TechRadar Verdict
With Forcepoint URL Filtering, you will get more than a share of much-deserved peace of mind.
Pros
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Excellent security
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Flexible deployment
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Content access control
Cons
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The learning curve can be steep
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Forcepoint is an American software company headquartered in Austin that has been developing data protection and cyber security software since the mid-1990s. With the global craze for everything cloud-related, Forcepoint moved some of its professional focus to the flexible deployment options offered by this tech, combined with an opportunity to enjoy the same level of security as granted by the on-premise solutions. Let’s look under the hood and decide if Forcepoint is worthy of your attention if you are on the lookout for putting your valuables under the virtual lock and key.
Security features
Forcepoint focuses its security lens on URL filtering technology and fast deployment that does not require you to purchase hardware. It’s no wonder, then, that they market their technology as a comprehensive “web filtering” solution that comes with an array of supporting bells and whistles.
Topping the chart here is the ThreatSeeker Intelligence engine that helps Forcepoint URL Filtering to record and analyze billions of security incidents across the globe on a daily basis. Once the analysis is complete, the collected information is put to practice in your Forcepoint package, helping you block online threats of various colors.
Based on this, the ThreatSeeker Intelligence will provide you with real-time security updates and protection from advanced threats that include malware, data theft, lures, scams, and phishing attacks.
The goal is threefold – first, you get to minimize malware proliferation across your network, followed by lowering the amount of time you spend on repairing damage from malware and giving a breather to your IT teams. Instead of a proxy gateway, Forcepoint URL Filtering will allow you to filter content and classify it into categories, establish control over applications and protocols, paired with rich options for customization and access based on assigned roles.
To achieve this, the URL Filtering engine will analyze up to 5 billion requests per day and receive analytical inputs from more than 155 countries. In response, it will distribute 3.2 intelligence-related information each second to keep you up-to-date with the latest threats.
In addition to threats, another vital target of the Forcepoint URL filtering system is the “productivity-draining” content. This refers to the undesirable websites or files that your workforce may attempt to access during their working hours.
To help you start implementing your URL and content filtering system faster, Forcepoint URL Filtering will give you access to some 120 predefined web security and content categories.
To deliver a more granular level of control over what happens with your network, you can choose a suitable authentication option for an individual user or a group of users. For all of these categories, you can set down the length of the duration for various filters i.e. make them either temporary or permanent.
Finally, URL filtering can be set to discern between seemingly similar types of content, recognizing the difference between the desired educational videos on streaming platforms from the potentially dangerous viral content.
Usability
Forcepoint URL Filtering is dead serious about taking on challenges caused by the novel approaches to the work organization. Working remotely or from home has opened up new attack avenues for threat actors online. URL filtering will make things simpler for you if you are extensively using cloud applications that need to provide access to data on a highly distributed basis.
Endpoints without unified security systems will have a hard time securing all points of access for the dispersed workforce. If you are relying on a cloud environment to do your business, URL filtering will provide you with full visibility of what happens on it at all times. This refers to securing your access points no matter where a user’s requests to interact with them are made.
At the same time, this approach will allow you to eliminate siloed security and the risks associated with the use of unmanaged devices, such as those that can be made part of the increasingly popular bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policies.
Another useful feature offered by Forcepoint URL Filtering is its contribution to optimizing your workforce’s productivity, both on-site and remotely. If you feel that your corporate apps and resources are being used in an unsanctioned manner, URL Filtering will give you the required level of visibility to detect these instances, as well as enforce measures that can give you full control over these processes. At the same time, you can easily integrate on-premise and cloud security policies to avoid the fragmentation and policy disparity that can create unintentional backdoors for security breaches.
Management Features
Forcepoint URL Filtering is easy to implement based on its support for cloud-based and hybrid deployments. At the heart of it are the unified TRITON Architecture and the accompanying user interface that handles both the security management and the reporting on what happens with security, content, and web control.
Authorization of access for individual and grouped users is done intuitively most of the time thanks to the neatly arranged chart-based interface. The system can be easily extended to cover various security products that include those related to mobile, email, and data management platforms.
In addition to the default dashboards dedicated to URL filtering, you can also create sets of custom solutions that suit you best at the moment. You can set these for each individual account as well as create granular sub-policies that will highlight individual security policy aspects. With the system of smoothly delivered administrative alerts, you will never feel overwhelmed by the data fed to you.
At the same time, bear in mind that coming to terms with the nitty-gritty of the interface will take some time. Non-technical users will eventually grasp everything they need to operate it with at least minimal functional efficiency, but absorbing all details needed to make full use of features on offer will surely take time.
Pricing
Forcepoint URL Filtering is available per the Enterprise Licensing system that gives you access to several packages such as Forcepoint User Advantage, Forcepoint Data Advantage, Forcepoint Edge Advantage, and Forcepoint Advantage as the value option. While the distribution of security features among them varies, what unifies them is the lack of pricing information. This will require you to submit a request for a quote and wait for a Forcepoint employee to get in touch with you if you want to know more.
Our verdict
If you consider URL filtering a cornerstone of what you envision your security and content management system to be, then Forcepoint will hit the majority of checkmarks with you. This package comes with a set of advanced features that will give you full control over both security threats and productivity-damaging content that can hurt your business on both accounts. With Forcepoint URL Filtering, you will get more than a share of much-deserved peace of mind in this segment.
