SWGFL User Based Filtering

[Theldron]

Hi all,

 

We have been looking at the new user based filtering from SWGFL, I have been discussing this with SWGFL and our options and this is what I recieved from them.

 

Please be aware that without user filtering you will not receive the user level usage reports that have become a requirement in the new Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance. Nor will you be providing age appropriate filtering

 

Now I have checked the Keeping Children safe in Education revised for Sept 2016 and I see nothing regarding providing 'User level usage reports' all I have found is regarding 'appropriate filtering and monitoring'. At the moment we use SWGFL Safetynet for filtering and ABTutor for monitoring keywords etc. The school at the moment is also looking at a Sophos UTM, depending on funds, so do not want to commit to SWGFL UBF if we are getting the UTM, but I am looking at options which is why I am talking to SWGFL.

 

What are others views on this? Are SWGFL just trying it on with their response? Or is there something in the Keeping Safe in Education guideline that I have missed?

 

Thanks

[Steve21]

You need to be able to tell what users have accessed what websites etc. Now by default RM doesn't do this. (Nor Impero/AbTutor etc unless you're using their proxy service I think? Monitoring keywords isn't the same as being able to say who's viewed any websites. But if you are I don't see why that couldn't count as your requirements)

 

Many thanks,

Steve

[Boredguy]

Also the RM User Based Filtering requires you to set a proxy address, so if you are using BYoD and using transparent proxy the likelihood of having user access recorded is low compared to other filtering solutions that have a logon page regardless if your using transparent or not.

 

I've not spoken to anyone using it yet, and I don't really want to have to reset everyone's passwords just so the RM tool can re-salt the password to their system

[Theldron]

Thanks for the replies.

 

The ABTutor monitoring only works with IE and I am trying to encourage the use of Chrome in school. What do you guys use for user monitoring?

 

Cheers

[dblight]

We have just switched one of our sites to it. RM need to make it more intuitive. I'm still to see how the reporting element works.

[RichCowell]

You need to be able to tell what users have accessed what websites etc. Now by default RM doesn't do this. (Nor Impero/AbTutor etc unless you're using their proxy service I think? Monitoring keywords isn't the same as being able to say who's viewed any websites. But if you are I don't see why that couldn't count as your requirements)

 

Many thanks,

Steve

 

Impero does log all websites visited by default....

 

Monitoring keywords is only part of the solution - it's the keyword lists it monitors for that's the other and more significant part - unless you've got a solution in place that's extensive in its content, it's going to miss something, and I don't think would be classed as appropriate...

[Steve21]

Impero does log all websites visited by default.....

 

Isn't that only when Impero proxy is activated so traffic is going through it? As some schools don't use it for filtering it wouldn't log I thought?

 

Steve

[Boredguy]

Isn't that only when Impero proxy is activated so traffic is going through it? As some schools don't use it for filtering it wouldn't log I thought?

 

Steve

Correct Steve

 

Any device without Impero running would not be logged, but it does record any site regardless if your using it for filtering (as long as you have the IE BHO and the Chrome extension enabled that is)

It does not get round the monitoring/logging of sites on BYoD devices though =(

[RM_Broadband]

In response to the queries raised so far:

 

The Keeping Children Safe in Education statutory guidance (relating specifically to filtering) requires every school to provide age appropriate filtering and to identify users attempting to access inappropriate content online. RM SafetyNet user filtering provides a simple way to apply rules to groups of users and view internet usage reports. These reports are going to be released over August ready for September.

 

We are working on a method to implement secure user filtering without having to reset user passwords; we’ll communicate when this is available. There are many improvements and new features being worked on right now for RM SafetyNet, all feedback is appreciated, please do speak to the SWGfL team or call direct through to RM for more information.

[speckytecky]

Crackling useful thread - thanks @sadams1980

[charlie13561]

Any update on this RM Broadband? WHere do we sign up to test it so we can give feedback?

[kidpressingbuttons]

Resurrecting this- does anyone know if you need to define a proxy server for UBF to work? or will it run on transparent?

[dblight]

Resurrecting this- does anyone know if you need to define a proxy server for UBF to work? or will it run on transparent?

 

You will need to specify we use sslfilter.staffproxy.swgfl.org.uk:8080 for staff and sslfilter.swgfl.org.uk:8080 for students. The filter does not work on transparent.

[kidpressingbuttons]

Awesome thanks for clearing that up.

[Opendium_Steve]

You will need to specify we use sslfilter.staffproxy.swgfl.org.uk:8080 for staff and sslfilter.swgfl.org.uk:8080 for students. The filter does not work on transparent.

 

Doesn't that rather stuff any schools with BYOD? Surely if you don't do user based filtering on BYOD networks you're not fulfilling your safeguarding responsibilities?

[dblight]

Doesn't that rather stuff any schools with BYOD? Surely if you don't do user based filtering on BYOD networks you're not fulfilling your safeguarding responsibilities?

 

Possibly. We removed access to BYOD facilities when the kids starting downloading proxy apps to bypass the filtering.

 

It would probably cause issues in other schools with BYOD in use.

