UserGate Web Filter

UserGate Web Filter is the gateway solution allowing to control use of the Internet on any devices in the local or provider area network irrespective of their type and the operating system and also from a method of the organization of access to a World Wide Web. Product introduction ensures safety of use of the Internet and promotes minimizing of inappropriate web surfing. The solution integrates 5 mechanisms of filtering in the work: blocking on categories of the websites, morphological analysis, safe search, white and black lists, blocking of banners and pop-up windows.

2019: Support of TLS 1.3 in UserGate 5.0.6.4031R

The Usergate company announced on November 20, 2019 significant expansion of opportunities of products for inspection of network traffic. The next release supports the protocol of security of the transport layer of TLS 1.3. The software version of UserGate 5.0.6.4031R is already available to all clients of the company with current licenses on software updating.

In corporate networks it is important to solve such problems as information loss prevention, filtering of an inappropriate content, detection and neutralization of the attacks. The solution of these tasks is complicated by increase in the ciphered traffic in corporate networked environment. Implementation of support of TLS 1.3 on the different websites enters additional requirements to a possibility of decoding of the protected traffic.

The release of UserGate 5.x.x allows to inspect connection with use of the TLS 1.3 protocol from the device to the website on which the user's request arrives. After data acquisition from the website information is transferred to the user who requested it, to his client device. The user also obtains data on the protected protocol, with the certificate issued by security gateway. Thanks to it it is possible to inspect the traffic transferred to the protected network segment from the outside and from internal network — on external resources. Different methods of the analysis, including the signature analysis, check on presence of viruses or signs of the attacks on infrastructure elements can be applied to traffic. All suspicious activities register in the magazine.

Filtering and recording of traffic is performed in real time, without visible delays for the net surfers or persons performing the attack.

Support of inspection of the TLS 1.3 protocol in UserGate will allow administrators and information security specialists to increase the level of control and security of corporate information systems.^[1]

2015

There was a release of UserGate Web Filter

On May 14, 2015 the Entensys company announces release of release of the version of UserGate Web Filter with two anti-virus modules - a cloud antivirus and the anti-virus module from Kaspersky Lab^[2].

The cloud antivirus is developed and is supported by Entensys company, it provides the high level of protection of the user without decrease in performance level of a system. The module helps to transfer to a cloud of a signature of the loaded files and scripts where they are checked regarding comparison with the known dangerous applications. Entensys uses hourly updated base containing several hundred thousands of dangerous signatures for May 14, 2015 and filled using a number not of the proprietary systems and "sandboxes" (sandboxes). This approach is effective at a high load as it blocks harmful files, including "problems of zero hour", without affecting negatively system operation speed. Until the end of 2015 the cloud antivirus will be offered within the main license without any mezzanine board.

Screenshot of the UserGate Web Filter window, 2015

The anti-virus engine of Kaspersky Lab which is built in the current version helps to analyze more deeply traffic on presence in it of viruses, "trojans" and other dangerous applications. Support of DNS filtering in the TPROXY mode is added to a product, the set of other improvements connected with convenience of work, performance is made.

Product, saving high performance, can provide effective anti-virus check of traffic.

UserGate Web Filter is available on Odroid-U3

On March 2, 2015 it became known of an exit of UserGate Web Filter on the single^[3].

When using the miniature hardware solution parameters of its performance are important. The previous Odroid-U2 model supported channel with a bandwidth up to 14 Mbps. UserGate Web Filter executed for Odroid-U3 platform is capable to provide Internet filtering of HTTP/HTTPS of traffic (including the analysis of content), at a speed up to 20 Mbps.

Scheme of interaction UserGate Web Filter, 2014

It gives the chance of use of the solution for control of Internet access, protection against visit of the dangerous websites, prevention of loading of harmful content, blocking of scripts of tracking and some other functions at small office (to 100 workstations) or branches of larger organizations.

