Open source web filters are used in schools and businesses to block inappropriate sites, but administrators should check the license and update blacklists for proxy sites. Whitelists should also be developed to avoid blocking essential sites. Administrators should review network history reports and add any inappropriate sites to the blacklist. Commercial use of open source web filters may be prohibited by some licenses.
The open source web filter is used in many businesses and schools to block inappropriate or time-wasting websites so students and employees can focus on learning and work. Administrators should always check the open source license that comes with an open source web filtering program, because many state that commercial or corporate use is prohibited. When administrators update program blacklists, they should pay special attention to looking for proxy websites, because many people use them to bypass filters. While web filters are supposed to block malicious or unnecessary websites, sometimes they block too much, so administrators should also focus on developing a whitelist. Web filters usually come with a pre-installed list of blocked websites, but some users may find a website that should be on the list but isn’t; to avoid ensuing problems, administrators should scan history reports and add new websites to the blacklist as needed.
Most open source web filtering programs are used in companies, but this could be a problem. Many open source licenses disallow commercial or business use of the web filter, which means that the business can end up embroiled in a lawsuit if the use is discovered. To avoid this possibility, administrators should read the license agreement carefully before deploying the filter over the network.
When a web filter is active, it is told to restrict computers with certain Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. If a user is able to change their IP address using a proxy, they effectively bypass all open source web filtering restrictions. Many web filters quickly and automatically update the blacklist of proxy websites, but administrators should look for new proxy websites and make sure they are on the list.
Web filters sometimes do their job too well and block a website that isn’t malicious or inappropriate; even worse, they can block an essential website for users to do their jobs. This possibility means that administrators should develop an open source web filtering whitelist. The whitelist, as opposed to the blacklist, is a list of websites that users can access, even if the websites would normally be blocked.
An open source web filtering program typically comes with millions of restricted websites, and it is rare for a user to stumble upon a website that should be blocked but isn’t. At the same time, administrators should review network history reports, just to check for inappropriate website usage. If any websites are found, you need to add them to the web filter blacklist.
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