What is URL filtering?

URL filtering restricts access by comparing web traffic to a database to prevent visitors from accessing unsafe, harmful websites such as phishing pages. The following article will introduce you to URL filtering. I hope it will be helpful to you.

How does URL filtering work?

URL filtering technology is used to classify websites on the Internet, comparing all web traffic to a URL filtering database and filtering it by referencing a central database that has been classified or based on what is included in the classification. Information to allow/block access to your organization's web users.

Every website defined in the database is assigned to a URL category or group, which can be used in one of two ways:

1. Block or allow traffic based on URL category. Create a URL filtering profile that specifies actions for each URL category and attach the profile to the policy. This includes categories for malware or phishing sites.

2. Match traffic according to URL categories to implement policies. If your goal is to apply a specific policy rule only to a specific web traffic category, add the category as a matching condition when you create the policy rule.

Enable URL filtering via local database lookup or by querying the cloud-based master database. Local lookups on limited but frequently visited websites ensure maximum inline performance and minimal latency for the most visited URLs, while cloud lookups provide coverage for the newest sites. To account for a company's unique traffic patterns, a cache on the device stores recently accessed URLs and is able to query a master database in the cloud for URL category information when a URL on the device is not found.

Function of URL filtering

1. Security using the same policy control mechanism applied to the application to enable web usage.

2. Reduce malware incidents by blocking access to known malware and credential-phishing sites.

3. Use whitelist (i.e. allow), blacklist (i.e. block), custom categories and database customization to customize the Web filtering control.

4. Facilitate SSL decryption strategies to enable full visibility and threat inspection across sites with typically opaque traffic.

Advantages of URL filtering

1. Companies can use URL filtering as a tool to prevent employees from accessing non-productive sites and ensure that employees’ time is not used. It will be used for non-essential activities during office hours, thus helping the organization to be more productive.

2. Enables secure web access and protects against increasingly sophisticated threats, including malware and phishing sites.

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