By Simon Quicke
10 October 2008

It’s no wonder that, given access to a fast internet connection and several hours in front of a screen, workers often resort to wasting time on the web at work.

Despite employer web usage policies, which state that the IT equipment should be used for work purposes only, there is a temptation to hop onto eBay, Facebook or YouTube that gets most people.

Those, of course, are the less worrying places to visit – some users spend their time at work looking at gambling or porn websites, therefore putting the reputation and security of their employers at risk.

As a result there has been a growing number of products that are designed to curtail problems in this area, and these are designed to protect the employee as much as the employer.

The Astaro Web Gateway is a solid bit of kit that sits on the network and helps prevent problems occurring but it is also supported by a nifty piece of software, the Virtual Appliance, which makes the management of the system easier for users.

Its URL filtering is one feature that is clearly going to help improve productivity and reduce security threats but there are other features worth stressing that come as part of the package.

It also detects and prevents malware, which is one of the problems that can occur with spyware, that opens up a link back to a malicious hacker, enabling them to access the network.

In addition there are bandwidth management features that will also help balance the system and prevent users from experiencing problems as the security measures are taken.

The attraction of a product like the Astaro Web Gateway is that it takes an appliance approach rather than a single point product, and for those trying to
justify budgets during these tough times it has a much wider appeal
as a result.