UserGate Web Filter 4.1

The Entensys company released in February, 2015 the next update of UserGate Web Filter — the server solution providing complex Internet filtering. The new version differs in more convenient setup of a product for compliance to requirements of the legislation of the Russian Federation and also is better adapted for work at a high load, reported CNews in Entensys.

In UserGate Web Filter 4.1 the proxy server opportunity for work in the TPROXY mode is added that facilitates embedding in the general infrastructure of provider or the telecom operator.

The following new features are also added to a product: special category of content filtering "Protection of children (FZ-436)" prohibiting access to information, undesirable to children, such as, for example, information on tobacco products, alcohol, etc.; a possibility of an unblocking of the page by password entry; monitoring of critical parameters of a system, such as loading of the processor, memory, amount of requests; overload protection in large networks. Operation of the morphological filter for YouTube service is also changed.

According to Entensys, UserGate Web Filter is already widely used in networks of telecom operators, public Wi-Fi networks and education (schools, universities, libraries). According to representatives of the company, the new version can be more widely demanded in the medium-sized and large companies, including government institutions as provides functionality of a transparent proxy, anti-virus check and content filtering. Respectively UserGate Web Filter can be used together with the different solutions ensuring safety, protection against information leaks and others.

2014: UserGate Web Filter 4.0

UserGate Web Filter is the Russian product providing complex Internet filtering with support of morphology and language features of Russian, English and some other the European and east languages.

UserGate Web Filter combines use of different methods of Internet filtering, it provides the high accuracy of work at the minimum level of false operations. In the new version additional categories for filtering, such as "Content delivery networks", "Children's websites", Stock market, "Forums with technical or business by information", Technical information, Personal storages, Obscene language, "Professional social networks" are added. During the work of a product the new updated lists of the dangerous websites are used now.

One of functions of a system of content filtering of Entensys company was always control of visit of unproductive resources. In the previous versions the system of content filtering of pages of social networks was already implemented. In the new version the feature for blocking of games and other applications for social networks is added. The feature for blocking of a turborezhim of popular browsers and also a possibility of a program bypass, i.e. filtering blackout is also added.

Work of the latest version of a product is optimized for use in operator networks, at the same time performance is increased and the new features connected with system operation selfrecovery are added. Work of a product relies on own high-performance proxy server now, as allowed to achieve increase in speed and performance. Caching function is also added. For corporate users of a product support of the Radius Accounting protocol is implemented.

Adding of the non-blocking rules of filtering allowing to warn and log actions of the user became one more innovation. The advanced functionality of the module of statistics including connected with new rules of filtering.

UserGate Web Filter is more and more widely used not only educational institutions and the telecom companies, but also the commercial and state organizations and also administrations of public Wi-Fi of networks, for example, in cafe or buildings of air terminals. The product allows to solve effectively security concerns, to provide compliance of the legislation and to promote effective work of employees.

2013

The question of Internet filtering purchased great value and is controlled at the legislative level in many countries including in Russia. Effective protection against an inappropriate content is necessary both in educational institutions, and in other state and commercial organizations and also it has to be provided as additional service by all Internet service providers.

UserGate Web Filter succeeds GateWall DNS Filter which left in 2010. The new product provides filtering already not only by DNS queries, but also according to the analysis of contents and also has a set of other functions, including filtering of direct requests to the IP address. Besides UserGate Web Filter supports the Linux operating system and can be established on any real and virtual machines and also be developed as the high-performance cluster solution providing filtering of tens and even hundreds of thousands of users.

In UserGate Web Filter the base of Internet resources consisting from more than 500 million addresses that allows the administrator to permit or prohibit access to the whole groups of resources is used. Morphological analysis of web pages regarding existence on them certain words, phrases and regular expressions is in addition carried out. Similar approach allows to prohibit sections of the websites selectively, but not at the level of the domain. The technology is especially relevant for different social networks and other portals on which a considerable part of content is created by users (Web 2.0).

