GFI Software Launches GFI WebMonitor 2011

March 16, 2011 - 12:00

Internet monitoring and access control software ensures safer streams of web traffic on enterprise networks

GFI Software, a leading IT solutions provider for small and medium-sized enterprises, today announced the launch of GFI WebMonitor 2011. GFI WebMonitor 2011 is a robust web monitoring, web filtering and web security tool that helps to boost employee productivity by giving administrators the ability to monitor and control employee Internet access in real-time. This ensures that employee web browsing activity is aligned with business needs and that any files downloaded are free of viruses and other malware.

GFI WebMonitor 2011 provides monitoring, filtering and control over Internet use while allowing the broader use of beneficial web applications. The new version adds several enhancements, including one enabling administrators to define policies based on time spent browsing specific types of sites (e.g. - limit to one hour per week on news/sports per user) or bandwidth consumed (limiting each user to 100Mb of YouTube downloads per week).

It also features enhanced proxy caching for improved performance and reduced bandwidth consumption, HTTPS scanning for enhanced filtering and control, improved interactive access and blocked activity monitoring reports – including drill-down capabilities. GFI WebMonitor 2011 also features a site categorization database that gives administrators control over which sites employees can browse and the ability to block access to websites in particular categories, such as adult material, online gaming, personal email, travel websites, and P2P and social networks such as Facebook and MySpace.

GFI WebMonitor 2011 is available as a standalone product and as a dedicated plug-in for Microsoft ISA/TMG Servers, in three editions:

  • WebFilter Edition: Enables administrators the ability to control user browsing based on time and bandwidth quotas, as well as website categorization and URL filtering
  • WebSecurity Edition: Enables download control, virus scanning through multiple antivirus engines, anti-phishing and MSN/Live Messenger control
  • UnifiedProtection Edition:Combines both the WebFilter and WebSecurity editions

“The potential threats that the Internet can introduce into an enterprise network are well known,” said Phil Bousfield, general manager, Infrastructure business unit, GFI Software. “Organizations need to protect themselves from the browsing habits of their employees. With IDC Research reporting that 40% of Internet activity is non work-related, administrators need to deploy web-usage policies as well as methods to control what users can access. Together, these two methods will not only boost productivity, but the security of the infrastructure as well.”

GFI WebMonitor 2011’s Internet monitoring capabilities provide administrators with visibility and transparency into what sites employees are browsing, how much time they are spending and how much bandwidth they’re consuming. It also provides interactive drill-down capabilities, showing the site categories being visited by particular users, through robust reporting.  Administrators can allow or restrict access to different website categories as well as setting time or bandwidth thresholds, on a per user or per IP basis. GFI WebMonitor 2011 leverages an extensive site categorization database, with coverage of over 205 million domains that are updated daily, enabling administrators to determine what sites users can browse while blocking access to others that are not in line with the needs of the business.

About GFI
GFI Software provides web and mail security, archiving, backup and fax, networking and security software and hosted IT solutions for small and medium-size businesses (SMBs) via an extensive global partner community. GFI products are available either as on-premise solutions, in the cloud or as a hybrid of both delivery models. With award-winning technology, a competitive pricing strategy, and a strong focus on the unique requirements of SMBs, GFI satisfies the IT needs of organizations on a global scale. The company has offices in the United States (North Carolina, California and Florida), UK (London and Dundee), Austria, Australia, Malta, Hong Kong, Philippines and Romania, which together support hundreds of thousands of installations worldwide. GFI is a channel-focused company with thousands of partners throughout the world and is also a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner.