Automatic anonymizing proxy detectionStop users bypassing your web filters
Sophos Web Security and Control solutions use reputation-based and real-time proxy detection services to ensure that all web traffic is filtered according to an organization’s established policy.
What is an anonymizing proxy?
Anonymizing proxies disguise the true nature of a website in order to trick an organization’s web filter into allowing inappropriate or blocked content. Information about public anonymizing proxies is shared freely on thousands of blogs, forums and websites, and there are an unknown number of private anonymizing proxies built for the use of an individual or small group. This makes it extremely easy for users to access an anonymizing proxy, but difficult and time consuming for administrators to track and block them.
Anonymizing proxies hold significant risks for organizations:
- Security
Sites that provide downloads and interactive content can also host malicious content or content that exhibits undesirable behavior once installed. - Liability
Organizations can be legally liable if their endpoint computers are used to view pornography, hate material or to incite illegal behaviour. There are also ramifications if users violate third-party licenses through illegal MP3, film and software downloads.
- Productivity
The growth in rich content delivered from sites such as YouTube and social networking sites have significantly impacted on the working day. For example, a recent Sophos survey showed that 60% of respondents use Facebook every day.
Most users do not understand or care about the risk their browsing creates. Alongside user education, every organization requires a defense against anonymizing proxies.
Prevent users from bypassing controls
An effective solution requires two main parts: a reputation-based service and a real-time proxy detection service. Working together, these two components ensure an organization is properly secured and that all traffic is filtered according to established policy.
- Reputation-based service to find anonymizing proxy sites
SophosLabs’ reputation service technology tracks internet forums for new anonymizing proxy sites. We then immediately publish updates to our proxy block list, greatly reducing the lifespan of anonymizing proxies to less than 15 minutes. - Real-time proxy detection to catch routing via proxies
SophosLabs’ real-time proxy detection deals with privately exchanged proxy sites or sites set up by an individual user for their own use. The Sophos Web Appliance automatically inspects traffic for signs that it's being routed through an anonymizing proxy, effectively closing the door on proxies not identified through the reputation service.
Better protection against malware and unwanted web content
Sophos Web Security and Control blocks spyware, viruses, phishing, malware and unwanted applications at the gateway and enables comprehensive web access control for safe, productive web browsing. Unlike traditional solutions, the web appliance eliminates the time-consuming task of searching for and blocking anonymizing proxies.
Web Security and Control
Sophos delivers the best protection against malware and unwanted web content with purpose-built appliances.
Award-winning detection
The expertise at SophosLabs has been recognized by independent testing organizations. Recognized bodies such as ICSA Labs, West Coast Labs, and Virus Bulletin have all certified Sophos.
