New categories are coming soon to all Wavecrest Products. Some of the new categories include:
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.
Our CyBlock Appliance offers the best coverage for blocking IM and Chat sites. The CyBlock Appliance can block the IM traffic as well as the sites to prevent the user from making a connection to the IM server. To block IM with the CyBlock Appliance, first go to the Advanced Settings – Filter Settings – Block Web Protocols screen and check all the IM clients that you want to block. Next, go to the Advanced Settings – Filter Settings – Block Web Categories screen and block the Chat category. For even more coverage, you can also block the following URLs by placing them in a Custom Category or by adding them to the Chat category.
Yahoo IM: login.yahoo.com (Hardware and Software)
AOL IM: login.oscar.aol.com (Other Category)
MSN Messenger: login.live.com (Note: This site also is used for Hotmail login as well. So if you block the Hardware and Software category or this URL, you will block both MSN Messenger and Hotmail email).
To get the best filtering Chat/IM coverage with CyBlock Proxy or CyBlock ISA, block the Chat category and the sites listed above.
A recent report by Manpower found that very few companies have policies regarding social networking use. In fact, only 29% of US companies have a formal social networking policy in place. Social networks are not only time wasters, but they can pose serious security risks or damage a company’s reputation if employees post confidential or harmful material about the company. No matter what an employer’s stance is on social networking use in the workplace, it is highly recommended to have a policy in place and educate employees on that policy. Joseph P. Paranac, a shareholder in LeClairRyan’s Labor and Employment Group has offered Web-use policy suggestions on what companies should include.
If you’re unsure whether or not you want to block social networking, we have also written a paper that addresses the issues surrounding social networking use in the workplace, the importance of creating a policy, and monitoring or filtering employee’s Web use according to that policy.
RealTimePlus is our customer-configurable three-layer filtering process. It uses three layers of screening based on: (1) custom categories, (2) the Wavecrest categorization (control) list and (3) a real-time deep packet analysis process.
1. Custom Categories (the “First Layer”). ‘Custom categories’ supplement the standard categories. This enables you to better identify and control your users’ Web activity. For example, you can create a custom category to:
You can add custom categories at the Advanced Settings – Category Setup – Custom Categories screen. Then use the Advanced Settings – Category Setup – Edit URLs screen to add sites into your custom categories.
2. The Wavecrest URL List (the “Second Layer”). To accurately identify and categorize the vast majority of visits, Wavecrest products use a large, mature categorization control list. This ‘control’ list consists of 69 ‘standard’ content-identification categories that is updated daily with URLs from around the world. We recommend that you download the list daily to get the best filtering and monitoring coverage. You can setup an automatic daily download of the list at the Administration – URL List – Schedule screen.
Another great customization feature with the control list is that you can add and move URLs in the standard categories. For example, if you use Twitter as a Marketing tool but want to continue to block all other social networking sites, you can simply add www.twitter.com to the Marketing category. You can make this change at the Advanced Settings – Category Setup – Edit URLs screen.
Finally, set your block/allow policies for your custom categories and standard categories at the Advanced Settings – Filtering Settings – Block Web Categories screen.
3. Deep Packet Analysis (the “Third Layer”). Using real-time ‘deep packet analysis,’ CyBlock can determine if the content of a URL is Flash, video streaming, audio streaming, images, Active X and more. Any or all of these could be considered “inappropriate” and can be blocked. You can also add your own extensions to be blocked. You can block these types of content or add your own at the Advanced Settings – Filter Settings – Block Web Content screen.
Other Features
1. Hourly Blocking. You can block or allow categories at specific hours during the day. For example, you may want to allow access to some categories during the lunch hour. You can set these hourly policies by clicking on the clock icon at the Block Web Categories screen.
2. Customizable Blocking Message. CyBlock comes with a standard blocking message, but you can configure the product to point to your own Web policy or personalized blocking message. You can set this custom message at the Advanced Settings – Filter Settings – Web Blocking Message screen.
