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Features & Benefits of Barracuda Web Filter

While the Web has certainly proven to be a powerful tool and technology, organizations worldwide have recognized the need to create policies around its usage in the workplace. Analysts estimate that 70% of browsing to pornography sites happens during normal business hours and about 30-40% of overall Internet usage in the workplace is not related to business. While many Web sites targeted at business usage provide safe and secure business environments, an increasing number of Web sites and Internet applications targeting personal usage are hosts to spyware, viruses, and other Internet threats. As such, unauthorized personal Web browsing poses not only a threat to personal productivity but to the security of the network as a whole.

The Barracuda Web Filter is a complete content filtering and application blocking solution designed to enforce acceptable Internet usage policies by blocking access to objectionable content and unauthorized Internet applications. At the same time, the Barracuda Web Filter includes award-winning protection against Internet threats.

The Barracuda Web Filter combines multiple techniques, including URL filtering, URL rewriting, and MIME type blocking to provide powerful control over policies covering Web site usage. Capabilities include:

These controls can be combined to govern Internet usage to increase productivity, reduce exposure to offensive material, and to prevent visits to sites that could compromise security.

Beyond the standard HTTP proxy solution, the Barracuda Web Filter also enables you to enforce policies governing usage of applications that access the Internet. Features include:

The combination of Web and other Internet application blocking techniques enables you to define and implement complete Internet usage policies for your organization.

Because different rules may apply to different constituencies in your organization, the Barracuda Web Filter supports extremely granular applications of policies by user, group, or IP address range. It also supports time-based policies. Features include:

The Barracuda Web Filter was designed with ease of deployment in mind. With default policies, even organizations new to Web filtering can get started quickly. Organizations with more advanced filtering requirements can take advantage of advanced policy exceptions and integration with enterprise infrastructure.

The Barracuda Web Filter includes best-of-breed spyware and virus protection leveraging its heritage as a leading anti-spyware solution. Capabilities include:

By combining anti-virus and anti-spyware at the gateway with desktop spyware removal, the Barracuda Web Filter offers a unique approach to providing universal network protection from malware in a simple, easy-to-use appliance.

The Barracuda Web Filter features an easy-to-use Web interface allowing for easy and cost effective administration of the appliance. The Web interface allows you to define, manage and control corporate spyware and Web security policies from one central place.

Barracuda Web Filter Demo Video

Model Comparison of Barracuda Web Filter

Model Comparison	Model 210	Model 310	Model 410	Model 610	Model 810	Model 910
CAPACITY*
Throughput (Mb/sec)	5	10	20	50	200	300
Web Cache Size		10 GB	50 GB	100 GB	200 GB	300 GB
Concurrent Users	25-100	50-200	150-500	450-1,500	1,000-3,000	2,500-4,500
Active TCP Connections	50-400	400-800	800-2,000	2,000-6,000	6,000-10,000	10,000-15,000
HARDWARE
Rackmount Chassis	1U Mini	1U Mini	1U Mini	1U Fullsize	2U Fullsize	2U Fullsize
Dimensions (in.)	16.8x1.7x14	16.8x1.7x14	16.8x1.7x14	16.8x1.7x22.6	17.4x3.5x25.5	17.4x3.5x25.5
Dimensions (cm.)	42.7x4.3x35.6	42.7x4.3x35.6	42.7x4.3x35.6	42.7x4.3x57.4	44.2x8.9x64.8	44.2x8.9x64.8
Weight (lbs. /kg.)	12 / 5.4	12 / 5.4	12 / 5.4	26 / 11.8	46 / 20.9	52 / 23.6
Ethernet	1x10/100	1x10/100	1x10/100	2xGigabit	2xGigabit	2xGigabit
Ethernet Passthrough**	1x10/100	1x10/100	1xGigabit	1xGigabit	1xGigabit	1xGigabit
AC Input Current (Amps)	1.0	1.2	1.4	1.8	4.1	5.4
Redundant Disk Array (RAID)				Hot Swap	Hot Swap	Hot Swap
Redundant Power Supply					Hot Swap	Hot Swap
ECC Memory
FEATURES
Hardened and Secure OS
Content Filtering
Application Control
Advanced Policy Creation
Network Threat Protection
Spyware Removal
Additional Summary Reports
Syslog
Ethernet Bypass Hardware
SNMP/API
Linked Management
WCCP

Barracuda Web Filter FAQ's:

• What are the key functions of the Barracuda Web Filter?
  
