Web filter software is a powerful form of cybersecurity. However, instead of directly working to keep the bad guys out, it works to keep the person using the computer from coming into contact with those bad guys in the first place. This has made web filter software a major asset to many businesses and in the realm of K-12 education. With this in mind, let’s go over five important reasons why you should be using web filter software.
1. Lawsuit Prevention
If an employee or student of yours is on a company or school computer and you don’t have web filter software, they could click a bad link and get their identity stolen. If this happens, you could be looking at a lawsuit. Yes, this may seem unreasonable since they’re the ones who clicked the link or submitted their information on a shady website, but lawsuits don’t have to be reasonable to be winnable, and going to court will be a major expense either way. Your best bet is to just use web filter software to keep this from happening in the first place.
2. Prevent Intrusions
If your cyber security is reasonable, then the chances of someone directly hacking your business or school are very low. However, cybercrooks can get in by using other methods such as phishing or tricking your workers/students into clicking a bad link. If this happens, you could be subjected to a variety of consequences such as having private data stolen, database erasure, data alteration, destruction of cyberinfrastructure, and even having your physical security systems compromised. Once again, the best course of action is to use web filter software to make sure your students or employees can’t accidentally let a malicious presence into your network. It also helps prevent disgruntled students and employees from doing this on purpose.
3. Preventing a Scandal
If your students manage to look up restricted information such as pornography or how to make weapons on a school computer, the story could end up on the evening news and that’s the last thing you want. The media is ravenous for scandals like these and an incident like this could result in firings or budget cuts depending on the severity of the situation and how blown out of proportion it gets. In any case, do yourself a favor and make sure that every computer at your school has a K12 web filter installed. It is worth it when you consider the possible consequences of not having it.
4. AI Learning
Let’s be honest, no matter how many websites you restrict or how many keywords you use, you can’t block everything inappropriate from getting into your workplace or school. The good news is that modern web filter software uses advanced AI learning so that it can detect and block any inappropriate content without you having to manually blacklist sites or come up with endless keyword lists. This can also help cut down on the instances of false positives in which content is blocked despite it not being inappropriate.
5. Multi-Device Compatatilbity
Covid changed our society in many ways and one of them was the increase in remote working and remote learning. This has brought a host of new challenges such as the fact that traditional web filters typically didn’t work cross-platform or on remote devices. Fortunately, this problem has been solved by allowing web filters to work across different devices. For example, in some cases, a filter can be applied to Google accounts so that when workers or students log into their account for work or school the filter is applied. Many school districts have adopted Google Workspace for Education which makes this even easier.
Staying Safe Online
Being able to stop hackers, DDOS, attacks, and other forms of direct intrusion is only one-half of the cybersecurity equation. Being able to protect your students, workers, and your school or business takes a more proactive approach. With web filter software, you can keep your students and workers safe while at the same time keeping them from accessing harmful content online. This creates a win/win situation for you and them by allowing you to protect their information while at the same time minimizing your exposure to intrusive attacks on your network.
