LGfL Webscreen or other Filtering solution?

[fiza]

I had a poll back in March 2015 asking if Schools that were with London Grid for Learning stuck with Webscreen or if they had an alternate web filter. Now with the introduction of Keeping Children Safe In Education guidance I wonder how many schools are staying with Webscreen? Does it provide 'appropriate filtering'? The guidance points to the UK Safer Internet Centre for what appropriate might look like

 

Filtering System Features

 

Additionally schools should consider that their filtering system meets the following principles

 

Age appropriate, differentiated filtering – includes the ability to vary filtering strength appropriate to age and role

Control - has the ability and ease of use that allows schools to control the filter themselves to permit or deny access to specific content

Filtering Policy – the filtering provider publishes a rationale that details their approach to filtering with classification and categorisation as well as over blocking

Identification - the filtering system should have the ability to identify users

Mobile and App content – isn’t limited to filtering web traffic and includes the blocking of inappropriate content via mobile and app technologies

Multiple language support – the ability for the system to manage relevant languages

Network level - filtering should be applied at ‘network level’ ie, not reliant on any software on user devices

Reporting mechanism – the ability to report inappropriate content for access or blocking

Reports – the system offers clear historical information on the websites visited by your users

 

 

 

Does Webscreen do all of this?

Edited November 28, 2016 by fiza

[DavR]

Webscreen does all of this, according to the LGfL's own assessment anyway - see http://filtering.lgfl.net. See also http://kcsie.lgfl.net.

 

I'm fairly happy with Webscreen as a product, although it took a while to get my head around. Certainly for a primary like us I wouldn't consider shelling out for another product when we already have this, much as it would be nice to have AD integration.

[DavidYoung]

Hi Fiza,

 

We are LGfL and use Webscreen. I'm not a huge fan of the product as I feel it is inflexible in many areas because it is designed to meet the basic needs of 2,500 schools rather than the individual needs of a few. The biggest let downs are not integrating with AD/other user management systems and the slow reporting. Here is my take on the points raised:

 

Age appropriate, differentiated filtering – Yes, but only if you use user-level filters requiring everyone to log on again to browse web

Control - Yes, control through the support site. Not most friendly interface and has some limitations.

Filtering Policy – The description of the categories is pretty good.

Identification - Only with user-level filtering as above.

Mobile and App content – Not really. As it doesn't intercept SSL, which many apps run on it can't really do content filtering. Also apps can bypass, e.g. Youtube app seems to bypass blocking.

Multiple language support – Not that I'm aware of.

Network level - Yes, this works quite well.

Reporting mechanism – Reports take a very long time to generate and are only useful if using user-level filtering.

Reports – Some reports though could do with more and easier access.

 

The biggest problem in my view is the requirement for everyone to log on again to Webscreen for user-level filtering to work and make the reports actually useful. There are many issues with this such as the logins timing out after 30 minutes and sometimes users remaining logged in even if logging out of the PC. If they had AD integration the whole product would be much better but this won't happen. Also it is quite hard to manage through the support site, it could be much better, particularly for groups of schools.

 

Just my thoughts on the subject. I have raised them all with Atomwide and LGfL as well.

 

Hope it helps.

David

[fiza]

Hi Fiza,

 

We are LGfL and use Webscreen. I'm not a huge fan of the product as I feel it is inflexible in many areas because it is designed to meet the basic needs of 2,500 schools rather than the individual needs of a few. The biggest let downs are not integrating with AD/other user management systems and the slow reporting. Here is my take on the points raised:

 

Age appropriate, differentiated filtering – Yes, but only if you use user-level filters requiring everyone to log on again to browse web

Control - Yes, control through the support site. Not most friendly interface and has some limitations.

Filtering Policy – The description of the categories is pretty good.

Identification - Only with user-level filtering as above.

Mobile and App content – Not really. As it doesn't intercept SSL, which many apps run on it can't really do content filtering. Also apps can bypass, e.g. Youtube app seems to bypass blocking.

Multiple language support – Not that I'm aware of.

Network level - Yes, this works quite well.

Reporting mechanism – Reports take a very long time to generate and are only useful if using user-level filtering.

Reports – Some reports though could do with more and easier access.

 

The biggest problem in my view is the requirement for everyone to log on again to Webscreen for user-level filtering to work and make the reports actually useful. There are many issues with this such as the logins timing out after 30 minutes and sometimes users remaining logged in even if logging out of the PC. If they had AD integration the whole product would be much better but this won't happen. Also it is quite hard to manage through the support site, it could be much better, particularly for groups of schools.

 

Just my thoughts on the subject. I have raised them all with Atomwide and LGfL as well.

 

Hope it helps.