[speckytecky]

Hey up @RM_Broadband your useful post was posted over a year ago now. Is there update, please?

 

Having been told by your UK based Support Team that UBF would achieve all our goals in an easily carried out process, I'm currently in the process of trying to set up SWGfL UBF but can't say I'm either finding the process easy to understand or achieve and the feedback I'm getting from this and its more current sister Edugeek internet-related-filtering-firewall thread is in the least encouraging toward UBF and quite frankly at the moment, I'm wishing I'd explored other options more deeply.

 

In response to the queries raised so far:

 

The Keeping Children Safe in Education statutory guidance (relating specifically to filtering) requires every school to provide age appropriate filtering and to identify users attempting to access inappropriate content online. RM SafetyNet user filtering provides a simple way to apply rules to groups of users and view internet usage reports. These reports are going to be released over August ready for September.

 

We are working on a method to implement secure user filtering without having to reset user passwords; we’ll communicate when this is available. There are many improvements and new features being worked on right now for RM SafetyNet, all feedback is appreciated, please do speak to the SWGfL team or call direct through to RM for more information.

[paulellam]

Hi specky, we move to user based filter last Sept and the process went smoothly, RM did the server based part remotely and our users did have to change password for this to take effect but was good reason to force a change of password in my view. The system allows us to make allow/deny changes to filtering on a group basis i.e Year 6 could be allowed Pinterest if required. It also made my life easier with allowing staff access to websites.

 

The other bonus is the SafetyNet portal to look at internet activity, you can download a spread sheet for a particular users history for a day etc which has been useful in circumstances.

 

I give it a plus as it does not take too much of my time to manage this setup, once its up and running it works.

[speckytecky]

Superb, thank you duly, given, @paulellam

 

It sounds to me like RM had a rather; dare I say it, an unfair set of feedback on this thread. The product sounds to be just what's needed. Today I had a really reassuring conversation with one of their support crew as well.

 

Hi specky, we move to user based filter last Sept and the process went smoothly, RM did the server based part remotely and our users did have to change password for this to take effect but was good reason to force a change of password in my view. The system allows us to make allow/deny changes to filtering on a group basis i.e Year 6 could be allowed Pinterest if required. It also made my life easier with allowing staff access to websites.

 

The other bonus is the SafetyNet portal to look at internet activity, you can download a spread sheet for a particular users history for a day etc which has been useful in circumstances.

 

I give it a plus as it does not take too much of my time to manage this setup, once its up and running it works.

[RM_Broadband]

Thank you for your feedback @paulellam, we are glad you’re happy with the user-based filtering functionality that RM SafetyNet now offers.

@speckytecky glad our support team managed to reassure you and help solve your problem. The support team is there to assist our users so please call them if you need help or take advantage of the new Web Chat feature. Web Chat is accessed via ? Support at the top of the SafetyNet portal.

 

We are constantly looking to improve SafetyNet’s usability, so please Give feedback if there is any functionality that you’d like to see added in the future. You can Give feedback by clicking on your name in the top right corner of the SafetyNet portal.

[charlie13561]

Just upgraded to the UBF option, only day it could be done was 21st, last day of school term so will have to wait for students returning before I can test in ernest!!1 Watch this space

[Opendium_Steve]

Possibly. We removed access to BYOD facilities when the kids starting downloading proxy apps to bypass the filtering.

 

Your filtering really should be doing a reasonable job of blocking proxy/VPN apps - it it isn't, work with your filtering provider to get that fixed.

 

BYOD at least gives the school some control and monitoring capabilities, even if it isn't as much a you'd like. By removing that you're just pushing the kids onto their mobile data connections so you've lost whatever safeguarding capabilities you had. I guess that pushing the kids off onto 4G reduces the school's liabilities to some extent since it can then be declared "somebody else's problem" but it surely isn't a great thing for safeguarding the kids... We've found that the best thing to do is give kids fairly permissive access to the internet whilst blocking VPNs as far as possible - that at least encourages them to use your network where you can monitor them.

[dblight]

We did report all the found apps to SWGFL who did block them. However the kids just found more.

 

We have since binned SWGFL in favour of another ISP with onsite smoothwall so now it's easy to manage ourselves

[speckytecky]

Hopefully, the SWGfL /RM folk who visit this Forum have taken note?

 

We did report all the found apps to SWGFL who did block them. However the kids just found more.

 

We have since binned SWGFL in favour of another ISP with onsite smoothwall so now it's easy to manage ourselves

[speckytecky]

One of the reasons we switched to SWGfFL's/RM's UBF was to enable certain management staff to have access t the likes of LinkedIn and Twitter from their mobile Apple devices. Personally, I'm delighted with the way our filtering now works - it's doing a great job and was actually easier to get in place than I'd first envisaged. However, if I set sslfilter.userproxy.swfgfl.org.uk:8080 as the manual setting with authentication and populate that in the settings on a mobile Apple device it fails and I have to revert to sslfilter.proxy.swfgfl.org.uk:8080 for the member of staff to succeed in connecting to the wider world. Has anyone else using the sslfilter.userproxy.xxxx.org.uk proxy succeeded with mobile Apple devices and if you have how did you achieve it, please?