Review: Spyware Loses Its Bite

Barracuda Networks' Web Filter 310 uses content filtering and application blocking to protect networks from viruses and spyware. Originally called the Barracuda Spyware Firewall, the company renamed the product to reflect its extensive feature set and capabilities. Despite being heavy on the features, Web Filter 310 remains easy to use and fully customizable.

The appliance prevents new spyware and virus infections from penetrating the network. It takes a multilayered approach to blocking spyware sites, downloads and protocols. For example, spyware is automatically blocked if it comes from a URL previously determined to be malicious.

Barracuda has identified 57 predefined categories ranging from blatant offenders such as porn sites to less-blatant ones such as gambling sites. Along with reputation scoring, Web Filter blocks sites using domain names, predefined categories, URL patterns and MIME type. Web Filter also performs binary content scanning on all files coming in to detect spyware in realtime.

Priced at $1,999, Barracuda Web Filter was a snap to deploy and performed well without complexity. Since it can be placed in front of or behind the firewall, CRN Test Center engineers installed the unit in front of the firewall for testing purposes. The appliance blocked Web sites that had embedded spyware or tried to download spyware onto the test computer. Even better, the appliance detected spyware as it was phoning home on the test machine and prompted engineers to download and run the Barracuda Spyware Removal tool, an Active X control tool. By making the tool immediately available to the user as soon as the infection is detected, the problem is resolved quickly. In addition, because it's an online tool, administrators do not need to preload the tool on all affected client machines.

Although the device's strength lies in blocking spyware, it also blocks unauthorized Web sites, viruses, adware, malicious Web content and unauthorized applications. Web Filter 310 can also block peer-to-peer services, IM, file downloads, Web-based e-mail, music sites, proxies and chat sites.

Barracuda managed to avoid a common trap that other vendors blocking sites based on URL patterns and domain names often fall into: Engineers noticed that while the Barracuda Web Filter blocked porn sites, the appliance allowed oft-banned yet innocent to pass through, such as breast cancer education sites or sites that have trigger words embedded within their otherwise innocuous names.

This product also can set up and enforce Internet usage policies, such as restricting access to certain sites and limiting personal surfing during work hours. The system is LDAP-enabled, giving administrators a way to create and assign policy-driven rules based on individual users or group accounts.

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