Guardian Web Security - Major Features Upgrade

- 07 February 2011Smoothwall

‘If you can think it, you can filter it’

‘Who, what, when and where’ - you decide

The latest versions of the proven Guardian Web Security and Web Filter products will deliver the ultimate in precise, flexible web filtering and highly effective anti-malware performance.

‘If you can think it, you can filter it’ This is the key principle behind Smoothwall’s latest feature upgrade which is due for general release in early Q2 2011, designed to give overworked network managers and systems administrators control over every conceivable policy configuration scenario without creating new policy management headaches.

With over ten years experience in filtering web access Smoothwall know that it is a highly complex process. Network managers need to thoroughly protect networks and users, but still provide an open and unrestricted ‘light-touch’ browsing experience. Mind-bending combinations of custom policies are needed to cater for the ever-changing filtering requirements of different users, needs and times of the day. Organisations also need solutions that are sophisticated enough to block and allow content within certain sites (e.g. YouTube), scrutinize encrypted (HTTPS) web traffic, block online games, prevent the use of proxy bypass tools and provide effective protection from increasingly sophisticated web-based malware.

Without the right filtering solution, configuring complex filtering requirements for different groups can be a hugely cumbersome and time-consuming chore. Guardian’s latest ‘who, what, when, where’ features are designed to make life easier for stretched sysadmins – by providing an unrivalled level of flexibility and configurability to suit every situation.

New streamlined logging and reporting controls allow for more detailed data at user level, so network managers can see not just who is viewing what content and when, even what search terms they typed to get those results. Smoothwall’s emphasis on categorisation as opposed to just blocking is the key to fewer over-blocks (and better reports), with quick fix ‘block’, ‘unblock’ and ‘add to category’ controls for fine-tuning on the fly.

Thanks to some nifty integration enhancements (including improved centralised filtering functionality), Guardian is also now a much better fit for a wider range of network infrastructures. It has the tools to serve both large multi-site installations that need central administration and decentralised and geographically dispersed environments.

With deployment options for hardware, software and virtual environments, Smoothwall offers organisations a uniquely versatile and systems-compatible web security solution; backed up with solid UK based engineer-led technical support. Guardian also provides reliable protection against emerging web-borne threats with VIPRE – the award-winning behaviour-based anti-malware engine.

Product Manager Tom Newton said: “We have built a solid reputation in the enterprise environment by listening to network managers and solving the problems they face. Guardian’s latest update delivers precise configurability which leads to significantly better performance and great value. The ‘who, what, when and where’ policy creation features will reduce the on-going workload of sysadmins when managing the needs of busy changing environments. “

New Guardian features and enhancements at a glance:

True ‘who, what, when, where’ filtering with flexible time and room based controls
Unified, easy to use policy setting tools with policy and configuration wizards
Unlimited groups and ‘per user’ policies
Synchronise groups & policies
Combine policies with multi-group membership
‘Quick Block’ and ‘Quick Allow’ buttons for one click fixes
Add-to-category functionality allows in-built categorisation to be adjusted with ease
Enhanced real-time categorisation - delivers higher accuracy, better reporting and fewer over-blocks
Centralised filtering for complex network environments and large multi-site installations
HTTPS inspection in transparent proxy mode
‘Soft-blocking’ per content category
Improved authentication for mobile, Apple and other devices
Integrated VIPRE™ anti-malware engine

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Guardian Web Security - Major Features Upgrade

‘Who, what, when and where’ - you decide