Do you use a content filter?

Does your nonprofit, library, or community center use a content filter? What level of security does it include, and what prompted your decision to install one? Are there any major pros or cons to using it?

Since providing internet access from a library or community center is strictly an additional priviledge you provide, I would definitely filter your connection. If you block a site and a user disagrees with you blocking it, they can always go somewhere else to use free internet.

We have tried out a content filter before, but I don't currently have it running. We instead restricted all outgoing website connections for hourly staff except for the 20 or so sites that are business related. In our situation its maybe a little easier since we are in the healthcare industry.

Some problems you can run into are, first of all the cost. You will either need to buy more hardware/software, or activate an additional feature on your current setup (depends what equipment you have.) Most equipment or software that offers this ability is a subscription service since the blocked lists have to be constantly updated.

Another issue is that a filtered connection tends to be slower since more processing has to occur any time a link is used. Using a hardware solution can help with this, but software based filters can really bog things down.

Another bad thing is the administrative headache you might experience. You are usually using a vendors pre-categorized list. Sometimes certain normal/legit sites that you may want to allow access to will end miscategorized under one of the lists you have blocked. Then you will constantly dealing with users asking why they cannot get to so and so site. While you can report the errors to your vendor, it's not usually an immediate update. At the very least, at times you will have to go into your system and add some type of override on a per site basis.

Like most IT issues, it really depends on the skill of your users, the work environment you have, the industry you're in, and how tight money is in relation to other projects you need to accomplish. There are definitely benefits to blocking sites in terms of a liability standpoint.

What i use: pfSense

What software do I use for content filtering: firewall + squid(more than just content filtering, its the best flexible proxy)

what prompted filtering: bandwidth started to drool, and I found out everyone was playing video and music on the web.

cons: Does users complaining they cant watch videos or play music over subscription services they bought specifically for playing at work without consulting the manager count? Hah!

pros: Gives me complete control over traffic. Generates logs and graphs so I may see traffic.

what level of security: well, I can even have it make people authenticate before using the web over a web page login, its damn flexible.

Those needing a proxy to circumvent just about any of the aforementioned content filters might email me.

You could say that I am filtering out the content filters. :)

Hi, I am finding that content filter software is quite costly...Websense, etc.  Can you recommend a few different options for content filtering?  I'd like to narrow down my options before doing a lot of investigation.

We are a non-profit with about 100 office employees.  We have a high school for at risk youth and are interested in content filtering for the school and for the office.

rawhide: how about free?  Try setting up an account at [ OpenDNS. ]