Content Filtering (Surf Protection)

Astaro’s Content Filtering application can measure or block access to 60 categories of web sites. Sophisticated URL classification methods ensure accuracy and completeness in identifying questionable web sites. Comprehensive reporting gives administrators the data to analyze web behavior in their organization.

Flexible Policy Creation

Astaro’s Content Filtering lets administrators define web access policies quickly and precisely. A point-and-click web interface makes it easy to define profiles of inappropriate web sites from among 60 categories. Administrators can tailor profiles for their organization by aggregating the categories into 18 customizable groups and by creating whitelists and blacklists of web sites that should be accessible or blocked.

Comprehensive Coverage

A database of categorized web sites currently includes more than 60 million entries. This is the largest database available for any commercial URL filtering system.

To assign web pages to categories they are analyzed using sophisticated classification techniques such as:

Text Classification: Web pages are rated using factors such as the frequency of word occurrences and word combinations.

Optical Character Recognition: Text on images is captured and analyzed.

Visual Object Recognition: Symbols, logos, and trademarks are used to categorize web sites.

Porn Detection: Flesh tone images and face recognition are used to identify pictures with high concentrations of non-facial flesh.

The database classifies web pages in 13 languages.

If a user requests a web page that is not included in the database, the URL is sent to the web crawlers and classified within 24 hours.

Detailed Reporting

Astaro’s Content Filtering provides detailed reporting of web traffic and denial incidents. Administrators can use these capabilities to understand user behavior, prioritize problems, and determine appropriate web use policies.