Web Filtering Services Security Benefits

Integrating BrightCloud Web Filtering Services into an OEM security solution significantly enriches that solution's security value proposition while increasing customer loyalty.

Enterprise customers recognize the importance of utilizing the web both as a productivity and communications tool. It provides a broad source of information on a variety of topics- and for most roles is simply too useful of a tool to simply shut down access. Said another way, a browser, and it's connectivity to the internet, are standard applications throughout corporations.

The Risks

However, in addition to the benefits provided by the internet, so too has it become a favorite vector of attack. There is a long list of threats that attempt to exploit the open channel between a web browser and the internet. These include:

• Peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing
• Spyware
• Employee hacking
• Phishing and pharming attacks
• Instant messaging (IM)

These threats can cause real damage to an enterprise's data and computing resources.

OEM Solutions Partially address internet threats

In many cases, OEMs have built products that directly target these types of attacks, for example:

• Internet firewalls can prevent unwanted communications over specific ports.
• Application firewalls often sniff network traffic in an attempt to identify and stop malicious attacks.
• IDS\IPS solutions look for specific attack signatures and notify the IT staff in the event of an attack, or directly prevent the attack.

But each of these solutions by themselves is unable to address the end users' access to websites that may be malicious in nature. And end users accessing such sites may unknowingly enable mobile malicious code to enter their enterprise, or have spyware installed which may send sensitive information outside of the enterprise, or be subject to phishing or pharming attacks.

However, by integrating a web filtering solution, each of them can not only address their targeted solutions, but can mitigate these types of attacks as well.

OEMs can Expand Their Solutions by Integrating BrightCloud Web Filtering Services

By integrating the BrightCloud Web Filtering Services, security solutions provide their customers with a valuable means to:

• Manage employee Internet access and limit access to malicious web sites.
• Block spyware, phishing, and pharming web sites, as well as access to web sites infected with malicious mobile code.
• Control peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing by blocking access to those sites.
• Manage access to instant messaging (IM), email, and VoIP clients such that end users are unable to access sites for downloading them.
• Manage access to streaming media and other high-bandwidth sites.
• Prevent employee access to hacking information and web sites.

An OEM's end customers benefit greatly through an additional layer of security. By enriching their solution with the integration of BrightCloud Services, OEMs provide both a greater security value proposition and create stronger customer loyalty.