• How does the Barracuda Web Filter block Web sites?
  
• Can the Barracuda Web Filter block different sites for different users?
  
• What kinds of directory servers are supported?
  
• How are users authenticated?
  
• What kinds of policy rules can be customized on a per-user and per-group basis?
  
• Can legitimate Web sites be blocked? How do you handle this?
  
• Why did you rename the Barracuda Spyware Firewall to the Barracuda Web Filter?
  
• What is spyware?
  
• How does the Barracuda Web Filter block spyware downloads and viruses?
  
• Does the Barracuda Web Filter remove or clean spyware from an infected PC?
  
• Should I deploy desktop anti-spyware tools even if I have a Barracuda Web Filter?
  
• What happens to laptops that my employees sometimes use to work remotely? How are they protected?
  
• What can I do about spyware that I cannot clean?
  
• Do we need to purchase a Barracuda Web Filter for each site?
  
• Where does the Barracuda Web Filter fit in my network setup?
  
• If I have a proxy server in my network, how would I implement the Barracuda Web Filter?
  
• Which ports does the Barracuda Web Filter filter?
  
• How do I know which model is the right size for my organization’s needs?
  
• Can the Barracuda Spam & Virus Firewall also protect against spyware threats?
  
• How current are your spyware and virus definitions?
  
• How does the administrator interact with the Barracuda Web Filter?
  
• Do you charge per user licensing fees?
  
• Why do I have to purchase Energize Updates?
  
• Can I purchase the Instant Replacement Service at a later date?
  
• How do I get an online demonstration of the Barracuda Web Filter?
  
• What languages does your solution support?
  
• Is there a warranty?
  
• I am a school concerned about protecting all my students. How does this map to the number of concurrent users?

What are the key functions of the Barracuda Web Filter?

The Barracuda Web Filter, previously known as the Barracuda Spyware Firewall, provides content filtering, virus filtering, spyware download filtering, spyware communication blocking, spyware detection, and spyware removal from Windows desktop computers.

How does the Barracuda Web Filter block Web sites?

The Barracuda Web Filter includes 58 categories of Web sites that are updated regularly. These categories include Web sites known to include spyware, pornography, and other offensive materials. The Barracuda Web Filter blocks access to these sites so that problems, such as spyware downloads from these sites, are avoided.

Can the Barracuda Web Filter block different sites for different users?

Yes, the Barracuda Web Filter enables administrators to customize policies for specific users, groups, and IP address ranges in the organization. Administrators can also establish effective time ranges for those policies.

Sample uses for these capabilities include:

• Restricting access to job board Web sites to only the Human Resources group
  
• Defining separate policies for teachers and students at a school
  
• Enabling compliance officers unrestricted access to the Web for investigation
  
• Providing external instant messaging (e.g., AIM) access only to specific users or groups
  
• Restricting personal Web browsing to non-working hours
  
  

The Barracuda Web Filter integrates with popular LDAP compatible directory servers for user and group membership information. It also integrates with Windows domain controllers to facilitate transparent user authentication.

What kinds of directory servers are supported?

The Barracuda Web Filter supports any LDAP compatible directory server, including Active Directory, Domino Directory, eDirectory and Open LDAP.

How are users authenticated?

There are three authentication mechanisms supported by the Barracuda Web Filter.

• For Windows domains, the Barracuda Web Filter includes software to be installed on the Windows Domain Controller called the Barracuda DC Agent. This software monitors the Windows login events and provides a mapping of Windows username and IP address to the Barracuda Web Filter so that user policy can be applied transparently to the users.
  
• Additionally, when users attempt to access a resource that is blocked, the Barracuda Web Filter displays a page that presents the opportunity to enter a username and password. This approach does not require the Barracuda DC Agent or any configuration on end users’ Web browsers.
  
