SonicWall Content Filtering Service and Content Filtering Client Licenses, Subscriptions & Renewals
Powerful protection and productivity solution to block access to harmful and unproductive web content

Supported Platforms:

SonicWall Content Filtering Service is supported on the following SonicWall network security appliances:

Features & Benefits:

• Granular content filtering allows the administrator to block or apply bandwidth management to all predefined categories or any combination of categories. Administrators can apply User Level Authentication (ULA) and Single Sign-On (SSO) to enforce username and password logon. CFS can block potentially harmful content such as Java, ActiveX, and Cookies, as well as schedule filtering by time of day, such as during school or business hours. CFS also enhances performance by filtering out IM, MP3s, streaming media, freeware and other files that drain bandwidth.
• Dynamically updated rating architecture cross-references all requested web sites against a highly accurate database categorizing millions of URLs, IP addresses and domains. The SonicWall firewall receives ratings in real time, and then compares each rating to the local policy setting. The appliance will then either allow or deny the request based on the administrator's locally configured policy.
• Application traffic analytics suite includes SonicWall Global Management System (GMS), SonicWall Analyzer and SonicWall Scrutinizer, each of which provides real-time and historic analysis of data transmitted through the firewall, including web sites blocked and visited by user.
• Easy-to-use web-based management enables flexible policy configuration and complete control over Internet usage. Administrators can enforce multiple custom policies for individual users, groups or specific category types. Local URL filtering controls can allow or deny specific domains or hosts. To block objectionable and unproductive material more effectively, administrators can also create or customize filtering lists.
• High-performance web caching and rating architecture allows administrators to block sites easily and automatically by category. URL ratings are cached locally on the SonicWall firewall, so that response time for subsequent access of frequently visited sites is only a fraction of a second.
• IP-based HTTPS content filtering allows administrators to control user access to web sites over encrypted HTTPS. HTTPS filtering is based on the categorical rating of web sites containing information or images that are objectionable or unproductive such as violence, hate, online banking, shopping and others.
• Scalable, cost-effective solution controls content filtering from the SonicWall firewall, eliminating the need for additional hardware or deployment expenditures on a separate dedicated filtering server.
• Content Filtering Client for roaming devices extends enforcement of internal web use policies to block objectionable and unproductive Internet content for devices located outside the firewall perimeter. The client enforces security and productivity policies whenever the device connects to the Internet regardless of where the connection is established.

SonicWall Content Filtering Service Architecture:

Deployed and managed through a SonicWall firewall, SonicWall Content Filtering Service enables IT administrators to create and enforce Internet use policies that block IT-issued endpoint devices located behind the firewall from accessing inappropriate and unproductive websites over a LAN, wireless LAN or VPN.

For roaming devices located outside the firewall perimeter, SonicWall Content Filtering Client extends security and productivity policies whenever the device connects to the Internet regardless of where the connection is established. Deployment is simplified using the enforcement capability of a SonicWall firewall and the client is managed and monitored using a powerful policy and reporting engine.

Using SonicWall Analyzer or SonicWall Global Management System (GMS), IT administrators can create real-time and historical reports on web usage.

1. SonicWall CFS user behind the firewall
2. Roaming CF Client user outside the firewall perimeter
3. Distributed SonicWall CFS ratings database
4. Local ratings cache of acceptable sites
5. Set URL polices to block objectionable or counter productive websites
6. Real-time and historical reports using SonicWall Analyzer or GMS

Compare:

*Analyzer and GMS are optional and sold separately.

Documentation:

Download the SonicWall Content Filtering Service & Content Filtering Client Data Sheet (.PDF)