Business Web Filtering Cloud

As a group you may be considering what is to be gained from using certain aspects of cloud computing in order to give your business a competitive advantage.

Part of this consideration should be utilizing business web filtering in the cloud. This is a simply managed way to implement an additional level of cybersecurity at an affordable investment level. There is no investment to be made in hardware and the labour involved in set-up is quite small when held up against other available solutions. Basically you will be adding a web filtering solution that can achieve a better set of results that a hardware solution at a lower cost.

How is this so?

Firstly there are many modifications you can make to a cloud based solution, known as granularity, that will allow you to apply different settings to different individuals and groups. Network managers will be able to fine tune settings and allocate different permissions based on needs and requirements. For example, the compliance department would need to double check some websites to make sure that they are compliant with the company’s Internet usage code of conduct or to investigate if A GDPR breach may have taken place. It could even be that limits on viewing certain websites can cause a drain on Internet download/upload speeds and bandwidth which can seriously impact the productivity of your workforce. In short that will see to it that your organization’s network is safeguarded from cyberattacks and productivity drains.

The nice thing about this is that adding this cybersecurity measure will not only protect your group but it will also result in the increase in productivity gains being noticeable across your workforce. Web-based dangers can also be mitigated along with access to offensive material or illegal content. Network managers can limit access by staff to various different categories of websites such as gambling or social media platforms that could either contain malware or phishing lures or just be used by staff when they should be working instead.

It is important to be careful in relation to what your staff are allowed to view at their workstation. What one person may consider funny could cause great offence if it is shared or viewed by another member of staff. This could lead to a legal problem and huge human resources issues.

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Business web filtering in the cloud will permit you to state the material that can be viewed using category or keyword filters. A log will also be maintained of what members of staff view what website.

Another bonus that can come with this solution is the lower level of spending in implementing it as there is no ongoing maintenance work or costs outside of your subscription to the cloud service. Similar to other deployment options, cloud based web filtering for business employs a three-tier process to restrict viewing of websites that carry danger for the integrity of your network and are in breach of user policies.

FAQs

Is business web filtering in the cloud complicated?

Business web filtering in the cloud is the easiest filtering solution to implement. You just point your DNS to the service provider’s DNS servers and then log in to your web portal and apply your filtering policies by clicking the checkboxes of the categories of web content you want to block.

Is it easy to set web filtering controls for different user groups?

If you use a software-as-service solution that integrates with directory services such as Active Directory, it is easy to apply filtering controls for different user groups, roles, departments, and offices. You can apply global settings for certain types of web content and more restrictive/permissive settings for different user groups.

Can I view employee Internet activity in real-time?

Yes. Most commercial web filters will allow specific individuals to be identified through their unique logins and will allow administrators to drill down in the reporting options and view Internet activity in real time. Alternatively, you can generate reports of Internet activity by users, user groups, departments etc. and set alerts to inform you when attempts are made to access restricted content.

Does business web filtering affect Internet speed?

The best web filtering solutions for businesses are DNS filters. DNS filters work at the DNS lookup stage of a web request when a URL is matched with its IP address to allow that resource to be found. This process takes a fraction of a second so there will be no impact on Internet speed.

How much does a web filter cost?

The cost of cloud-based business web filtering depends on several factors, such as the type of solution used, the features you need, the length of contract, and the level of analysis of web threats that you wish to perform. For blocking malware downloads and content control, the price starts at around $1 per user, per month. For enterprise-grade solutions capable of in-depth threat analysis, you could pay around $3-$5 per user per month.