Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
many are outsourcing their network security operations to managed security service providers
(MSSPs) such as Counterpane, Guardent, Internet Security Services, Riptech, and Symantec.
MSSPs monitor, manage, and maintain network security for both hardware and software.
These companies provide a valuable service for IS departments drowning in reams of alerts
and false alarms coming from virtual private networks (VPNs); antivirus, firewall, and in-
trusion detection systems; and other security monitoring systems. In addition, some provide
vulnerability scanning and Web blocking/filtering capabilities.
Filtering and Classifying Internet Content
To help parents control what their children see on the Internet, some companies provide
filtering software to help screen Internet content. Many of these screening programs also
prevent children from sending personal information over e-mail or through chat groups. This
stops children from broadcasting their name, address, phone number, or other personal
information over the Internet. The two approaches used are filtering, which blocks certain
Web sites, and rating, which places a rating on Web sites. According to the 2004 Internet
Filter Review, the five top-rated filtering software packages are, in order: ContentProtect,
Cybersitter, Net Nanny, CyberPatrol, and FilterPack.
Business organizations also implement filtering software to prevent employees from
visiting nonwork-related Web sites, particularly those related to gambling or those containing
pornographic or other offensive material. Before implementing Web site blocking, the users
must be informed about the company's policies and why they exist. It is best if the organi-
zation's Internet users, management, and IS organization work together to define the policy
to be implemented. The policy should be clear about the repercussions to employees who
attempt to circumvent the blocking measures.
The Internet Content Rating Association (ICRA) is a nonprofit organization whose
members include Internet industry leaders such as America Online, Bell South, British
Telecom, IBM, Microsoft, UUNet, and Verizon. Its specific goals are to protect children
from potentially harmful material, while also safeguarding free speech on the Internet. Using
the ICRA rating system, Web authors fill out an online questionnaire describing the content
of their site—what is and isn't present. The broad topics covered include chat capabilities,
the language used, nudity and sexual content, violence depicted, and other areas such as
alcohol, drugs, gambling, and suicide. Based on the authors' responses, ICRA then generates
a content label (a short piece of computer code) that the authors add to their site. Internet
users (and parents) can then set their browser to allow or disallow access to Web sites based
on the objective rating information declared in the content label and their own subjective
preferences. Reliance on Web site authors to do their own rating has its weaknesses, though.
Web site authors can lie when completing the ICRA questionnaire so that their site receives
a content label that doesn't accurately reflect the site's content. In addition, many hate group
and sexually explicit sites don't have an ICRA rating, so they will not be blocked unless a
browser is set to block all unrated sites. Also, this option would block out so many acceptable
sites that it could make Web surfing useless. For these reasons, at this time, site labeling is at
best a complement to other filtering techniques.
The U.S. Congress has made several attempts to limit children's exposure to online
pornography including the Communications Decency Act (enacted 1996) and the Child
Online Protection Act (enacted 1998). Within two years of their being enacted, the U.S.
Supreme Court found that both these acts violated the First Amendment (freedom of speech)
and ruled them to be unconstitutional. The Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) was
signed into law in 2000 and later upheld by the Supreme Court in 2003. Under CIPA,
schools and libraries subject to CIPA do not receive the discounts offered by the “E-Rate”
program unless they certify that they have certain Internet safety measures in place to
block or filter “visual depictions that are obscene, child pornography, or are harmful to
minors.” 63 (The E-Rate program provides many schools and libraries support to purchase
Internet access and computers).
The Yorba Linda Library Commission applied for and began receiving discounts on
Internet access through the federally funded E-Rate program in July 2007. The estimated
savings exceeds $10,000. As a result, the library plans to install filter software on its 28
computers for the safety of computer users under the age of 18. 64
 
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