Facebook has set up their site so that if a user types “www.www.facebook.com”, they will be able to access it through any Web filtering proxy blocking www.facebook.com. Users can even type in variations, such as “www.www.www.facebook.com” or “hello.www.www.facebook.com” to get access to Facebook.
If users are accessing Facebook by using one of these many variations, it will not show up in reports under the category of Social Networking. Instead, the URL is categorized as “Other” and is displayed this way in reports.
For now, to prevent users from accessing the site using these variations and to categorize these variations as Social Networking, you need to add the URL as a wildcard to the Social Networking category. To do this, follow the below instructions.
The Wavecrest Development Team is currently looking into alternatives to better handle these types of site variations within the Wavecrest Control List while maintaining speed and scalability in our products.
Now is your last chance to take advantage of one of our sales specials on our CyBlock Internet filtering or Cyfin Internet monitoring software. These specials will end on December 31, 2009, so act fast!
Purchase a one-year license and get one extra month free! That’s a 13-month license for the price of 12!
Interested in a multi-year license?
No problem. For purchasing a 2-year license, you’ll get 2 extra months, or get 3 extra months with the purchase of a 3-year license.
New to Wavecrest?
Enjoy the following discounts when you purchase a NEW 2 or 3-year license:
Coming Up For Renewal?
In addition to getting the extra months, if you purchase a multi-year renewal license, you’ll also get to enjoy the following discounts:
To take advantage of these specials, simply state that you would like the “End of Year Sales Special” when you order!
For a quote or to place your order, contact sales.
Phone (Toll-free): 877-442-9346, ext. 3 (U.S. and Canada)
Phone: 321-953-5351, ext. 3
Email: sales@wavecrest.net
From time to time we are asked, “What is the purpose of the ‘IP Address’ category used by Wavecrest products?” The short answer is — it’s used to capture and segregate the IP addresses of Web sites that the product was unable to associate with ‘regular’ categories. Customers can then analyze them to identify network security threats, traffic to intranet sites, or other patterns of interest.
Here’s a bit more detail.
First note that our products identify many IP addresses and place them in content categories. The Wavecrest URL (control) list contains many such addresses.
Unfortunately though, initially unidentifiable IP addresses still appear from time to time. Generally speaking, we see three types, i.e., addresses associated with:
When the product encounters any of these three types, it places them in a special ‘IP Address’ category. Customers can then run reports on that category the same way they do on any other category. In addition, if the customer runs a Top Non-Categorized report, the uncategorized IP addresses will be listed along with uncategorized domain names.
Because the traffic associated with unidentified IP addresses can be important or even dangerous, it’s obviously desirable to pursue the matter further. So what can be done? Well, with a bit of work—and in some cases with some help from Wavecrest—it is possible to:
Let’s see how this is done. We’ll take it one ‘type’ at a time.
Summary. The IP address category was created to be a ‘red flag.’ Its purpose is to alert you that further action may be needed to resolve problems or to simply give you a more complete and comprehensive picture of all Web activity.
Social networking in the workplace is a major dilemma for today’s businesses. Does it help or hurt the organization? While some companies block social networking, some say it helps by enhancing collaboration among employees, partners and customers. Others say it hurts by draining productivity and bandwidth and creating legal liability and network security risks.
A survey conducted by Nucleus Research showed that 77 percent of workers who have a Facebook account use it during work hours. Of those who do use Facebook at work, 87% said they could not define a clear business reason for accessing the site and some reported using it as much as two hours per day.
So, in the face of all the countervailing views, just what is the best approach to the issue? Options include banning it altogether, using it with no restrictions, and employing it for business purposes only.
The short answer is, “It depends.”
That is, for any one organization, the answer really depends on management’s views on a number of issues. Among these are the nature and objectives of the business, organizational culture and managerial style, workforce morale factors, workforce demographics and skills, availability of technological solutions, and the need for external communications.
