8e6 Technologies Enterprise Filter R3000IR, User Manual

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NTRODUCTORY
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2: L
OGGING AND
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ECHNOLOGIES
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Instant Messaging, Peer-to-Peer Blocking
The R3000 has options for blocking and/or logging the use
of Instant Messaging and Peer-to-Peer services, and makes
use of Intelligent Footprint Technology (IFT) for greatly
increasing management and control of these popular—yet
potentially harmful—applications. This section explains how
to set up and use IM and P2P.
How IM and P2P Blocking Works
IM Blocking
Instant Messaging (IM) involves direct connections between
workstations either locally or across the Internet. Using this
feature of the R3000, groups and/or individual client
machines can be set up to block the use of IM services
specified in the library category.
When the IM module is loaded on the server, the R3000
compares packets on the network with IM libraries stored on
the R3000 server. If a match is found, the R3000 checks the
user’s profile to see whether the user’s connection to the IM
service should be blocked, and then performs the appro-
priate action.
WARNING : The following items are known issues pertaining to
the IM module:
• IM can only block by destination IP address if network traffic is
being tunneled, sent through a Virtual Private Network (VPN),
or encrypted.
• IM will not be blocked if a client-side VPN is set up to proxy
traffic through a remote IP address outside the connection
protected by the R3000.
• Some versions of the AOL client create a network interface that
send a network connection through a UDP proxy server, which
prevents blocking IM.