Why FortiGuard Web Filtering is Better

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FortiGuard Web Filtering is a managed Web filtering solution provided by Fortinet that sorts billions of webpages into a wide range of categories. System administrators and individual users can configure licensed FortiGate units and FortiClient applications to allow, block, or monitor access to web pages according to FortiGuard categories. FortiGate units and FortiClient applications access the FortiGuard Distribution Network (FDN) to determine the category and class of a requested webpage. Depending on the response from the FDN the FortiGate unit or FortiClient application can allow, block, or monitor access to the webpage.

FortiGuard Web Filtering categorizes over 28 million websites into 76 categories and 7 classes. These 28 million websites include billions of individual webpages. The FortiGuard URL database of categorized websites is continuously updated as the Internet evolves. New websites are discovered, rated, and added to the database. Outdated websites are removed from the database. Also when websites already in the FortiGuard URL database change, ratings for these pages are reviewed and changed as required.

To make configuration simpler, users of FortiGuard services can choose to allow, block, or monitor entire groups of categories. Blocked pages are replaced with a message indicating that the page is not accessible according to your Internet usage policy.

Fortinet categorizes websites and develops the FortiGuard URL database using a combination of proprietary methods that include text analysis, exploitation of the Web structure, as well as a dedicated team of Web analysts. In addition, FortiGuard Web Filtering customers (and indeed anyone else) can go to the FortiGuard Center Web Filtering URL lookup page to submit a URL for rating. As well if you feel that a URL is rated incorrectly in the FortiGuard URL database, you can use this URL lookup page to enter a URL and request a rating change.

The FDN is a world-wide geographically diverse network operated by Fortinet Inc. that provides FortiGuard Antivirus (AV) and FortiGuard Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) updates in addition to FortiGuard Web Filtering and FortiGuard Antispam services to the FortiGate, FortiManager, FortiAnalyzer, FortiClient and FortiMail line of products.

In addition to the URL lookup page mentioned above, the FortiGuard Web Filtering pages of the Fortinet FortiGuard Center include up-to-date descriptions of FortiGuard URL database categories and classes.