Web filtering for Education

The Internet: a double-edged tool

Today, educational resources stretch far beyond the walls of the classroom and covers of books. Students' use of the Web for research and course work is no longer optional – it's essential. While the Internet's worldwide reach is undoubtedly beneficial, it also puts students and educational institutions at risk of harmful contact and inappropriate content. The Web's dangers include:

  • Materials of a sexual or violent nature
  • Piracy and illegal downloads of software, music, or video
  • Spyware, viruses and phishing
  • Solicitation by sexual predators
  • Online bullying or harassment

Productivity is also impacted. Internet abuse by students in schools adds up to hours wasted on social networking sites and sapped bandwidth thanks to media downloads. It can impact students looking to use the Internet for educational purposes.

Any school or library subject to the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) is required to adopt and enforce a policy to monitor online activities of minors. This policy must address, among other concerns, their access to inappropriate and harmful matter on the Internet; safety and security when using email, chat rooms, and other forms of electronic communications; unauthorized access ("hacking") and other unlawful activities; as well as the unauthorized disclosure, use, and dissemination of their personal information.

Although the majority of U.S. schools limit or block websites to protect students, students are finding ways around the system. They are bypassing URL Web filters with anonymous proxies. This is especially distressing since school administrators are required - by law and by parents - to protect children from the Internet's pernicious aspects.

Resolution

Fix the problem before it starts.

Bloxx's patented Tru-View-Technology determines whether a user can view a requested website or not. It filters inappropriate and harmful content as well as bandwidth-consuming and productivity-lowering gaming and social networking sites.

Tru-View Technology Internet filtering software demystifies the Internet's increasing depth and complexity to rapidly classify Web traffic in real time with extreme accuracy. Established technology is coupled with innovative identification and contextual analysis techniques. The result? Minute-by-minute control over the Web within your network, protected Internet users, and peace of mind.

Tru-View Technology blocks anonymous proxies by looking for common words and phrases, plus the code structures characteristic of such sites. The Internet filter analyzes the relationships between these elements, building levels of classification with extreme accuracy. All layers of a site are examined to find hidden proxy functionality.

The scope of education is nearly boundless, and many types of websites must be accessed by users. The flexible group policies within Bloxx's Internet filtering system adapt to these diverse requirements. Thorough, clear reporting reveals whether group Internet policies are satisfactory or if they need fine-tuning. Also, invaluable real-time Internet monitoring reveals which users violate policies and how frequently.

In short, Tru-View Technology enables schools and institutions to monitor and block internet usage, preserve bandwidth, fend off malware, and fight and beat anonymous proxies in order to:

  • Protect children
  • Improve productivity
  • Improve online safety
  • Reduce legal liability
  • Increase internet use for educational purposes

Our customers include private and public schools, colleges, universities, research organizations, and local education authorities.

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