6 Important Steps to Evaluating a Web Filtering Solution

1. 6 Important Steps to
Evaluating a Web
Filtering Solution

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You know you need a secure Web filtering solution for your organization, but with all the choices available how
can you be sure you’re getting one that will meet both your short- and long-term requirements?Today’s uncertain
economic climate demands that you do a thorough assessment before you invest. Here’s a concise list of steps
that will help you achieve the best return on your Web filtering dollar.
1.Understand your Internet Policy
It’s almost certain your organization has an Acceptable Use Policy and you need to know the requirements before
you choose a Web security solution. Confer with your HR department so you can understand exactly what’s
needed to enforce your organization’s AUP. You should know what is considered acceptable and unacceptable
Internet activity. Find out if there are certain hours of the day when fewer restrictions are needed such as lunch
and break times and also the level of restrictions you want to apply to different departments or groups within
your organization. Also, determine if special ratings or other customizations may be necessary in order to meet
your organization’s requirements.You will want a solution that offers the flexibility to enforce your AUP easily and
accurately.
2.Determine Roles for Stakeholders in the Web Filter
The number of stakeholders in your filtering solution will vary greatly depending on your organization’s size
and structure. Before you decide on a filtering solution, determine who the stakeholders are and what roles and
privileges you want to assign each of them. Decide who should have admin privileges, who will be able to grant
overrides, and what role or roles each will have in managing your Web filtering solution. Choose a solution that
will allow you to assign multiple roles so you can optimize your IT resources.
3.Decide Where You Will Implement a Web Filter in Your Network
This is a critical step because you want to make sure you deploy a filter that will not compromise your network
performance in any way.Many companies choose a self-contained,appliance-based Web filter because it doesn’t
impact network resources the way a software-based solution can. A Web filter that can be deployed in-line to
monitor and block all your Web traffic is ideal.The best way to implement this type of Web filter is in transparent
bridge mode. This deployment is ideal because it requires no changes to your network and will not result in a
latency drain. In addition, transparent bridge deployment assures that all traffic is filtered—nothing is missed—
and it provides unrivalled security against any attempts to circumvent the Web filter.
4.Evaluate a Solution Hands-on
Nothing surpasses hands-on experience with a filtering solution as an accurate evaluation technique.But before
you spend time and energy testing a Web filter, you should determine what criteria measure success for you.
Will you be satisfied with a solution that requires you to purchase additional servers or software? Do you need
a solution that includes failover features? How important is ease of deployment and ongoing maintenance
requirements? The Gartner Group has established that the time you spend on standard IT administrative tasks
associated with your technology acquisitions can surpass the purchase price by a magnitude of four to five times.
Be aware of yourWeb filter’s total cost of ownership and choose one that will be the most cost effective over time.
5.Can Your Solution Properly Authenticate Individuals?
For medium and large organizations, the ability to authenticate users automatically is crucial. It’s also important
to determine if your filtering solution is actually authenticating users or just identifying them.Having to manually
authenticate an extensive roster of users will add to your IT admin tasks and raise your TCO. Make sure the
solution you choose can integrate with all major directory services,keeping in mind that the best authentication
technology is one that Microsoft deems valid for Windows AD.If you’re using Citrix, make sure the Web filter you
choose can report on Internet activity by user.For Citrix environments,finding a Citrix authorized solution is your
best bet.

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6.Work Flow Determination
The day-to-day duties involved in managing aWeb filtering solution should be another consideration you
make before you decide on the best solution for your organization.Your IT budget and staff resources will
be greatly affected by the Web filter you choose so it’s important to match the workflow requirements to
your staff capabilities. Determine ahead of time how much staff time you can devote to managing your
Web filter and still get other critical tasks completed.Thoroughly analyze how many hours will be required
for daily management, maintenance, and reporting and find a solution that will save you time—this will
assure you’re getting the best performance while keeping total cost of ownership low.
It’s clear that doing your homework before you purchase a Web filter will save you time, money, and
headaches down the road. Just make sure you know exactly what your organization’s requirements are
and then find aWeb filtering solution that can give you superb performance while keeping your total cost
of ownership low.By choosing a Web filter that installs easily,requires no additional software or hardware,
integrates seamlessly with your network, offers latency-free performance, and keeps IT admin tasks at a
minimum you can shave thousands of dollars off your IT budget while providing your organization with
comprehensive protection from Internet-based threats.
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bandwidth
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