Using a product it is possible to activate compulsorily "the safe mode" in popular search systems (Google, Yandex, Yahoo, Bing, Rambler) and also on YouTube. Blocking at the level of a request allows to achieve high efficiency when filtering responses by video and graphic types of content. UserGate Web Filter can also block demonstration of advertizing banners which often in itself contain undesirable information or graphic images.

UserGate Web Filter supports work with "white" and "black" lists of Internet resources. The solution concerning access to the websites, entered to these sets, is accepted by a product irrespective of other settings.

UserGate Web Filter on the Odroid platform

Specialists of technical department of Entensys adapt for platforms of the micro size the product UserGate Web Filter. Within the project means of content filtering is implemented on the Odroid U2 device. Let's remind that earlier less productive prototype based on Raspberry Pi was provided.

Key advantage of integration of products on micro platforms is their compactness at worthy performance measures. Odroid U2 supports channel to 14 Mbit / c allowing to unroll Internet traffic processing system based on UserGate Web Filter in the local area network including up to 100 workstations.

Micro platforms do not require a significant area for placement. Silent work of compact applayens well influences ergonomics indicators in the company. The cost of one micro platform is about 100 dollars * that makes them available to the most wide range of users, including educational institutions and the organizations with the small budget.

The special image on Odroid U2 and devices with similar characteristics is provided for implementation on demand.

UserGate Web Filter 3.1

One of the main changes in the new version of UserGate Web Filter is emergence of the expanded module of web statistics providing various report versions on use of the Internet.

Considerable attention of developers was paid to filtering mechanisms. First, UserGate Web Filter blocks resources according to the black list of Roskomnadzor (zapret.info.gov.ru) now. Secondly, in functionality of the solution the feature for creation on a centralized basis of the managed morphological dictionaries in Russian and other languages (including on Japanese and Arab) and lists of the websites and also a subscription to them is added. Thirdly, in a product the new morphological category – Gamblings appeared. Besides, the feature to process traffic depending on content type is added.

Changes concerned work with users. UserGate Web Filter 3.1 supports HTTP authorization for accounts. The scheme of creation of users is updated: the concept "WAN user" is abolished, the feature for the instructions of ICAP clients is added.

It should be noted emergence in the hardware and software system UserGate Web Filter Appliance of the full-fledged mechanism of filtering HTTPS traffic on the basis of man-in the-middle technology (MITM). In work with this protocol the same categories and dictionaries, as in a case with HTTP filtering are applied. At observance of recommendations of the developer about setup processing of HTTPS traffic takes place imperceptibly for the user. More detailed information is provided in the management.

From version 3.1 UserGate Web Filter supports the CentOS and Debian 7 (wheezy) operating systems.

UserGate Web Filter 3.0

The main feature is the combination of 5 methods of filtering:

• Blocking of the websites on categories (Entensys base from 500 million websites);
• Morphological analysis of contents of the websites, forums, blogs and social networks;
• Forced inclusion of the Safe Search function for the main search systems and the websites of a video hosting (Youtube);
• Supports of the special "black" and "white" lists both made by the user, and recommended by the government or non-profit institutions;
• Blocking of undesirable banners and pop-up windows.

Updates of morphological bases and also special lists will also be made for new generation of means, along with support and daily work on base of the websites. Already now the special employee group of Entensys actively is engaged in this work.

Entensys offers ensuring protection of use of the Internet at three levels (provider, an Internet gateway and the end user):

• Internet service providers can use any version of UserGate Web Filter or implement a cluster solution on its base that it is reasonable to use more than 3000 subscribers when filtering;
• Educational and commercial institutions and also administrators of points of public Internet access can use program, hardware or virtual (in the form of an image) the version of UserGate Web Filter as the gateway solution in combination with any available routers;
• Home users and schools can also use KinderGate Parental Control on all computers of end users that will provide the equivalent level of protection.

Notes