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What is URL Filtering

URL filtering allows businesses to restrict the content their users can access online. URL Filtering solutions are mainly implemented to prevent staff from accessing online material unrelated to work, inappropriate or illegal content, or websites associated with phishing attempts.

Traditionally URL filtering was used as a means to enhance staff productivity levels by blocking access to unproductive websites. However with such a rise in malicious online security threats, URL filtering is increasingly being implemented to protect from sophisticated malware and phishing attacks.

With staff spending so much time online it’s only a matter of time before someone encounters a phishing or malware attempt – and falling foul to such an attack, without any protection, can expose organizations to a wide range of security risks, data loss, or legal issues.

By implementing a URL Filtering solution, organizations can minimize these threats and protect their users and network, while also enhancing staff productivity levels.

Did You Know?

72%

businesses experienced a DNS attack

60,000

malware & spyware domains categorised a day

53

predefined categories by default

7%

of websites tested by Google for malware were infected

How URL Filtering Works

URL filtering blocks certain URLs from loading on a company network, by comparing all web traffic against a URL filtering database.

Each website contained within the database is assigned to a category. Each category contains a group of URLs related to the same topic and categories can be either “blocked” or “allowed”. Network administrators can categorise inappropriate topics like pornography or gambling websites, and also all known URLs used for phishing attacks. If a user attempts to reach a blocked URL within these categories, they will be redirected to a "blocked" page.

URL filtering can block individual URLs, also, that are known to be dangerous or inappropriate. However blocking categories is much more efficient - it allows large groups of URLs to be blocked at once instead of having to identify hundreds of individual URLs.

DNS Filtering

DNS filtering blocks full websites, as opposed to individual URLs contained within a site.

URL filtering is much more granular in that it allows organizations block individual pages contained within a website, however this requires much more overhead and customization on the part of network administrators.

In practice, most organizations use a combination of both as part of their overall security strategy.

URL filtering blocks certain URLs from loading on a company network, by comparing all web traffic against a URL filtering database.

URL Filtering Solutions from TitanHQ

Our WebTitan Cloud URL Filtering solution provides full control over the web content that can be accessed by employees and customers, enabling organizations to fully protect their networks and users from malicious security threats, and to enhance staff productivity.

WebTitan - a 100% cloud-based solution - is quick and easy to install, with no discernible impact on internet speed. It has a low management overhead and can be used on any system to protect any number of users.

Our DNS-based URL filtering solution can be implemented by simply changing your organization’s DNS settings and pointing them to TitanHQ. No software downloads are required and no additional hardware needs to be purchased - making it an ideal choice for MSPs.

Hear from our Customers

The protection we needed for our church and school.

What do you like best about WebTitan Web Filter? Web Titan provides internet filtering for everyone that walks through our doors and connects to our WiFi or wired internet. It allows us to protect our students and guests from inappropriate websites and phishing schemes. Recommendations to others considering WebTitan Web Filter: WebTitan Web Filter is a complete filtering solution for churches, schools, and other organizations. It is relatively easy to administer and the reporting is excellent. What problems is WebTitan Web Filter solving and how is that benefiting you? Anyone who connected to our WiFi or wired internet could go anywhere or be blasted with any kind of inappropriate content. It allows us to protect our students and guests from harmful websites and ads.

Mark M.

Small-Business

WebTitan Integration with my Active Directory Server is a game changer for me

What do you like best about WebTitan Web Filter? I am able to set access policies that fit each user and fit different groups. I have a lot of control when used in conjunction with my router DNS settings and my Active Directory server. The age ranges using our computers is from 9 to 43 so being able to customize and group at the same time saves a tremendous amount of oversight effort and leaves enough flexibility to meet all our needs. What problems is WebTitan Web Filter solving and how is that benefiting you? Content filtering and managing available content during productivity hours.

Jason M.

Software Enginner

Simple to install and easy to configure, but still very powerful

What do you like best about WebTitan Web Filter? We had three requirements for a web gateway/proxy server: 1. It must be able to integrate with Active Directory to avoid users entering another set of credentials. 2. It must be possible to place users in specific groups of defined levels of access. 3. Reporting must be simple and clear to be able to provide feedback to management. WebTitan did all three of these with little hassle. Recommendations to others considering WebTitan Web Filter: Download the trial and install it. We had it up and running in under 2 hours from when we started the download. It is the best way to see if it will meet your needs. What problems is WebTitan Web Filter solving and how is that benefiting you? Users can spend a lot of time on websites that results in WAN connections to be misused. With WebTitan we have much better control over this.

Ewert S.

Engineering Manager

Excellent Product

What do you like best about WebTitan Web Filter? Very easy setup - 5 minutes to configure. Detailed reporting. Easy to use. Very good support. What problems is WebTitan Web Filter solving and how is that benefiting you? Filtering websites for malicious URL's.

Shlomi F.

VP Sales & Business Development

Very strict service when set up properly

What do you like best about WebTitan Web Filter? I have a feeling of comfort knowing that users are not able to get to compromised websites, and NSFW websites as well. It blocks everything! Sometimes a little too much if that is such a thing, haha. Recommendations to others considering WebTitan Web Filter: If you have a VM, install their OS on your box to help with even more filtering! What problems is WebTitan Web Filter solving and how is that benefiting you? No breach into our system at all since the installation of WebTitan Web Filter (Hybrid) I also know that users cannot access things they shouldn't be accessing as well.

Josh F.

IT Administrator

Register for a Free 14-Day Trial of WebTitan with URL Filtering

Why not try WebTitan Cloud for free and see for yourself? During the trial, you will benefit from full technical and customer support, and will receive assistance getting started and applying your filtering controls.

No obligation is required.

To take advantage of this offer and to find out more about TitanHQ’s range of web filtering options, contact us today.

Susan Morrow

Susan Morrow

  • DNS FILTERING
  • WEB FILTERING
  • CONTENT FILTERING

Talk to our Team today

Talk to our Team today