly robust Web-use monitoring and filtering products designed to suit a variety of customers and network infrastructures. Their monitoring products now include Cyfin Reporter–a highly sophisticated and scalable logfile analyzer/reporter–and Cyfin Proxy, a standalone Web proxy/monitor/reporter. Their combination filtering/reporting products include CyBlock for ISA/TMG–a combination filter/reporter system for use with Microsoft ISA and TMG products–and CyBlock Proxy, a standalone proxy/filter/reporting solution.

Wavecrest’s latest innovation is CyBlock Appliance, a hardware based Internet-usage management device. Designed to monitor and help control use of all Internet protocols, CyBlock Appliance is a standalone proxy, monitor, filter and reporter.

Through the years, Wavecrest products have been well received and proven to be highly reliable and cost-effective. They are all backed with a 90-day money-back guarantee. Wavecrest frequently incorporates new features to keep up with the ever-changing Internet and marketplace demands. Dennis McCabe, VP of Business Development, states, “Our main goals at Wavecrest are to provide outstanding customer service and a reliable and robust product that stands above the competition.”

About Wavecrest
Founded in 1996, Wavecrest Computing is a recognized B2B leader in policy-based Web-use management solutions. The company’s products are relied on by IT personnel, HR professionals and business managers around the world to proactively address issues of Internet abuse, legal liability, security threats, workforce productivity and misuse of bandwidth. Wavecrest has been profitable since 1997, and sales have increased steadily since then. Among their more than 3,000 clients are Procter & Gamble, British Telecom, US Department of State, Edward Jones, IBM, IKEA, MillerCoors, Siemens, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) and a growing list of global enterprises and government agencies.

Best Practices for Monitoring Employee Computer Use

We recently came across “Best Practices Regarding Employee Computer Use,” written by Dandford Grant, a partner at Stafford Frey Cooper law firm, and thought it could be a great resource for Wavecrest customers and others thinking about implementing a filtering or monitoring solution. The paper discusses employee privacy rights, monitoring and surveillance of employees, and recommended policies & practices. It also gives examples of past legal cases and their rulings.  Below are a few highlights and good points to take away from the paper.

  • “In most situations, a certain amount of monitoring is good business and may be required.”
  • An employer should inform employees that Internet and email use will be monitored.
  • “Monitoring should be fair and consistent,” i.e., run and review the same reports regularly and dig deeper when the data warrants it.
  • Most importantly, communicate with employees frequently about your organization’s acceptable use policy and best practices when using email and Internet sites, such as social networks, blogging, etc.

Web Use in the Workplace: Risks and Solutions

Approximately 20% of personal Internet use at work poses potential threats to the employer. Web access in the workplace can be a valuable business tool, but it also carries significant risks. Check out our presentation that discusses the risks associated with Web use and why monitoring and filtering helps mitigate those risks.

 

Wavecrest Technical Support Is Here to Help You

We often get great feedback on our helpful technical support from both customers or those simply evaluating our product. For those of you that have not had the pleasure of working with our technical support yet, we want to invite you to contact us about any questions you have on your CyBlock or Cyfin product.  You can check out our services and contact information below. And of course we’re here for those of you that we have had the pleasure of helping in the past.

At Wavecrest, we listen to our customers, and the majority of the new features that show up in our products have come from communications with our customers.  Our customers are the most valuable asset we have, and we appreciate every single one of you.  Thank You!

We invite those of you that have used our support services in the past to leave a comment about your experience.  We’d love the feedback.

Wavecrest Technical Support Services

  • Support via Telephone and Email. Technical and customer support representatives are available to answer questions about product setup, policy support usage, technical issues and more—via phone or email at no cost.
  • Product Installation Support. Although our products are easy to install and integrate, a technical specialist will be available to help you ensure a smooth startup.
  • Quick Start guides. Each product includes a built-in “Quick Start” guide that walks you through basic setup and usage steps. Complete user manuals are also provided.
  • Online Support Forum. Ask a question and find answers from other product users and our own technical support specialists on the forum.
  • Blog, Twitter or Facebook Updates. Get product tech tips and keep up-to-date on the latest product news by either subscribing to our feed or following us.
  • Product Upgrades. Product upgrades are included in the cost of your annual license.
  • On-line Web Conference. This valuable customer communications tool enables our Support staff to more easily and quickly address any product-related questions, provide assistance with setup and/or troubleshoot technical issues. We also use it to demonstrate the product and provide product evaluators a better understanding of the functionality.
  • Categorization list updates. Updates to Wavecrest’s URL list are available for download on a daily basis.
  • The OtherWise Program (Reports Enhancement and Optimization).  The centerpiece of our continuous support services concept is a program we call “OtherWise.”  Under this voluntary and confidential arrangement, we work individually with customers to maximize the number and percentage of Web sites that the Wavecrest product identifies and categorizes. The program focuses on sites that are of particular interest to the individual organization and/or are popular with its workforce.

Contact Information
Toll-free: 877-442-9346, ext 4(U.S. and Canada)
Direct: 321-953-5351, ext 4
International:001-321-953-5351, ext 4 (outside U.S. and Canada)
Email: support@wavecrest.net
Forum: forum.wavecrest.net

Wavecrest Products’ Database Storage Location

As many of you may already know, Wavecrest’s Cyfin and CyBlock products include a Data Manager.  The Data Manager compresses logfile data. This reduces report-generation time by more than 95 percent (compared to methods that generate reports by reading logfiles directly). We highly recommended that you use the Data Manager.

There are two database setups in the Data Manager with the installation of Wavecrest products: Dashboard and Mass Storage.

Dashboard (High-level) Database. This database is designed to store high-level data that are used to generate sophisticated summary-level trending and comparison charts on the Dashboard.

Mass Storage (Low-level) Database.
This highly scalable database is designed to store huge amounts of detailed, ‘low-level’ Web-use data. The reports that are supported by this database include audit detail reports that provide every URL visited by a user, category or domain.

The Dashboard database and the Mass Storage database data are stored in your installation path by default. You can move the path of these databases to a drive that has more disk space, which you will need as the databases grow. The Logfiles – Data Manager – Settings screen gives you the option to change the path for both databases.

Note: When changing the path for the Mass Storage database .war files, the product will move the .war files to the  new location for you. With the Dashboard database, the Superview folder (C:\Program Files\Wavecrest\Cyfin\wc\cf\db\Superview) will need to be manually copied to the new location.