WEBSENSE FAQ

How is the Websense Master Database developed and maintained?
Sites are first mined through proprietary software techniques and then classified into categories. Sites not categorized by this method are evaluated by qualified Internet analysts for proper categorization and continually checked for accuracy. Websense Enterprise automatically downloads updates to the Master Database daily, including additions, changes and deletions so you can be sure you're using the freshest database at all times.
How easy is it to set up and maintain Websense Enterprise?
It is very simple to install and maintain. In fact, most of our users report that Websense is very intuitive and that they are easily up and running within an hour. No day to day administration is required: Log files are rotated automatically, and the system automatically downloads new Master Databases.
Can I add my own sites to the database?
Yes. You can instantly add sites to the database by using the Add Custom URL's feature. You can also suggest sites to be added to the Master Database with our Suggest a URL form.
Can I view the list of URLs that Web sense Enterprise blocks?
The Web sense Master Database of URLs is proprietary information belonging to Web sense Inc. and cannot be released in whole or in part. The README file that comes with Web sense Enterprise lists the sample URLs in the demonstration database and their category assignments. If you need to determine the category for a particular site, visit THE Websense Site Lookup page. If you believe a specific URL is not categorized correctly, please use the Suggest form to recommend changes
What is the Web sense IP Screening technology?
This technology preconverts all domain names in the database into IP addresses. This technology maximizes the performance of your network by allowing the core Websense Enterprise Engine to perform very fast initial look ups. It also eliminates the possibility of someone accessing a site directly via the IP address and bypassing the Websense database.
What Web browsers can I use with Websense Enterprise?
All versions of Websense support Netscape browsers v2.0 and later, and Microsoft Internet Explorer v1.5 & later. Most other browsers should also be compatible.
Do frames on Web sites affect Websense Enterprise's behavior?
No. Frames are passed through transparently.
How does Websense Enterprise automatically update its database?
When you install Websense, you select a time range when you want Websense to update its database (by default, between 1:00 a.m. - 5:00 a.m.). Websense Enterprise will automatically fetch the database during that time by using a standard HTTP GET transfer from our site over the Internet.
During an evaluation period, do I get daily database updates?
Yes. The evaluation version of Websense is the same as the full product, including Premium Groups I and II. The only difference is how long your license key is valid.
Can I restrict access to only certain sites?
It is possible to set Websense Enterprise to block access to all sites except for those that you explicitly specify. This is sometimes called a "Yes List" or a "White List" feature.
Does Websense work with Macintosh or Novell-based networks?
Yes. Websense Enterprise itself must run on a Windows NT, Windows 2000, Solaris, or Red Hat Linux server. However your users can be using Macintosh computers or Novell server attached computers.
What is a Virtual Host? Does Websense deal with these?
Some Web servers can be configured to host more than one Web site or unique domains. These Web sites are called virtual hosts and share a single IP address. That means that each of these virtual hosts resolves via DNS to the same IP address. For example, www.shopping.com, and www.church.com could all be tied into one IP address. Virtual hosts require special categorization in order to be properly identified and screened. Otherwise, the system would lump sites that had no commonality into one over broad category.
The latest version of Websense recognizes and handles these virtual hosted sites.
What do the different license levels really mean?
Websense Enterprise keeps track of all the IP addresses it sees using the Websense Enterprise proxy services. It limits the number of different machines that can use Websense by the license level. Thus only 100 machines with different IP addresses can use the 100 user version of Websense Enterprise. The 101st user will either be blocked or unfiltered, depending on the preferences set in the Websense Manager. The license levels are thus not a simultaneous use license, but a total number of machines license. The Websense Enterprise IP address table is cleared when Websense Enterprise is restarted.
Can I customize access by workstation?
Yes. You can customize access by workstation and network, and with Websense Enterprise v4.x, by users and groups. You may also filter by time of day and set time-based quotas.
Do I need to re-configure my Web browser to use Websense for FireWall-1?
If you are running the version of Websense Enterprise for FireWall-1, you do not need to perform any browser re-configuration to be able to use the filtering capabilities of Websense Enterprise. When configured correctly on the firewall, FireWall-1 will redirect appropriate packets to the Websense Enterprise UFP server completely transparently to the end user.
Can I customize access through my firewall?
Yes. Through the FireWall-1 rules you can define users or even groups of users who will be allowed full access, or to be blocked to specific catagories or to all catagories, all depending on how you define your FireWall-1 rule base.
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How can I Bypass Web sense
The concept behind Web sense is simple, whenever an employee attempts to visit a specific webpage; a request is generated and then passes through a firewall. Websense looks at this request and answers yes or no depending on if the requested URL is in the Websense database. In transparent mode, Websense counts on the fact that the firewall will forward the whole request in a single time. If the whole request is not transferred at one time, Websense will allow the packet to pass, as the packet doesn't look like a HTTP request. If you want to bypass Websense and browse any page, you can use several techniques to bypass Websense's filtering and authentication process.
Bypassing Websense using a Web Proxy
One method used to bypass Websense is to use a web-based proxy site. With a proxy, Websense sees you browse to the web proxy -- not to the web site you are actually browsing to. You browse to the web proxy, and then the web proxy browses to the web site you want to visit. The reason that these web proxies are able to bypass Websense is the the 'S' in the HTTP address (https://) stands for secure connection and Websense does not block such secured connections. This is probably the simplest way to get around the Websense program as it takes little time and no one will wonder what you are up to.