Internet Filtering for a Harassment-Free Workplace

1. Internet Filtering for a Harassment-Free Workplace John Kinas - MCSE,CCNA District of Columbia Bar for 2003 NABE Tech Show Seattle, WA

2. Internet Use Policy Achieving an harassment-free workplace is an important reason for organizations to adopt an Internet Use Policy. Other important reasons include: • Reducing non-business use of expensive internet connections • Security • Network reliability • Legal liability arising from employee behavior

3. Internet Use Policy Adoption of Internet Use Policy must precede selection and deployment of internet filtering solutions. • Software and hardware solutions vary widely in cost and capabilities • Software and hardware must meet policy requirements

4. Implementation Tools for Internet Use Policy • Web filtering tools • IM filtering tools • Email monitoring/content screening tools

5. Implementation Tools for Internet Use Policy • Technically skilled employees may be able to disable or circumvent internet filtering software • 100 percent accuracy is not realistic • Technological advances may make current solutions obsolete

6. Web Filtering Tools • What does web filtering software do? • Allows administrators to block and/or audit employee access to specific categories of content addressed in internet use policy • Categories provided by manufacturers may include • Pornography • Gambling • Hate group sites • Auction sites • eCommerce sites

7. Web Filtering Tools • Logs and generates reports on employee browsing activities • Provides some method for manually blocking and unblocking sites as needed • Methods used by manufacturers vary • Most software manufacturers attempt to screen all web content, compiling blacklists sites for each content category • Some attempt to filter content as it is requested by users. • Many manufacturers include Whitelist features, allowing administrators to specify sites always permitted

8. Web Filtering Tools • Free browser-based filtering tools: • Internet Explorer • Netscape • Some assembly required server-based tools: • Web Proxy Servers • Rapidly changing web content makes manually configured web filtering ineffective time consuming and ineffective

9. Web Filtering Tools • Desktop-based systems • Typically used in home, home office, and small office environments where IT support is minimal or non-existent • Pros: • Low initial cost • Relatively easy to install • Cons: • Software must be installed on each computer • Difficult to maintain consistent policies in large or growing organizations • Technically sophisticated employees may disable or defeat many desktop-based web filters using instructions published on internet

10. Web Filtering Tools • ISP-based systems • AOL, MSN, and other large Internet Service Providers provide some filtering features. • Target market for these products are home users and home offices • AOL filtering features require use of AOL’s proprietary browser • Corporations typically do not use of ISP-based filtering tools

11. Web Filtering Tools • Server-based systems • Typically used in medium to large organizations • Pros: • Easier to maintain consistent policies in large/growing organizations • Little or no software installation on desktop systems • Some manufacturers permit logging by both computer and by user, tightening employee accountability for web browsing behavior • Cons: • Relatively high initial cost for software • Dedicated server or appliance may be needed • Steep learning curve for administrators • Technically sophisticated employees may defeat features by using “Anonymizer” websites

12. Web Filtering Tools • Appliance systems • Low- maintenance specialty computers designed solely to filter web traffic • St. Bernard Iprizm • 8e6 R2000

13. Web Filtering Tools • Appliance systems • High initial costs compared with software only products, but… • …reduced setup and maintenance • Some firewall appliances include content filtering features (Sonic appliance)

14. Web Filtering Tools • Don’t expect too much • September 2001 PC Magazine survey: the best products consistently block 85% or more of objectionable content • The more aggressively you attempt to block objectionable content, the higher your incidence of false matches

15. Web Filtering Tools • Questions to ask software vendors/suppliers: • What method does this product use to ensure that our Internet Use Policy is applied in a rapidly changing internet environment? • Will this product be flexible enough to allow different levels of web access for different groups of employees? • Will this product accomplish its mission without placing excessive demands on IT and HR professionals? • Are the web logging/reporting features for this software consistent with our internet use policy?

