Website “safeness” ratings and malicious URL blacklisting among new features that provide an added layer of security for small and medium businesses
GFI Software today announced that GFI WebMonitor™ now includes new security and anti-malware features that enable small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to provide employee Internet access without sacrificing network protection. The latest version of GFI WebMonitor provides SMB IT administrators with additional layers of defense to identify dangerous websites and threats before they can cause any harm to a PC or network.
“SMBs walk a fine line when it comes to balancing employee Internet access with the security risks it creates,” said Phil Bousfield, general manager, Infrastructure Business Unit, GFI Software. “The Internet is one of the most valuable tools SMBs have at their disposal, but without a strong security strategy and a thorough understanding of how and where threats originate, it can pose significant risks to their networks. GFI WebMonitor’s powerful new security features address that challenge by providing the tools IT admins and employees need to make better, safer decisions while online.”
Combined with GFI WebMonitor’s detection and filtering capabilities, the new security features make it easier for administrators to control Internet access and identify malicious websites and infected content. This is especially important in today’s SMB environment, as recent GFI survey data (see “GFI Software Survey: 40% of SMBs Have Suffered a Security Breach Due to Unsafe Web Surfing”) gathered by polling expert Opinion Matters found that 40% of SMBs have experienced a security breach as a result of employees navigating to a site that hosted malware. Additionally, more than half (55%) of SMBs that use a web monitoring solution indicate that defense against infected websites is not their main priority. These findings illustrate a lack of awareness about the important role web monitoring software plays in network protection and demonstrate that companies are not taking full advantage of these solutions.
“GFI WebMonitor is our preferred web monitoring solution because of its built-in security features,” said Derek J. Tottle, ICT manager, Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ). “GFI WebMonitor seamlessly integrates flexible Internet usage policies with customizable file download policies, virus scanning policies and powerful reporting tools, which together, allow us to implement comprehensive security policies with true peace of mind. And when combined with GFI MailSecurity™ and GFI MailEssentials™, we are equipped with a powerful three-pronged approach to manage and mitigate risk in today’s online world.”
Additional Layer of Security for SMBs
With powerful security enhancements – including a new Website Reputation Index and GFI ThreatTrack™ malicious URL blocking – the latest version of GFI WebMonitor has evolved into one of the industry’s most complete web monitoring, filtering and security solutions. The Website Reputation Index provides a “safeness” rating for websites based on their current and future threat profiles. Using this feature, administrators can implement flexible Internet access policies by blocking sites based on the risks they pose, rather than preventing access to entire categories of websites, and employees can make smarter decisions about visiting websites with which they are not familiar. According to GFI’s survey, more than 40% of SMBs do not currently have a solution in place that measures the safeness of a given website based on a reputation rating, and 27% say this is a capability they would be interested in.
“We have a variety of subsidiary companies with different Internet access requirements, and GFI WebMonitor’s flexible usage policies – along with its multiple security engines and minimal impact on system resources – has enabled us to accommodate each business’ specific needs without sacrificing productivity or security,” said Phil Milburn, network manager, Carrs Milling Industries PLC.
With ThreatTrack, GFI WebMonitor automatically blacklists hundreds of thousands of websites serving malicious content, including phishing sites and legitimate websites that have been temporarily compromised. ThreatTrack data feeds provide SMBs with valuable threat intelligence that, when combined with GFI WebMonitor, results in an unrivaled Internet access control solution.
Additional GFI WebMonitor enhancements that enable SMBs to simultaneously ensure a secure and malware-free network infrastructure, prevent cyberslacking and manage bandwidth include:
“Unlike other web monitoring solutions that require almost hourly interventions to keep lists updated and approve sites that were needlessly blocked, GFI WebMonitor is a reliable web filtering solution that is easy to install, deploy and manage and requires minimal IT involvement,” said Rick P. Rodery, IT director, Saulsbury Industries. “The solution has proven to be an invaluable compliance tool, making it easy for us to enforce Internet use policies – which, in turn, has helped us minimize unproductive Internet use and protect our network from malicious threats.”
To learn about GFI WebMonitor, call 888-243-4329, email sales@gfi.com or visit www.gfi.com.
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.