We are often asked about this issue. So we developed this paper to share our knowledge and views. It explores various aspects of the issue, cites some relevant facts, and provides several recommendations. Our hope is that this information will help organizations that are struggling today with this contemporary and very important issue.
Read the full white paper: Social Networking or Social Not-working?
There has been a lot of buzz surrounding the use of social networks, i.e., Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc., in the workplace recently. This is a great reminder to all organizations to take a look at their current Web-use policies and update them.
Reuters covered a recent seminar put on by LeClairRyanon covering “Key Issues in Labor & Employment Law,” where the importance of a policy for social networks was discussed. The speaker, Joseph P. Paranac, a shareholder in LeClairRyan’s Labor and Employment Group, stated, “Inappropriate and unwise use of online social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter is a growing source of liability risk for employers, including discrimination, defamation and retaliation claims.”
He went on to offer some Web-use policy suggestions for employers.
“In order to have a successful policy on the use of social networking sites, Paranac told the audience, employers should stipulate that:
- Employees may not comment or use any confidential information about the employer or discuss internal matters.
- Use of online social networks should be limited to non-working hours, unless the use is for legitimate business purposes.
- Employees’ comments should not be discriminatory or harassing.
- Similarly, they should not be disparaging or defamatory to the employer’s business.
The veteran attorney also offered the following elements of a successful Internet and e-mail policy:
- Employees should be trained on electronic communications equipment parameters and prohibitions.
- All business systems and company-issued electronic communication equipment and data belong to the employer.
- Systems and equipment must be used for appropriate and lawful business purposes only.
- Employee use is subject to review/monitoring by the employer and employees who use employer equipment have no expectation of privacy.
- Use of systems and equipment for harassment, discrimination, or defamation is strictly prohibited.
- Disclosure of employer confidential information is strictly prohibited.
- Warn employees of the penalties or policy violations.
- Obtain a signed acknowledgment of employee receipt of policy.
- Include a procedure for reporting violations.
- Enforce the policy!”
Read the full article: TWEET: ‘I’m About to Testify in My Defamation Case!’
It’s that time of year again! The big Christmas shopping spree. As in previous years, the online version ‘officially’ starts on Cyber Monday – the day after the big T-Day weekend. And now this year we’ve got Green Monday (December 7) and Brown Monday (December 14). These are days on which, like Cyber Monday, online retailers put on a full court press to draw in ‘surfer-shoppers.’
And the whole circus runs through New Year’s Day.
The volume can be huge and problematical for employers. A survey conducted for ISACA, an association of 86,000 information technology professionals, states in part:
“Employees plan to spend nearly two full working days (14.4 hours) on average shopping online from a work computer this holiday season. One in 10 plans to spend more than 30 hours shopping online at work. Convenience (34%) and boredom (23%) are the biggest motivators.”
“… the second annual “Shopping on the Job: Online Holiday Shopping and Workplace Internet Safety” survey found that half of those surveyed plan to holiday shop online using a work computer.
“Dangers of shopping online include viruses, spam and phishing attacks that invade the workplace, resulting in financial losses due to reduced productivity and destruction or compromise of corporate data.”
In addition to generating network security and performance issues, online holiday shopping is a huge productivity waster for businesses. When workers are shopping, they’re not ‘minding the store.’ Accordingly, this is a good time for all types of organizations to take stock of their Web-use management practices and seek help if needed.
Wavecrest Computing is ready to provide that help.
Wavecrest’s Cyfin and CyBlock products and services help all types of organizations manage and control inappropriate and risky personal surfing of all kinds, including shopping. Cyfin and CyBlock products do this by monitoring and/or filtering employees’ Web use and reporting on the activity by content categories, e.g., shopping, sports, games, and others. Of particular note, with regard to holiday shopping, CyBlock products 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.
For 13 years, Wavecrest Computing has been providing Internet filtering and monitoring solutions to business, government, and educational organizations worldwide. Wavecrest’s customer base includes well-known names such as the HP, Procter and Gamble, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, Bridgestone, Mazda and many others.