What is Content Filtering?

Content filtering is a system that enables an organisation to monitor the activities of all personnel who have access to a PC.

Content filtering systems filter emails according to a criteria set by the management of the organisation and either block them or prevent them being sent. It can, for example, let a manager know that a particular employee is perhaps looking at pornography. Or it can keep a record of emails that can be inspected later if, for example, an employee is accused of harassing a colleague or sending abusive email or racist material.

Content filtering is a key part of Internet Security where the technology is used to do as it says on the tin and that’s ‘filter content’ coming in from the web so users are free from unwanted content, often porn. A key vendor of Content Filtering is Websense who have superb SME and Enterprise solutions whilst major security vendor Symantec on acquiring Brightmail in 2004 integrated content filtering within their antivirus solution. Kaspersky has content filtering built into their hosted web security solutions and Webroot, SmoothWall, Clearswift, GFI, Bluecoat, Edgewave, F-Secure and Bloxx are just some of many other vendors who supply Content Filtering solutions.