• When configured in forward proxy mode, the Barracuda Web Filter can take advantage of standard proxy authentication where browsers send the authentication credentials in the HTTP headers. This form of authentication may require a one-time configuration on the users’ Web browsers. Proxy authentication is not compatible with the Barracuda Web Filter while running in transparent mode.
  

What kinds of policy rules can be customized on a per-user and per-group basis?

The Barracuda Web Filter enables administrators to restrict access by domain, URL pattern, content filter categories, image safe searching, MIME types and application.

Can legitimate Web sites be blocked? How do you handle this?

If the Barracuda Web Filter is blocking a Web site that you need to access, it is possible to override the block by placing the URL or IP address on a whitelist.

Why did you rename the Barracuda Spyware Firewall to the Barracuda Web Filter?

While the original intent of the Barracuda Web Filter was to address the focused problem of spyware and virus protection at the gateway, thousands of Barracuda Web Filter customers purchased and deployed the product for broader content filtering applications.

With the introduction of advanced user, group, subnet, and time-based policy controls, Barracuda Networks renamed the Barracuda Spyware Firewall to the Barracuda Web Filter to better reflect both the current feature set and the actual usage in customer environments.

Despite the change in product name, Barracuda Networks remains committed to offering best-of-breed spyware protection as an important differentiator in the Web filtering marketplace.

What is spyware?

Spyware poses tremendous security threats to organizations, including intellectual property theft, productivity loss, and privacy invasion. As such, Barracuda Networks broadly defines spyware as any software that when installed on your computer either delivers or communicates information without your knowledge or intention outside your computer. This is a very broad definition of spyware, but one that we believe, given the current plethora of problems with spyware, is necessary. This definition includes all malware, adware, keyloggers, toolbars, and many other categories of programs.

How does the Barracuda Web Filter block spyware downloads and viruses?

The Barracuda Web Filter both blocks access to known spyware sites and analyzes all downloaded files against its database of known spyware and known viruses. These databases are updated every hour with the latest spyware and virus definitions so that your network is always protected

Does the Barracuda Web Filter remove or clean spyware from an infected PC?

Yes. The Barracuda Web Filter includes the Barracuda Spyware Removal Tool, an ActiveX control that removes spyware from Windows computers. When the Barracuda Web Filter detects spyware protocol activity (“phoning home”), it can automatically redirect the user’s Web browser to a page that serves up the Barracuda Spyware Removal Tool. Spyware detection and removal definitions are updated hourly.

Should I deploy desktop anti-spyware tools even if I have a Barracuda Web Filter?

It is generally beneficial to layer security solutions. The Barracuda Web Filter is an effective gateway-based solution to act as a primary line of defense to both prevent spyware from entering the network and to remove spyware from desktop computers once it is detected on the network. The preponderance of spyware infection attempts can be effectively blocked at the gateway.

That said, adding an extra layer of protection with a traditional desktop spyware solution can be beneficial to prevent spyware infections in cases where spyware threats infiltrate through means other than the network, including via laptops, USB keys, CD-ROMs, or floppy discs.

What happens to laptops that my employees sometimes use to work remotely? How are they protected?

The Barracuda Web Filter cannot protect users while that are working remotely unless they VPN into the corporate network. However, once the laptops reconnect to the corporate network, the Barracuda Web Filter can detect the spyware protocol activity, block it and serve up the Barracuda Spyware Removal Tool to clean the infected computer.

What can I do about spyware that I cannot clean?

Any spyware infections that are not easily removed with the Barracuda Spyware Removal Tool or any traditional desktop spyware solutions may require that you re-image your machine.

Do we need to purchase a Barracuda Web Filter for each site?

The Barracuda Web Filter protects each link to the Internet; therefore organizations with multiple sites and links will need to purchase a separate unit for each Internet access point.

Where does the Barracuda Web Filter fit in my network setup?

The Barracuda Web Filter will work in all common network configurations. The Barracuda Web Filter can sit in front of or behind the Internet firewall; however, we recommend that it be placed behind the organization’s Internet firewall so NAT (Network Address Translation) doesn’t interfere with identifying the systems that could potentially be infected.

