Google Searches are unfiltered

[entyp66]

Hi

 

the school uses Google as our default search engine. However, all searches using Google are now autamatically redirected to the SSL equivalent https://www.google.com. We use the web filtering service provided by our County and when we were able to use the http:// version of google, all search results were filtered by the County filter. Now that all requests to the http:// version are automatically redirected to https://, the County web filter has no effect and so inappropriate content is returned.

 

Has anyone any similar experiences or workarounds.

 

Thanks

Paul

[hardtailstar]

We have that problem in both I work in, The county web filtering team are working on it for us,

 

As we are primary schools I suggested to teachers to check search terms before lessons to avoid a picture being up on the IWB.

[Chris_Cook]

Are you using webscreen 2 supported by atomwide by any chance?

 

We had a similar issue reported to us by atomwide and they said there was an option to block access to google via https. Not ideal, but may be better than nothing.

 

The only other workaround suggested to us was to use bing.

[TomFreeman]

Hi, we had this problem two weeks ago and our council blocked google access for a number of days until this was resolved.In the end they have blocked the use of https google.https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/186669?hl=enThis article may help, we use netsweeper and had to ensure that the "Safe Search" and "Search Keyword" filters were ticked as well to ensure it blocked it.

[Gary437]

This was brought to my attention just last week and naturally I was horrified that staff ans students could access this material. I was similarly astounded that local authorities had not known of this and taken appropriate action For those who have Smoothwall filtering, please see their knowledge base, which has a quick and painless fix for this problem, well done Smoothie For those who do not have Smoothwall, I'm afraid I have no other solution but to block Google until a more permanent fix is found.

[masonac]

Which solution did you use Gary?

[Gary437]

I'm a Smoothie user

[ThePalmist]

Not so easy when you have an estate with 100+ smoothwalls. This should really have been picked up by firewall itself.

[masonac]

I am too. Did you use the Enable Google NoSSL content modification policy? We've put that in place, but searches are still unfiltered for a transparent proxy user.

[timbo343]

Just to let any smoothie users know, there is an update coming to stop this... @CJF @tom_newton will be able to confirm this

[Edu-IT]

What's the Smoothwall fix listed on their support site? I can't login right now. Grr!

[ThePalmist]

I am too. Did you use the Enable Google NoSSL content modification policy? We've put that in place, but searches are still unfiltered for a transparent proxy user.

This was a waste of my precious time.

[ThePalmist]

Just to let any smoothie users know, there is an update coming to stop this... @CJF @tom_newton will be able to confirm this

Why are we always chasing tails.

[Renfield-64]

Hi, not sure which filtering service you use but we use SWGFL. We had the same problem and it turned out to be caused by our 'Allow' rules in the filtering options. I got rid of a lot of these and didn't have any further problems.

 

[john]

Why are we always chasing tails.

 

How about if Google don't keep changing things without telling everyone in advance then people wouldn't play catchup. They are a bit like Apple they like it secret until as late as possible, they have made a lot of changes of late to Google again and that changes how things work and have to be done so I'd say that is a little bit of a harsh comment when Google is out of the hands of Smoothwall and other filtering suppliers they just have to badger them / nag them / wait for them to tell them what they have done to adjust and update the product.

[LoLoh]

Formerly the site: Google would work for NON SSL searches, now the Google link just forwards you right over to HTTPS. We used to have a DNS entry that would redirect all Google searches to the non secure site; Now it looks like everything is https, including you tube :-( We used to have the youtube.com/education working where only filtered videos would come up; now just pop in https and watch what ever you want. Sounds like most of the filtering appliances don't have a solution for this...