Blocking individual Google sites. Can it be done?

[tmoon-mint]

Looking for any help in resolving this.

 

I have recently come across a site boasting about how it was impossible to be blocked by our filtering system. It contains games that are, inappropriate to say the least.

 

Link: https://sites.google.com/site/punblockedgames/

 

Would it be possible to block this URL on a per site basis, or would it block google sites in its entirety? Anyone see any issues if we did block sites.google.com?

 

Kind Regards

[gtg93]

Am I missing something?

 

Can't you just block the URL https://sites.google.com/site/punblockedgames/ ?

 

edit: remember to email the owner of the site telling them you blocked it

Edited November 11, 2014 by gtg93

[tmoon-mint]

Thats what I thought, but with the statement on the front page claiming it was impossible to block I didnt want to just go ahead and block the URL if it wasnt going to work. Seems the creator is simply to put it in professional terms "full of it"

[6Foot2]

...Would it be possible to block this URL on a per site basis, or would it block google sites in its entirety? Anyone see any issues if we did block sites.google.com?

 

Kind Regards

 

Browsing to https://sites.google.com/ takes me to MyGoogle Site [Logged into Chrome] When I am not logged in using Internet Explorer Google asks that I login before I proceed:

 

http://i.snag.gy/t6Xdl.jpg

 

How much use do your students make of these Google pages/sites?

[6Foot2]

Thats what I thought, but with the statement on the front page claiming it was impossible to block...

 

It is not 'Impossible' to block. We are successfully blocking this page using just '*punblockedgames*' as the trigger word in Impero.

[hallb15]

I think what they are referring to is that to block using the URL you would have to block sites.google.com which would block some legitimate google sites.

This is what I have found to be the case with Surfprotect.

I can block the keyword punblockedgames to prevent the children from searching for it, but if they have a link to the URL they could still access it.

[6Foot2]

I think what they are referring to is that to block using the URL you would have to block sites.google.com which would block some legitimate google sites...

 

Then they are mistaken. As I said we use the keyword '*punblockedgames*' to block any pages where this string appears in the URL and only those pages.

[bossman]

Blocked here under our https redirect policy on Smoothwall!

 

[sonofsanta]

Just checked the site.

 

If it can never be blocked, why is there a post from 3rd October saying "If the website gets blocked, I just backed it up. Click here."?

 

[gtg93]

If blocking it doesn't work with whatever filtering control you use (censornet appears to block it OK for use here, once the URL you supplied is added to blacklisted sites) - just add it to the proxy bypass via a GPO if it's really a problem and you don't want to block Google sites.

[IrritableTech]

The issue as I understand it depends on which filtering technology you are using, and in some cases how you are implementing it. It's not impossible, but depends on what technology you're using to ensure the desired effect.

@tmoon-mint you haven't explained which filtering technology you use, but let me try and explain;

 

Many filters struggle with https sites because the traffic is encrypted between the site, and the end user. If you attempt to inspect that traffic your browser will detect a Man in the Middle attack - quite rightly too. The browsers have been designed to protect their users data.

 

Products which don't inspect the traffic only get to see the base URL (in this case https://sites.google.com) and the certificate. Everything after that is encrypted. Products which do inspect traffic tend to be proxy servers. The browser is configured to use a proxy, so it expects that the data will have been seen or tampered with by a third party.

 

Products like Smoothwall can be implemented in various different ways - as a proxy (either transparent or not) it can inspect the traffic and filter these unhelpful sites out - but it isn't always that straight forward. Where as products like Lightspeed use Layer 2 to categorise traffic by default - to complete this deeper inspection you have to use its proxy functionality. Impero (not a true filter I wouldn't have said, but includes some filtering options) is installed on the end user machine and therefore works differently again.

 

The people who create these sites do so on google sites because it's free and it's easy, but perhaps most importantly because they understand that there are also some very useful google sites for education, and it's a good tool to allow pupils to create something public and therefore it is usually unblocked in school.

 

The same issue effects all https sites. Google, twitter, facebook etc. The industry is moving to secure sites so end users feel secure, but it is complicating filtering for those of us with a safeguarding role.

[rad]

We had this and in the end I think I just blocked Google sites.

[thebyronic]

Had the same problem with this damn website and some similar other sites..

The kids thought they were very clever as for ages our proxy was to old to block https traffic. But now have impero and things are brilliant!

[mwalpole]

Hi Tmoon-mint,

 

Yes it is possible to block the individual sites. You can either do this yourself if you have SWURL, or you can request one of our helpdesk do this for you by either telephoning 0300 303 89 60 or emailing [email protected]

 

Kind regards

 

Marc

[nudosu]

How can i block this website unblockedgames66sites.com ? i tried every solution possible but unable to fix this.

[Guest Guest]

Does your web filter have a keyword scanner? If so add unblockedgames

[rogerdnixon]

If you use Securly - just add *unblocked games* etc. If you use Chrome you can also just blacklist the specific URL in the URL blacklist Group Policy or blacklist in Chrome Management Policy if using G Suite.

[nudosu]

If you use Securly - just add *unblocked games* etc. If you use Chrome you can also just blacklist the specific URL in the URL blacklist Group Policy or blacklist in Chrome Management Policy if using G Suite.

 

 

Your solution worked for me. Thanks For Help.