If I have a proxy server in my network, how would I implement the Barracuda Web Filter?

The Barracuda Web Filter can work in conjunction with your proxy server, either as a cascading proxy server or in transparent mode. That said, we normally recommend replacing your proxy server with the Barracuda Web Filter.

Which ports does the Barracuda Web Filter filter?

The Barracuda Web Filter scans and filters port 80 (Web) for content filtering, spyware blocking, and virus blocking. The Barracuda Web Filter will analyze and block ALL ports for outgoing spyware communications and policy violations for other applications that access the Internet, such as Instant Messaging, media applications, and software updaters.

How do I know which model is the right size for my organization’s needs?

There is no software or hardware limit on the number of users connected to each unit and the recommended throughput capacities and concurrent user recommendations are based on typical performance. The model that will best suit your network’s needs depends primarily on the type and amount of Internet traffic. Our trained Barracuda Networks sales representatives can help you determine which model is best suited for your needs.

Can the Barracuda Spam & Virus Firewall also protect against spyware threats?

The Barracuda Spam & Virus Firewall is designed to protect the email server and filter spam and viruses from all SMTP traffic entering the network via port 25. As such, the Barracuda Spam & Virus Firewall only protects the email stream. The Barracuda Spam & Virus Firewall does include blocking of spyware programs that are attached to email, however, it does not provide general blocking and detection of spyware like the Barracuda Web Filter does. The Barracuda Spam & Virus Firewall normally sits in front of your email server and receives and processes only your email stream. The Barracuda Web Filter, on the other hand, sits at your Internet gateway and processes ALL of your Internet traffic.

How current are your spyware and virus definitions?

Because spyware threats and viruses change continuously, new spyware sites, spyware definitions, and virus definitions are automatically delivered to the Barracuda Web Filter through the Barracuda Networks Energize Updates subscription. Users can configure this feature to update hourly or daily. This process ensures that the Barracuda Web Filter is automatically up to date and does not require the administrator to make manual updates.

How does the administrator interact with the Barracuda Web Filter?

The Barracuda Web Filter has a Web-based interface for ease of use. In addition administrators can choose to receive system status information via email.

Do you charge per user licensing fees?

No. The Barracuda Web Filter has no per user licensing fees. Large and small organizations alike demand solutions that are affordable not just today, but also in the future as they grow. With no per user licensing fees, organizations can scale without having to worry about increasing costs – making the Barracuda Web Filter the most affordable anti-spyware solution available.

Why do I have to purchase Energize Updates?

The Barracuda Networks Energize Updates subscription provides the latest spyware, content definitions, and virus updates. It is an essential part of purchase. In addition, we do provide multi-year subscriptions that can provide a cost savings to you.

Can I purchase the Instant Replacement Service at a later date?

Yes. You will have 60 days from the date of purchase of the Barracuda Networks product to decide if you wish to purchase an Instant Replacement Service. If you wish to purchase the Instant Replacement Service within the 60-day window, the Service will retroactively begin on the delivery date of the Barracuda Networks product and continue for the time period purchased.

How do I get an online demonstration of the Barracuda Web Filter?

Call us at (Toll Free) 866-892-5081 to obtain a demonstration of the Barracuda Web Filter.

What languages does your solution support?

Our solutions support multiple languages including German, French, Italian, Polish, Chinese, Japanese and Spanish.

Is there a warranty?

There is a one year warranty against manufacturing defects in the USA and Canada.

I am a school concerned about protecting all my students. How does this map to the number of concurrent users?

Since there are no associated per user license fees, the Barracuda Web Filter does not impose limits on the number of users that can be protected by a given model. Rather, each model has a recommended range of users, termed concurrent users. This refers to the number of simultaneous users the device can service while maintaining optimal performance based on system resources and expected traffic volume. A significant increase beyond the recommended range could impact performance but will not prevent the device from active operation. Unlike solutions that have hard limits on the number of users, the Barracuda Web Filter is guaranteed to protect all network users. A Barracuda Networks sales representative can help you find the appropriate model to provide the best performance in your network.