16. Web Filtering Tools: Ratings Source: PC Magazine - March, 2001

17. Web Filtering Tools: Costs • Costs of deploying software to enforce Internet Use Policy for a 20 user network • Desktop software: Cybersitter - $399.00 • Server software: Elron Software IM Web Inspector $806.95 • Appliance: iPrism - $2,195 (appliance) + annual blacklist subscription Source: 1/2003 manufacturers web sites

18. Internet Explorer Web Blocking From IE Main Menu, Select Tools Select Internet Options Select Content Tab

19. Internet Explorer Web Blocking • Select Settings button • Select Enable button • Create supervisor password

20. Internet Explorer Web Blocking • Set ratings for each category shown • Select OK to save settings

21. Internet Explorer Web Blocking • Select Approved Sites tab • Enter the urls for each site you want employee to see, regardless of ratings

22. Internet Explorer Web Blocking • If you want only rated sites (and those specifically authorized by a supervisor), check “Users can see sites…” box • If you want to permit supervisors to override ratings, check “Supervisors can type…” box

23. Internet Explorer Web Blocking • Many popular sites are not rated • If users are not allowed to see unrated sites, a supervisor must manually authorize it. • Weak security on Windows 98/ME computers • Anyone with the supervisor password can disable web blocking • Installation of another browser (Netscape, Monzilla) will circumvent restrictions.

24. Email and IM Blocking Tools Employer interest in Email and IM Blocking software may be prompted by • employee productivity concerns • virus control • security (particularly in financial, law enforcement, and governmental sectors) • network reliability considerations Harassment-free workplace objectives are likely to be secondary to these objectives

25. IM Filtering Tools • IM services can be considered rogue technologies: designed to resist blocking by firewalls, and web proxies • Some IM technologies (AOL, Yahoo) may be blocked by network routers or firewalls, but doing so prevents any communications – including web traffic and email – to these networks

26. IM Filtering Tools • Many organizations can’t decide whether IM should be banned or legitimized • Software designers attempt to give employers a range of options • It’s up to the organization to match features to its Internet Use Policy • AOL, MSN, Yahoo and other IM services change constantly; changes may circumvent filtering

27. IM Filtering Tools What does IM Filtering software do? • Enforces Internet Use Policy by blocking or selectively allowing IM messages on the corporate network • Forces users to replace poorly-secured IM desktop software with more secure versions • Audits IM use • Translates IM screen names to employee names • Restricts IM communications by employees to authorized outside IM users • Automatically censors and/or alerts administrators when IM users include key words or phrases in IM messages.

28. IM Filtering Tools • Akonix L7 • E-Vantage IM Sentry • Alternatives: • Inspect desktop computers and remove IM software • Block Yahoo, AOL, MSN servers at your router

29. Email Content Tools • What does Email Content software do? • Company-wide disclaimer • Adds uniform corporate disclaimers to all outgoing messages • Content auditing/filtering • Audits incoming and outgoing email for unauthorized content • Automatically quarantines blocked messages for review by administrator • Many products in both categories bundle with anti-spam, anti-virus, and attachment control features

30. Email Content Tools • Company-wide disclaimer • GFI Mail Essentials • Red Earth Software Policy Patrol Disclaimers • SS&G Technology SMTP Disclaimer • Netal DisclaimIt • Content auditing/filtering • GFI Mail Security • Intellireach Content Inspector / Content Auditor • SurfControl Email Filter • NMEX Power Tools for Exchange • CMS Praetor • Trend Micro Scan Mail for Exchange 2000

31. Email Content Tools • Changes in email content rules can have unintended consequences • Including “sex” on your content-checking list will, in most blocking software, block “Middlesex, MA”, “famous explorer”, “Jane’s ex-husband” • Test content blocking rules with sample messages • Log content rule changes • Monitor quarantined mail carefully after changing rules.

32. Summary • Management must adopt an Internet Use Policy before buying or deploying software to monitor or filter internet traffic • Match software purchases to specific needs of Internet Use Policy • Educate users about Internet Use Policy and what they need to do to comply • Don’t expect 100% accuracy from automated tools • Check desktop systems periodically to verify that blocking software hasn’t been disabled or uninstalled.

33. Resources: • Email Content Tools • www.slipstick.com • www.mail-resources.com • www.amrein.com/eworld.htm • Web Filtering Tools • www.peacefire.org/info/blocking-software-faq.html • www.cexx.org/censware.htm • IM Filtering Tools • www.akonix.com • www.evgl.com/imsentry.html