WebDefence Frequently Asked Questions

What is WebDefence?

WebDefence is a suite of on-demand services from BlackSpider Technologies that protects organisations from threats contained inside web traffic and allows customers to control Internet access.

WebDefence is available as two different services, what does each do?

There are two WebDefence services, Threat Manager and Access Manager.

Threat Manager is designed to block threats entering the organisation through web traffic.

Access Manager enforces Internet acceptable use policy by restricting or blocking access to certain sites.

How do the WebDefence services work?

WebDefence is a service which sits at the Internet level running as a proxy. This means all web (HTTP, HTTPS & FTP) traffic from an organisation's network is routed via the WebDefence infrastructure, where the content is scanned and the policy applied.

Will using WebDefence slow down my web pages?

No. The average delay created by scanning the pages is measured in milliseconds so the delay is not perceptible.

How does an organisation route all its web traffic via WebDefence?

There are several ways to deploy WebDefence within an organisation , the most effective way will depend on the organisation's requirements and their existing IT infrastructure.

These include:

Chained Proxy: If the organisation already uses a proxy server it is possible to configure WebDefence to run as a chained proxy. This means the existing proxy forwards all traffic to WebDefence.

Firewall Redirect: Many firewalls contain an application layer proxy for HTTP that can forward requests to a specific destination.

Standard Proxy Configuration: It is possible to configure any web browser to use a proxy server. Proxy server settings can either be configured manually on an individual PC or can be centrally deployed using directory services such as Active Directory and in some cases DHCP servers.

Does WebDefence work for roaming laptop users or home users?

Yes, because WebDefence sits in the Internet cloud, users can proxy directly from anywhere in the world. Unlike product-based solutions this allows the IT team to protect roaming users and maintain full control over them without back-hauling all their web traffic over a VPN – wasting significant bandwidth.

Can BlackSpider track the activities of an individual end-user?

Yes, BlackSpider WebDefence provides detailed per user reporting/tracking. For this feature to work, users should be forced to authenticate.

Do all users have to authenticate?

All roaming users must identify themselves to WebDefence so that it knows which policy to apply to them. User authentication is not required to protect users from malware and spyware threats and inappropriate content. However, where user surfing activity is to be tracked the user must authenticate with the service for reporting purposes.

Is the WebDefence infrastructure highly available?

Yes, WebDefence consists of a global network of clusters, with automatic load balancing between the clusters. In the event a machine or a complete cluster failed, web traffic is automatically directed to another cluster with no noticeable impact on the user.

Can you block instant messaging over the HTTP channel using WebDefence?

By locking your firewall down so that all web traffic is proxied to WebDefence you can control who is allowed access to instant messaging and log all requests at a per user level.

What kind of reports are available?

The BlackSpider WebDefence and MailControl integrated reporting engine provides the best reporting functionality in the industry. Reports range from malware received to granular user tracking and are available for a range of periods. Detailed user level SLA reporting is also available.

Can I get reports for user activity for certain times of the day?

Yes, detailed reports are available for definable periods of time.

How is WebDefence licensed?

WebDefence is licensed on the number of users of the service; i.e. the total number of users who will be routed via the WebDefence proxies.

How can I trial WebDefence?

BlackSpider offers a no obligation proof of concept of the WebDefence and MailControl services. Because individual users' browsers can be easily proxied, WebDefence can be trialled by a small number of users.

top | back to WebDefence main