Web Filtering Software: Understanding Web Filtering In The Workplace

Web filtering software allows employers to block access to particular websites on company computers

. The technology permits the user to identify specific types of sites for restricted access. For example, an employer could block pornographic, gaming, shopping, and humor websites. Individual web filtering programs use different methods of classification, but more on that below.

Why Would Employers Use Web Filtering?

There are many reasons business owners and management use web filtering software. Foremost among them is to help stop internet-based wasted time, which amounts to a little more than 2 hours per day, on average, according to a survey jointly executed by Salary.com and America Online.

No industry or company is insulated from diminished productivity resulting from employee abuse of internet access. It's a universal problem, present everywhere people have the tendency to procrastinate, goof around, or just get caught up in online distractions.

Web filtering software is also an important security measure for the workplace. When employees surf the web or open spam in personal email accounts, they expose their computers and entire networks to malware threats and other data loss risks.

How Does Web Filtering Software Classify Websites?

Web filtering software uses various methods to make determinations about the nature of a website's content and its primary purpose. Some analyze the text, looking at the overall terminology and frequency of certain words and considering the context in which they're used. Some programs perform flesh tone analysis, looking at how much skin is exposed in a website's pictures to identify pornography.

These two methods are not particularly reliable on their own. While they often do a good job of blocking undesirable sites, they tend to get carried away and result in a high number of false positives. That is, they end up restricting access to a lot more sites than they should.

A third method, and the strongest of the three, uses a compiled database of site categorization. A web filtering software's manufacturer sends out web crawlers similar to those used by search engines to index and rank websites. These crawlers examine and categorize sites relying on custom logic. Categorizing uses a mix of text analysis, looking at the originating sites of inbound links, domain ownership considerations, and additional characteristics.

Choosing Web Filtering Software for the Workplace

When shopping for web filtering software, opt for a manufacturer with proven results over the long term. The best programs are made by companies with extensive experience creating an array of internet monitoring and control software. Website categorization methods should blend the approaches described above for the most accurate, reliable results. Beyond that, humans input should verify automated results, which is the secret ingredient to cutting-edge web filtration technology. Also, don't put too much stock in the size of the categorized database any given software uses, especially if it seems exorbitant compared to many competitors; some companies count every individual page of a website to inflate their count.

by: Carole Fleenor

POST COMMENT

Choosing The Right Type Of Web Hosting Professional Web Design Is The Most Important Thing Required To Attract Users Simple Macrotypographic Techniques For A More Readable Web Design The Function Of Textures In Web Design Great Hotel Deals: How To Use The Web To Find The Best Prices Best Web Development Company | Web Designing Company Web Designing Company Usa - Web Maintenance Translators Role In Clarifying Some Misconceptions On Best Of That To Empire Of Miscellania Missions Why To Choose A Web Design Company In Mumbai Clarifying Significant Elements In Web Hosting Review Tips For Web Designers The Importance Of Working With A Skilled Web Designer