Category Archives: Wave News

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.

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 Computing Summer 2010 Newsletter

The Wavecrest quarterly newsletter is back by popular demand!  In the Summer 2010 issue, you’ll find information on:

New Releases – CyBlock 6.2.2 and Cyfin 8.2.2

New WatchGuard and Websense Support in Cyfin Reporter 8.2.2

We have recently added support for the WatchGuard Log Server PostgreSQL database and Websense in Cyfin Reporter 8.2.2.  If you are interested in the added support for either of these logfile types, you can check out the simple configuration for each at the links below.

WatchGuard Configuration: https://www.wavecrest.net/products/cyfin/reporter/compatibility/watchguardPostgreSQL.html

Websense Configuration: https://www.wavecrest.net/products/cyfin/reporter/compatibility/websense.html

If you have any questions or would like additional help in the configuration process, please contact technical support. They will be happy to assist you.

Technical Support Contact Information
Direct: 321-953-5351, ext. 4
Toll-Free: 877-442-9346 ext. 4
Email:support@wavecrest.net

Cyfin Reporter supports over 95 other different log file formats, so if you need support for other log file formats, visit our Cyfin Reporter technical specifications page to see if we support them. If not, contact our technical support team, and we will be happy to see if support can be added.

Other New Enhancements

Other enhancements made to CyBlock Proxy, Cyfin Reporter, Cyfin Proxy and CyBlock ISA include:

  • URL Hyperlinks in Detail Audit Reports. URLs listed in Audit Detail reports are now hyperlinked if the following conditions are met: 1) the Data Manager is enabled, 2) Interactive is selected for the Report Type, and 3) the total number of URLs for a single report is less than 50,000 URLs. The reports with this functionality are User Audit Detail, Category Audit Detail and Site Audit Detail.
  • More Drill-Down Capability. On reports that contain Hourly Visits and Hourly Bandwidth tables (such as Site Analysis), you can now drill-down to the single hour of activity of your choosing.

Web Filtering in the Workplace: Finding the Best Solution

There are many issues surrounding Web filtering in the workplace today.  Among them are whether to filter or not filter, and if you do filter, how strict should your policies be, what’s the best way to implement a Web filter, and what’s the best type of filter for your organization?  Wavecrest Computing attempts to answer these questions and more in our latest white paper, “Web Filtering in the Workplace: Finding the Best Solution.”  This paper discusses some of the issues surrounding Web filtering today, the different types of Web filters, and how Wavecrest approaches filtering with its RealTimePlus Filtering technology.

White Paper: Web Filtering in the Workplace: Finding the Best Solution

New Releases: CyBlock 6.2.0 and Cyfin 8.2.0

New versions of CyBlock and Cyfin were recently released.  You can download the latest release by going to the Administration – Product Update screen. Below are a list of enhancements for each product.

CyBlock Proxy, Cyfin Proxy and CyBlock Appliance Enhancements

  • Proxy Server Authentication. New authentication options are now available on the Setup – Proxy screen.  Options include Strict, Moderate, and Disable (if disabled, IP addresses will be used).  The default setting is Moderate.  These options affect how bypass authentication is handled on the new Authentication Manager.
  • Authentication Manager. Complementing the new proxy server authentication options is the Authentication Manager. This screen allows the administrator to manage improperly authenticating URL/domains, web applications and user-agents. The Authentication Manager is located at Advanced Settings – Proxy Settings – Authentication Manager.
  • PAC File Configuration. This new screen allows for easy PAC file configuration that you can push out to all browsers. It is located at Advanced Settings – Proxy Settings – PAC File Configuration.
  • Product News. With this release, we have added the ability for administrators to get product news alerts via email.  This setting is found on the Administration – Product News – Setup page.  NOTE: The default setting is “Do not email.”

CyBlock ISA Enhancements & Updates

  • Forefront TMG Support. Support is now available for Microsoft Forefront TMG for both filtering and reporting.
  • Product News. With this release, we have added the ability for administrators to get product news alerts via email.  This setting is found on the Administration – Product News – Setup page.  NOTE: The default setting is “Do not email.”
  • ISA Server 2000 No Longer Supported. With this latest upgrade, there is no longer support for ISA Server 2000.

Cyfin Reporter Enhancements

  • New Logfile Support for the following:
    • Microsoft Forefront TMG Support
    • Watchguard Firebox 11 with Syslog
    • Astaro Security
  • Product News. With this release, we have added the ability for administrators to get product news alerts via email.  This setting is found on the Administration – Product News – Setup page.  NOTE: The default setting is “Do not email.”

Use the following links to access the full release notes for your Wavecrest product.

If you have any questions about any of the new features or upgrading, please contact Support.

Email: support@wavecrest.net
Phone (Toll-free): 877-442-9346, ext. 4 (U.S. and Canada)
Phone (Direct): 321-953-535, ext. 4

New Categories Coming April 3!

New categories and category changes will automatically be updated in your product on April 3, 2010 for CyBlock Versions 6.0.0 and later or Cyfin Versions 8.0.0 and later.  If you do not have these versions of the product, you will need to upgrade to the most current version in order to get the new categories and category changes.

For CyBlock, these categories will be allowed by default. Therefore, you will need to go to your Advanced Settings – Filter Settings – Block Web Categories screen and alter your policies.  For reporting and monitoring purposes, you may also want to change the new category’s classification statuses at the Advanced Settings – Category Setup – Classification screen to match your organization’s Acceptable Use Policy.

See the Category Update Data Sheet for a full list of categories and their descriptions.

New CyBlock and Cyfin Upgrades

Check out the latest releases for CyBlock Proxy, CyBlock Appliance, Cyfin Reporter, and Cyfin Proxy!  These are packed with tons of great new features that we’re sure you will love.  The new features include:

  • A New Browser Interface with new colors and wider screens.
  • A Dashboard that includes:
    • A Home screen that provides an overview of the organization’s Web use for the last 7 days by displaying charts of Web-use visits, top users, top categories and bandwidth usage.
    • Top charts and trend charts with customizable parameters to view Web usage data by hits, visits or bytes, select the timeframe and compare users Web usage to the group average or enterprise average.
  • More Custom Categories.
  • Enhanced Data Warehousing that includes support for MySQL and SQL server.
  • Full 64-bit support on Windows and Linux systems.
  • Safe Search option to enforce safe search on Google, Yahoo and Bing.

Use the following links to access the full release notes for your Wavecrest product.

If you have any questions about any of the new features or upgrading, please contact Support.

Email: support@wavecrest.net
Phone (Toll-free): 877-442-9346, ext. 4 (U.S. and Canada)
Phone (Direct): 321-953-535, ext. 4

New Categories Coming Soon!

New categories are coming soon to all Wavecrest Products.  Some of the new categories include:

  • TV/Video Streaming
  • Shareware/Freeware
  • Online Meetings
  • P2P/File Sharing
  • Weapons
  • Online Storage

Keep an eye out on your product’s news, the Web site, Blog and Twitter for updates with more details on the new categories and when you can expect to see them in your CyBlock or Cyfin product.