The following picture shows the main window of the Administration center:
Picture No. 1 – main window
The left pane contains user groups, and the right pane displays a list of users from the selected group. The user groups are assigned into a tree structure; but the tree structure doesn’t have influence between the groups.
Users are assigned into user groups, as are properties for content filtering. The groups should include users with similar line of work, for example, the head of the office group will require considerably less limitation than the administrative group, or a group with temporary workers. Users can be easily moved between groups but are assigned into only one group.
Group
Each group has its own settings for content filtering.
Within a group, the following can be set:
- Name
- Description
- List of users
- Working hours, when group settings are active (see picture 3)
- List of categories, where Web page access is blocked (see picture 2)
- List of categories, where Cookies cannot be used (see picture 2)
- List of categories, where method POST cannot be used (see picture 2)
- Referrer filter – Which can hide information about user traces between Web servers
- User activity logging
- Antivirus scan
- Advertisement blocking
- Text Censor blocking
- Language blocking
Picture No. 2 – Selection of blocked categories (It can be set for Web pages, Forms or Cookies)
There are two default user groups "Unknown users" and "Non working hours". These groups cannot be deleted or renamed.
Meaning of the group: "Unknown Users"
All new users are automatically assigned into this group. The Proxy server will recognize user identification, and if it is an unknown user, then Net.purum dedicates him as member of the "Unknown Users" group. This group should use bigger restriction for content filtering.
Meaning of the group: "Non working hours"
Each group has defined working times, when all group settings are applied to group users (for example from Monday to Friday from 8 am until 5 pm). For out of group working times, the "Non working hours" group is used. The "Non working hours" group should allow more categories about entertainment.
User
A user is recognized by a user login name. An individual user cannot be included in two different groups; also, it is not possible to have two users with the same login name. The MS ISA server recognizes users in each request. The MS ISA server supports NTLM authorization, but can also work with IP addresses only; in which case, that NTLM authorization is not used, rather each user is defined by the IP address of his computer. This should be set immediately after the Net.purum installation in the administration center settings.
Users can be imported from the Active directory or from any list of users defined in text.
User records also include detailed information (name, email, description). Each user can have a list of allowed server addresses (White list). The servers from the White list are not limited by content filtering, and only the antivirus scan is used.
Each user can have a limit for transferred data, and a limit for time spent with an Internet connection. If a user reaches any limit, then all access to the internet is blocked. However, each user will receive a warning email when 80% of that defined limit is reached. The administrator of the Net.purum system also receives message about users who are close to depletion. Users can visit an information web page where their limits and current values can be viewed.
Category
The Net.purum filter can block access to defined categories; and each category contains certain phrases. These phrases could be: server addresses, rules for text censors, file extensions, search themes etc. The administration center will show only phrases defined by the administrator of Net.purum. Additionally, the administrator of Net.purum can define his own categories and assign his own phrases to it.
Picture Nr. 4 – Categories editor
Reports
All user activity is stored in the Net.purum database. The Net.purum administrator can see very detailed information about users and reports can be generated immediately, or by schedule, in the administration center. Scheduled reports are exported into selected formats (for example into Adobe reader) and the results are sent by email.
Example of reports:
- Size of transferred data for each user.
- List of all visited pages sorted by access.
- List of all access for defined period.
- List of blocked pages for each user.
- Net.purum configuration for all user groups.
- List of all downloaded infected files.
The administration center can be extended for custom reports. Each customer can ask for new reports which will supply his needs.
Example of Reports:
| Transferred data size | sum_data.pdf |
| Detailed list of accessed files | log_usr69.pdf |
| Access to prohibited pages | sum_server.pdf |
Server address evaluation
The administration center allows category changes of the server address. If the Net.purum administrator defines a new category for a server address, then this setting is valid. The administrator settings for a server address always have the highest priority.
The administration center can verify all categories for a selected server address, and this verification can be made in a special dialog "Evaluation of server address". The dialog will show all the categories assigned to a selected address.
Picture No. 5 – Dialog for Evaluation of server address
Net.purum settings
The Net.purum administrator can set:
- User identification type (It can be user name or IP)
- Email to receive notification of new users requests to change
- Email to receive Net.purum system errors
- Period for Net.purum database update
- Period for Net.purum database backup
- Period for Net.purum database compression
- Period for report generation and email for results
- Period for program update
- Parameters for antivirus scan
- Parameters for advertisement blocker
- Text censor parameters
- Period for user limit calculation (day, week, month)
Picture No. 6 – Net.purum settings dialog