Content Filtering

Content filtering is the process of screening and exclusion of access to webpages or email systems that are expected to be suspicious and undesirable. Furthermore, content filtering is the means to evaluate and filter the payload contents of communication rather than only on the header values of the message. Organizations establish content filtering solutions to monitor and restrict access to web content that can be inappropriate and risky. Moreover, content filtering solutions are some of the most utilized security measures established to protect businesses and consumers from various cyberattacks. In addition, the purpose of content filtering is to block inappropriate content that may contain harmful or suspicious information.

Content filtering solution works by identifying and blocking access to specific content or webpages by identifying specific patterns in the content. The patterns may include some strings of text, or objects in an image that may signify the presence of inappropriate, suspicious and undesirable content.

Types of content filtering solutions that organization deploy depending on their business requirements include the following:

• Server-Side Filters: manages and monitors webpage traffic for every entity of a specific network infrastructure. And the content filtering solution will be deployed on a centralized server that links to computer systems in the network.
• Client-Side Filters: This type of content filtering solution will be deployed on system end users of an organization. It employs password protecting measures and further restricts capabilities of system end users through administrative privileges.
• Search-Engine Filters: The content filtering capabilities are enabled by the search engine provider, such as Google, Bing, Yahoo! and so on, that an organization depends on to run their businesses. In search-engine based content filtering, all inappropriate web contents will be blocked automatically by the provider itself as per the security policies and rules the organization establishes. In addition to webpages filtering for inappropriate contents, these filtering solutions monitor and control email systems and chat traffic that traverses the network.
• ISP-Based Filters: Besides to server and client-side content filtration solutions, organizations may establish it at the Internet Service Provider (ISP) level to have far-reaching protection measures across all systems in the entire organization.

Some benefits of content filtering solutions may include the following:

• Boost network bandwidth
• Increase staff productivity
• Reduces malware attacks, such as phishing, exploitation kits, etc.
• Protects minors, such as kids and senior people, from inappropriate content
• Reduces organization’s liabilities
• Reduces inappropriate and undesirable contents
• Prevents data leakage in an organization
• Provide Internet access protection measures