David

@DavidYoung - These are my thoughts exactly! The USO credentials format for students is horrendous. As you say they wont entertain AD integration which is what we really want. User level filtering only if they login using USO each time they browse. As they don't to HTTPS inspection you cannot just go to https://www.youtube.com and be presented with a USO login page, you just get 'page cannot be displayed'. This makes users think the internet connection is not working and we get calls. You either have to go to block/lgfl.net first or to another restricted but non https site first in order to authenticate. AD integration would remove all of this faffing around.

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

Webscreen does all of this, according to the LGfL's own assessment anyway - see http://filtering.lgfl.net. See also http://kcsie.lgfl.net.

 

I'm fairly happy with Webscreen as a product, although it took a while to get my head around. Certainly for a primary like us I wouldn't consider shelling out for another product when we already have this, much as it would be nice to have AD integration.

 

Probably not as important at Primary School level but for us its frustrating.

[GuyJD]

I think the whole Webscreen 2.0 interface is slow and clunky, what I wouldn't give for a way to group blocked url's together, e.g all of the various YouTube url's under one container instead of having to search though a huge long list of url's.

 

Unfortunately I don't have the budget for anything else and if I did convincing the head to pay for something else when we have something similar already isn't going to happen, I'm not the maths co-ordinator so don't get special treatment like that.

[sultan966]

I do not know why we technicians have to use an expensive product. I use Cisco firewall with sourcefire filtering. The cost is very minimum. Buying the hardware was very cheap. One off investment of £1,000 including licenses. Then yearly license of £300 for webfiltering and malware protection. It took me sometime to configure. But it is the best product I have ever used. I had the demo from smoothwall and sophos. All expensive. Yearly license fee is astronomical. Cisco firewall with Sourcefire webfiltering is the best and cheapest. You just have to be brave enough to start configuring it. There are tons of youtube videos to configure it. Do not pay thousands of pounds in license fee. Edited November 29, 2016 by sultan966

[Zoom7000]

I've used both Smoothwall and Webscreen 2.0 and the former, being solely a filtering company, providing a filtering solution, is a far greater product, but it is also a greater additional cost. Whereas, Webscreen 2.0 is included in your annual broadband subscription. I agree with the comment about the lack of https inspection giving "Page cannot be displayed" errors, which causes loads of "false positive" complaints, but ultimately it is a question of whether you want to shell out the cost for the Smoothwall product, or take the LGfL option which does what you need it to in terms of safeguarding responsibility.

 

Sure, all of the above and AD integration would be great, but for me in a primary school and the usage of our users, I just can't justify the cost of paying for a dedicated solution when Webscreen 2.0 does what we need and does it reasonably well.

Edited November 29, 2016 by Zoom7000

[fiza]

I've used both Smoothwall and Webscreen 2.0 and the former, being solely a filtering company, providing a filtering solution, is a far greater product, but it is also a greater additional cost. Whereas, Webscreen 2.0 is included in your annual broadband subscription. I agree with the comment about the lack of https inspection giving "Page cannot be displayed" errors, which causes loads of "false positive" complaints, but ultimately it is a question of whether you want to shell out the cost for the Smoothwall product, or take the LGfL option which does what you need it to in terms of safeguarding responsibility.

 

Sure, all of the above and AD integration would be great, but for me in a primary school and the usage of our users, I just can't justify the cost of paying for a dedicated solution when Webscreen 2.0 does what we need and does it reasonably well.

 

Just for info LGfL have today announced https filtering is available for schools if they wish to turn it on. You have to download a cert to each device.

 

My problem with LGfL is the USO for students. If I want user level filtering then I have to give each student their USO credentials. Each time they open a browser they have type in the USO credentials. We don't want to do this. If LGfL would only do AD integration we would keep their filtering solution.

Edited November 29, 2016 by fiza

[Zoom7000]

Just for info LGfL have today announced https filtering is available for schools if they wish to turn it on. You have to download a cert to each device.

 

My problem with LGfL is the USO for students. If I want user level filtering then I have to give each student their USO credentials. Each time they open a browser they have type in the USO credentials. We don't want to do this. If LGfL would only do AD integration we would keep their filtering solution.

 

Do you have a link to that news, haven't seen it anywhere on the LGfL Support Site.

[fiza]

It was a message sent directly to me so it may not be a general announcement yet.

[rad]

We still use LGFL Webscreen2, it works ok.

For Youtube, I found a link to Youtube Education that gives the website and the authentication for LGFL, even now http://www.youtube.com doesnt give the login option

[fiza]

We still use LGFL Webscreen2, it works ok.

For Youtube, I found a link to Youtube Education that gives the website and the authentication for LGFL, even now http://www.youtube.com doesnt give the login option

 

What link is that?

 

We ask users to go to block.lgfl.net first before going to youtube.

Edited November 29, 2016 by fiza

[fiza]

Low turnout for the poll with only 6 votes but would the person who voted 'other such as smoothwall/lightspeed/iBoss' please pm me? Need to get some info on how it all works together with LGfL.