crimea toughen: Business Security Information ? GFI WebMonitor 2012 Review

Since my review of GFI WebMonitor back in 2010,? GFI has come out with a 2012 version of it.? Though it has been updated, it is still a tool businesses can use to increase productivity, enforce their company?s internet usage policy, and protect their business network from dangerous and unwanted downloads, viruses , and other types of malware.

In most cases, I install and test the software that I review, but this time it was not possible because of the limitations of my current test network.? This review is based on reviewing the features of the product.

As in the older version, GFI WebMonitor comes in three editions:

WebFilter Edition ? Allows the business to control employees? internet access by? blocking certain categories of websites or specific URL?s.? Can also control internet access based on time and bandwidth usage.
WebSecurity Edition ? Capable of controlling downloads and scans for viruses using a variety of anti-virus engines.? Also has anti-phishing protection and can control the use of most IM (instant message) clients.
Unified Protection Edition ? A combined edition with features of both the WebFilter and WebSecurity Editions.

Installation Requirements

GFI WebMonitor can now be installed in three modes.? As before, the software can be installed either on a company?s internet gateway server (Gateway Mode) or as a simple proxy server (Simple Proxy Mode).? The third way of installing GFI WebMonitor is with the use of a dedicated plug-in for Mircosoft ISA /TMG Server.

System requirements vary depending on which installation mode you choose to use.? Supported operating systems include Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, Windows XP with at least SP2, Windows Vista, and Windows 7.? I would suggest that you follow at least the recommended? system requirements (especially when using it in a choke point such as a internet gateway) so there is less chance of your internet access or network slowing down.?? Because GFI WebMonitor must scan and inspect all HTTP traffic, a lower end server or gateway can cause network speeds to suffer.

Please note:? a small business using a home network setup with no server and using basic residential grade routers would need to invest in additional hardware before using software such as GFI WebMonitor.? Look closely at the requirements laid out in the downloadable manuals prior to investing in GFI WebMonitor or any software similar to it.

Before trying GFI WebMonitor, and definitely before installing and configuring it, read the Getting Started Guide and the Administration Guides.? The manuals are well-written and provide a wealth of information beyond the marketing information provided on the main GFI site.? You can download the manuals from the GFI WebMonitor page.

GFI WebMonitor Overview

Since there are three editions of GFI WebMonitor, make sure you have determined the needs of your company prior to choosing which one to install.? The edition you choose will depend on your business needs and what you want to accomplish with this security solution.? Look at the detailed descriptions for each edition prior to either trying a free trial of the software or purchasing this security solution.

The look and layout of the software are some of the improvements made to the 2012 edition of WebMonitor.? According to GFI, the software layout has been completely redesigned to include what they call smart dashboards, new policy screens, and a better report generating engine.

Smart dashboards allow others outside the IT department to generate and view reports.? These smart dashboards include the following:

Activity Dashboard ? Provides information and reports related to what categories and websites have resulted in the most losses in productivity.? It will identify users who are browsing non-productive websites as well as inappropriate websites.? You can also rank users based on browsing activity and generate a variety of other reports related to internet usage activity.
Bandwidth Dashboard ? Users will be able to see reports related to download and upload volumes.? This includes identifying particular websites and website categories that are contributing to the highest bandwidth usage.? The dashboard will also reveal peak bandwidth consumption days, users using the most bandwidth, and other related bandwidth information.
Real-time Traffic Dashboard ? Displays real-time data related to internet usage such as which categories, websites, and/or users that are causing problems at a given moment in time.? This dashboard also allows the business to monitor and cut off internet connections that are causing issues.

In this newer version of GFI WebMonitor, policy screens provide one central interface to create and implement internet usage policies.? Policy management is now grouped by needs and/or functions such as security, productivity loss, bandwidth issues, and download issues.

The new report generator is more robust than the previous version of GFI WebMonitor.? Reports can be generated right from the main interface and can be narrowed down by department, website category, browsing activity, bandwidth issues, or security/download issues.? The software can also be configured to contact the correct person or department when certain issues occur.? These alerts can be sent to specific individuals as soon as an issue arises. Finally, the WebFilter edition can monitor what employees are searching for using most major search engines.

The Unified Protection edition has the capabilities of both the WebFilter and WebSecurity edition.? I would recommend that businesses who really want to protect their information and network using a tool such as GFI WebMonitor spend the extra money and implement the Unified Protection solution. By using the combined edition, you won?t have to spend extra money and/or time implementing a separate solution to cover either the web filtering or the anti-virus capabilities of GFI WebMonitor.

Since the review of the older edition of GFI WebMonitor, it now appears that filtering of HTTPS traffic in all three editions has improved.? According to the documentation, the new editions decrypt all HTTPS traffic as well as re-encrypt the traffic after inspection. This is accomplished by creating a new certificate in GFI WebMonitor or by importing an existing certificate.

GFI WebMonitor is a subscription-based product with which you can purchase licenses according to the number of seats (the number of users or IP?s) needed.? There is general pricing information available on the GFI WebMonitor for each edition available.

Conclusions

I liked GFI WebMonitor when I reviewed it back in 2010, but it appears that they have now refined the product further giving the user a simpler and more understandable interface with the necessary information to identify and handle issues more easily.? Remember, as with any similar type of product, this software must be set up and then continually monitored using the dashboards and report engines to be effective.

In my opinion, GFI WebMonitor is geared more toward small and medium-sized businesses with the right IT capabilities.? GFI WebMonitor requires network and system requirements that most small businesses may not have or wish to have.? Make sure you have the recommended requirements for this product prior to purchasing? it.? There is a free 30-day trial with GFI products so I would recommend trying it before purchasing to make sure it gives you the solution you are looking for and that your network/systems? are capable of running GFI WebMonitor.