SurfControl Web Filter 5.0 features improvements in its category database, most notably the addition of a spyware category, which tracks and filters sites that are sources of spyware, adware and other unwanted content. The product now can also filter peer-to-peer application sites, a growing source of legal liability and network vulnerability.
This version of Web Filter also includes updated reporting, allowing single-point management of all of an organization's SurfControl installations, and the ability to delegate reporting and administration duties to managers at remote sites.
Instant Message Filter 2.5 has extended IM protocol support to include the latest versions of AOL, ICQ, MSN, Yahoo! and Sametime/AOL (AIM). With the version, automatic updates are provided as protocols evolve. Peer-to-peer protocols such as WinMX, OpenNapster and BitTorrent are updated and blocked, as well as Web-based IM and chat interfaces. Instant Message Filter can run on the same server with Web Filter.
The new SurfControl Mobile Filter product is designed to keep mobile employees from exposing the enterprise network to attack through their laptops and external connections such as wireless hot spots. A thin client installed on the mobile device communicates with the Mobile Filter server installed on the enterprise network and enforces acceptable use policy.
The company offers its products in platform-independent and integrated-platform versions to run on Microsoft, Linux, and other platforms. SurfControl said that all products are available immediately. Based on 500 users, pricing for the Web Filter is about $19 per user; for the Instant Message Filter, it is about $9.50 per user. The Mobile Filter is priced at about $2,500 for a one-time server fee, with a $6.65 cost per mobile user.
