"We are happy and loyal Smoothwall customers and plan on remaining so."Jackson RatcliffeDominican University of California
"We are happy and loyal Smoothwall customers and plan on remaining so."
An integrated, secure and easily manageable environment that puts you in full control of your web security
With today’s web consisting of over a trillion pages (and counting), intelligent content analysis is the only reliable way to protect your people and your network. Deployable as a software, hardware or virtual appliance, Guardian combines Smoothwall’s proven dynamic approach to content filtering with robust web security and intuitive reporting and management.
Product Overview
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Guardian’s Dynamic Content Analysis™ technology examines not just the content but the context and construction of every web page requested. Sites are identified and classified in a fraction of a second, and can be flexibly blocked or allowed based on the type of content, the user - or even the time of day. Categories incorporate content from the IWF database* and are updated daily.
With integrated anti-malware and web security, Guardian detects and blocks web-borne malware and viruses, as well as other malicious hidden content such as browser exploits and embedded program code.
Guardian’s powerful policy tools enable you to create specific environments that fit all your users' needs. These tools reduce the day-to-day management tasks associated with modifying access levels to fit with ever-changing user requirements.
SSL interception ensures that Internet traffic using secure connections (SSL/HTTPS) is also analysed and scanned for threats and inappropriate content. Flexible policy rules enable known financial institutions to be whitelisted.
Guardian accurately detects and prevents the use of anonymous proxy tools that allow users to bypass web filters and secretly browse banned online content. All web pages requested are scrutinised for the tell-tale signatures of proxy servers and networks (including SSL/encrypted proxies) and are blocked accordingly.
Filtering can be fine-tuned using Guardian’s intuitive and easy to use interface. Integration with Microsoft Active Directory®, Novell eDirectory™ and other LDAP systems enables policy-based filtering so that different rules can be set for different users and/or rooms at different times of the day. Soft-blocking options and temporary bypass controls also help to maintain a flexible and user-friendly level of filtering.
Understand and interpret web usage with advanced and highly granular reporting tools. User activity is constantly monitored in real-time and reports can be automatically scheduled and issued using 300+ pre-built reporting templates. A User Portal also provides limited access to selected users for viewing reports.
Guardian incorporates tools for controlling and monitoring a wide range of Instant Messaging applications. IM conversations, file transfers and attachments can be monitored, logged, censored or blocked altogether.
Guardian’s web proxy cache helps to reduce bandwidth utilisation by storing and retrieving frequently accessed web pages. This is of particular benefit in a classroom environment where many users will be looking at the same material**.
The Guardian Secure Web Gateway offers the same feature set as the software appliance version of Guardian, but on a 1U rack-mounted appliance. The SWG also supports Bridge Mode (transparent inline proxy). Licensing is flexible and incremental updates and major upgrades can be installed without having to replace the appliance itself.
Guardian is available as an independent software appliance, which means it comes as a complete package with its own operating system (Linux) and can be installed on standard hardware, easily converting an entry-level server into a dedicated security appliance. The benefits of utilising standard hardware are that processing power and memory can be specified to suit, and service agreements with regular suppliers can be leveraged. With a software appliance, the components can also be downloaded and installed immediately. No knowledge of Linux is required.
Guardian can also be installed on a virtual server. Virtual machines come with a number of advantages including better utilisation, scalability and resilience – as well as reduced power bills. As a software appliance, Guardian is tried and tested on a VMware platform and includes the necessary tools to enable full communication between the host and the guest.
Guardian can also be supplied in software form as an add-on module for Smoothwall’s UTM appliances and firewalls. The web security and content filtering module offers the same full feature set as our Guardian products. It integrates seamlessly with our firewall, VPN, IPS, anti-virus, email security and load balancing components to form a powerful all-in-one security solution.
For policy compliance and legal reasons, many organisations now need to ensure that any Internet browsing that takes place on their equipment is controlled. Mobile Guardian is a desktop client that allows filtering policies to be enforced regardless of location. When laptops return to the network, log files of the remote browsing that has taken place are automatically uploaded and filtering policies updated.
* The IWF is a recognised organisation working in partnership with the police, governments, and the wider online community to combat the availability of criminally obscene content on the Internet.
** Guardian is a UK Government Department of Education (formerly Becta) accredited filtering solution and meets UK national standards for Internet filtering products used in education.
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