Introduction

GFI WebMonitor^® is a comprehensive Internet usage monitoring solution. It enables you to monitor and filter Web browsing and file downloads in real-time. It also enables you to optimize bandwidth by limiting access to streaming media and other bandwidth consuming activities, while enhancing network security with built-in tools that scan traffic for viruses, trojans, spyware and phishing material.

It is the ideal solution to transparently and seamlessly exercise control over browsing and downloading habits. At the same time, it enables you to ensure legal liability and best practice initiatives without alienating network users.

For a 30 days trial plan see http://go.gfi.com/?pageid=webmonhelp#cshid=thirtydaytrial.

How GFI WebMonitor Works

1. Request initiation: User requests a webpage or a download from the Internet. Incoming traffic generated by this request is forwarded to GFI WebMonitor.

2. Always Blocked/Always Allowed filtering: The internal GFI WebMonitor Always Blocked/Always Allowed filtering mechanism analyzes user ID, IP address and requested URLUniform Resource Locator., taking the following actions:

Action	Description
Blocks web traffic requests	by adding users and/or IP addresses to the Always Blocked list, or to access URLs in the Always Blocked list
Automatically allows web traffic requests	by allowed users and/or IP addresses, or to access allowed URLs
Forwards web traffic requests (to the WebFiltering module)	by users and/or IP addresses that are neither in the Always Blocked list nor in the Always Allowed list to access URLs that are neither in the Always Blocked list nor in the Always Allowed list.

3. WebFilter module: Analyzes web traffic received from the Always Blocked/Always Allowed filtering mechanism against a list of categories stored in WebGrade database. These categories are used to classify and then filter web pages requested by users.

For more information about these categories, refer to Knowledge Base article: http://go.gfi.com/?pageid=WebMon_WebGrade

GFI WebMonitor can Block, Warn and Allow or QuarantineA temporary storage for unknown data that awaits approval from an administrator. web traffic according to configured policies. Quarantined web traffic can be manually approved or rejected by the administrators. Approved quarantined URLs are moved in Temporary Allowed area; a mechanism used to approve access to a site for a user or IP address for a temporary period.

4. WebSecurity module: Analyzes web traffic through the download control module and scans incoming web traffic for viruses, spyware and other malware.

GFI WebMonitor can Block, Warn and Allow or Quarantine suspicious material according to configured policies. Web trafficThe data sent and received by clients over the network to websites. is also scanned for phishing material against a list of phishing sites stored in the updatable database of phishing sites. Web traffic generated from a known phishing element is rejected while approved web material is forwarded to the user.