Internet Filtering and Monitoring solutions provide advanced online content filtering and real-time activity monitoring to safeguard users, especially within environments such as schools, offices, multi-tenant buildings, and public access networks. Built on the industry-leading Smoothwall product suite, these solutions offer robust tools to block inappropriate content, prevent cyber threats, and monitor online behavior for signs of potential harm or violations.
These safeguarding tools are essential for maintaining compliance with online safety regulations, protecting vulnerable users, and ensuring that corporate or educational environments uphold digital safety and acceptable usage policies. Internet Filtering and Monitoring solutions work across multiple platforms and can be customised for specific use cases, such as educational institutions, corporate offices, and hospitality venues.
Internet Filtering and Monitoring (Safeguarding) Solutions offer advanced protection against harmful online content and behaviour, delivering robust filtering, monitoring, and reporting capabilities across diverse environments. From educational institutions to corporate offices, multi-tenant buildings, and public access networks, these solutions provide essential safeguarding and compliance features to keep users safe and networks secure.
Key features
Content Filtering: through real-time filtering that blocks access to inappropriate, harmful, or dangerous content across the web. Filtering policies can be customised based on user groups, age, or device type.
Keyword and Phrase Detection: with intelligent detection of harmful or unsafe behaviour (e.g., bullying, self-harm, radicalisation) through real-time analysis of keystrokes, search terms, and online conversations.
Multi-Layered Filtering: via advanced filtering based on categories, keywords, and real-time threat intelligence to ensure comprehensive protection from malicious websites, phishing, or extremist content.
User Behaviour Monitoring: with real-time monitoring of user activities, flagging suspicious behaviour that may indicate security threats, safeguarding violations, or harmful activities such as cyberbullying or self-harm.
Customisable Policies: setting granular control policies by user, group, or device, ensuring appropriate filtering levels for students, employees, or public users based on their roles and responsibilities.
Comprehensive: detailed reporting on user activity, attempted access to blocked sites, and flagged incidents to help administrators monitor and respond to policy breaches or safeguarding concerns.
Multi-Platform Compatibility: supports multiple platforms, ensuring comprehensive protection across all devices used in the organisation.
Cloud-Based & On-Premise Deployment: are available as a cloud-based solution or an on-premise appliance, providing flexibility to fit into various network architectures and security policies.
Real-Time Alerts & Escalation: automatically generates real-time alerts when harmful or inappropriate activity is detected, allowing administrators or safeguarding officers to respond quickly to potential incidents.
SSL Inspection: deep inspection of SSL-encrypted traffic to detect malicious content or unsafe behaviour, ensuring that users are fully protected, even when accessing encrypted websites.
Compliance Support: helps organisations comply with online safety regulations such as the UK’s Prevent Duty, GDPR, CIPA (Children’s Internet Protection Act), and other global safeguarding policies.
Related solutions
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Deployment Options: include Cloud-based, on-premise, or hybrid
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Predefined: and customisable Content Filtering Categories
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Real-Time Monitoring: features such as keystroke logging, phrase detection, search engine monitoring, social media monitoring
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SSL/TLS Inspection: with support for full SSL/TLS decryption and inspection for encrypted traffic
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Custom Filtering Rules : supporting custom categories, blacklists, and whitelists
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Safeguarding Keywords Database: through Dynamic, auto-updating keyword libraries for detection of harmful behaviour (self-harm, radicalisation, bullying)
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Reporting & Analytics: with customisable reporting templates with data export options
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Alerting & Escalation: via real-time alerts or integration with security information and event management (SIEM) systems
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User-Level Granularity: for user-based filtering and monitoring, with detailed logs per individual
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Throughput (On-Premise Appliances): scalable from 100 Mbps to multi-gigabit speeds, depending on appliance model
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Enhanced Online Safety: internet Filtering & Monitoring ensures that users are protected from inappropriate or harmful online content, making it a critical tool for educational institutions and workplaces focused on maintaining a safe online environment.
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Real-Time Threat Detection: identifies and prevents access to malicious sites or inappropriate behaviour in real-time, minimising the risks posed by phishing, malware, or dangerous online trends.
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Tailored for Multiple Use Cases: highly customisable policies allow organisations to fine-tune their filtering and monitoring based on their unique needs, such as protecting students in schools, enforcing corporate acceptable-use policies, or ensuring public hotspot security.
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Regulatory Compliance: helping organisations meet their legal obligations regarding internet safety, safeguarding, and data protection. By utilising pre-configured compliance templates, the solution simplifies the process of adhering to regulations.
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Comprehensive User Visibility: offers in-depth insights into user behaviour, allowing administrators to detect potential safeguarding risks, including cyberbullying, mental health concerns, or inappropriate activities.
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Multi-Platform & Device Support: protects users across all devices and operating systems, ensuring a seamless security experience whether users are working on desktop computers, mobile devices, or IoT platforms.
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Scalable & Flexible Deployment: with options deployed on-premise or in the cloud, the solution scales easily with organisational growth, accommodating more users, devices, and complex network environments as needed.
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Advanced Reporting for Data-Driven Decisions: detailed reports enable administrators to monitor online activity trends, allowing for informed decision-making around network security policies and safeguarding initiatives.
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Increased Productivity: by blocking access to non-work-related websites or distracting content, organisations can improve employee focus and productivity while ensuring compliance with acceptable usage policies.
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Proactive Safeguarding: with the ability to monitor and detect early signs of harmful behaviour, such as self-harm or radicalisation, means organisations can take immediate action to prevent potential incidents.
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Integration with Existing Security Infrastructure: smoothwall’s solutions seamlessly integrate with other security tools such as firewalls, SIEM systems, and proxies, creating a more robust and unified network defence strategy.
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Educational Institutions: schools and universities use internet Filtering & Monitoring to safeguard students from inappropriate content, monitor harmful behaviour such as bullying or self-harm, and ensure compliance with educational safeguarding policies like Prevent Duty and CIPA.
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Corporate Offices : businesses can implement customised filtering and monitoring policies to block non-work-related websites, protect against cybersecurity threats, and enforce acceptable use policies to increase productivity and data security.
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Multi-Tenant Buildings: in shared environments like multi-tenant buildings, Smoothwall’s solutions help ensure that each tenant’s internet usage is secure, safe, and compliant with internal or regulatory internet usage policies.
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Hospitality Venues: hotels and resorts use these tools to provide safe, filtered internet access to guests while maintaining network security and protecting against malicious content or inappropriate website access.
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Public Access Networks: such as those in libraries or airports, can use Filtering & Monitoring solutions to protect users from harmful content while maintaining the security of shared internet access points.