Web filter options on emPSN: AV or not to AV?

[camel]

Hi all, I'm looking at web filtering options (SW, Forefront, Bloxx, SmartCache2 plus a few others...) for emPSN contracts Nov 2012+ and would like to know if anti-malware scanning on web filtering is something that anyone uses and what are your reasons for/not having it? (be it cost, necessary or otherwise...)

 

Just out of interest; does anyone know whether there is anti-malware scanning on the current EMBC Netsweeper filter? (I've found no references to the web threat management module in all of the docs from embc in the technical area. Waiting for Synetrix(Capita ITS) to get back to me.)

 

Cheers

Rob

[camel]

I've just had confirmation from Synetrix that Netsweeper doesn't have the Web Threat Management module. Edited February 29, 2012 by camel
grammar

[jamescole1978]

Hi,

 

Netsweeper does not have a separate module or 'add on' for anti-malware capabilities, but provides these capabilities as a standard part of our web filtering. As part of our categorisations, we include the categories of "Adware", "Phishing" and "Viruses", and these categories are dynamically updated by the browsing patterns of the entire Netwsweeper user base (of more than 100 million).

 

The Netsweeper AI engines evaluate the content of requested URIs by applying behavioural, reputation and signature-based analysis.

 

In practical terms, this means that (assuming the appropriate categories are defined as 'blocked'), Netsweeper will block URIs that are identified as containing malware or other web threats.

[glennda]

I use it on my smoothie - mainly for the email scanning. It gets a bit annoying when using on the web-filtering but it does its job very well.

[tom_newton]

Inline anti-malware is a bit of a cpu hog, and it's an extra expense. That's the negatives. On the positive side it is far superior to lists, or reputation services - expecially if it's one of the anti-malware products that is good "pro-actively" against threats, and will go a long way to keeping viruses off the desktop - no replacement for desktop AV but a nice belt & braces to have.

[GrumbleDook]

I have heard one local school recently say that in the new world order (their words) they will be able to get a filter in with more active protection and they can then save on desktop AV. Another person present did point out about the introduction of viruses via USB ... and they went quiet. Given a choice between investing in a filter with an additional inline anti-malware option and putting the money towards a decent desktop AV instead ... the latter gets my vote every time.

[camel]

@tom_newton would it be a problem if I were to purchase a smoothie with the web filter initially and say after 3yrs wanted to go web security?

[tom_newton]

@camel not at all, no - you can change your mind at any time.