Why internet filtering can be a bad idea

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Mikerowaved
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#31

Post by Mikerowaved »

RussellHltn wrote:How does that work? Is it a computer with two NICs that's placed between the household and the Internet or does it act as a proxy and require you to configure all the clients to use it?
It appears the configuration is quite flexible. The most common is to use a dedicated box (PIII or better) with 2 NICs and configure it as a router or a bridge. You can also add a 3rd NIC for a DMZ. If you don't have a dedicated PC, you can install their Re-Router™ software on a non-dedicated box running Windows XP.

Once installed, there are add-ons (or "apps") you can activate or deactivate to suit your needs. The free version includes: Web Filter, Virus Blocker, Spam Blocker, Ad Blocker, Attack Blocker, Phish Blocker, Spyware Blocker, Firewall Routing & QoS, Intrusion Prevention, Protocol Control, OpenVPN, and Reports

There are also a whole list of commercial apps available for businesses on a subscription basis.

All in all, I'm very impressed with it. When I get a chance, I'm going to give it a full shake out. Thanks marlattrj.
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andrewmoquin-p40
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#32

Post by andrewmoquin-p40 »

Hah yeah had that a couple of times before, i try to span my sites across multiple servers, keeping the controversial sites away from mainstream sites.
It’s not so much a case of, your site is controversial , but it could be used maliciously, sites like that were its very user defined is best to keep away from anything else that really needs 100% uptime.
Nice post man...Interesting! Keep posting...Thanks!
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Dicehyden-p40
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#33

Post by Dicehyden-p40 »

as my personal opinion it's not a bad idea at all. Specially for kids who are new to internet world. I would say every parent should set up filters to block un necessary or in appropriate websites to keep their children safe.
The_Earl
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Filter / Proxy

#34

Post by The_Earl »

I love the idea of a public proxy log. A solid proxy will even show or block anonymizing services like TOR. You might not see what they are looking at, but you will be able to see that they are hiding something. A quick check of the browser cache should help confirm what is going on (empty or not!). If they are hiding something, that should be enough to have a chat w/ them.

You really don't care what your kids are looking at, you care about the choices they are making. Let them make the choices, and make them accountable for them.

A public proxy log also makes you accountable as well. It is a solution that will work for adults and kids. It shows your kids you expect the same of yourself.

I don't think the log needs to be public, but at least reviewable by more than one person. It also needs to be difficult to modify.

The Earl
The_Earl
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Proxy Appliance

#35

Post by The_Earl »

My problem with the proxy solution is the difficulty.

Untangle is nice, but WAY to technical for most. Most of my family has needed my help to set up their plug-and-play wireless routers.

I think we need a packaged solution. Most families I know already use a consumer router with wireless for their internet. It would be really cool to have an OpenWRT spinoff that came pre-configured with a proxy, filter, and log page. All the pieces exist in the OpenWRT project, we would just need to package it.

A moderately technical person could install a standard router, and flash it with our custom firmware.

Thanks
The Earl
Aczlan
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#36

Post by Aczlan »

Hillshum wrote:The prime use for filtering is to prevent accidental stumbling on icky stuff, IMO. I (as a 15 year old) could easily bypass anything my parents set up if I wanted to. Posting logs online publicly is an interesting idea, I believe using Tor would thwart it though.
I agree. At minimum, I would recommend a "warning page" that says "the page you tried to access may contain <badstuff> enter your username and password to proceed". That does 2 things:
1. It makes people accountable for what they have done.
2. It protects you from the nasties of the web.

Personally, I am behind a Sonicall with filtering enabled at home and at work. Additionally, I use Firefox with Adblock Plus and NoScript. Between the three systems, I don't see most ads (good or bad).


Aaron Z
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