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What Is An Internet Filter?
Think of it as a nightclub bouncer, letting in the good-time punters, while keeping out the troublemakers. Filters are most commonly found in private networks, such as workplaces, libraries and schools - helping to ensure that users within the network cannot access material, which violates office policy and industry regulation. But you can also get personal filters, like OnlineFamily.Norton, which run on your home computer to give you personal control over the internet safety in your household. On a much larger scale are nationwide filters, applied by ISPs under government instruction, to comply with legislation and local customs - think China, Cuba and Uzbekistan. How a filter works A filter sits between you and the sites you try to access, screening for inappropriate content using a whitelist, blacklist or keyword system. A whitelist system works like an exclusive guest list, where access is granted to a pre-determined list of "safe" websites. On a blacklist system, the opposite happens - access is denied to sites on the pre-determined "no admissions" roster. Keyword filtering operates in a similar way to blacklisting - only instead of sites, the blacklist is made up of words flagged as inappropriate. The keyword filter scans the contents of requested sites, and access is allowed if no forbidden words are found. What gets blocked? Legitimate content may get blocked by accident. In terms of blocking access to content, filters do their job painfully well - that is, targeted inappropriate content gets blocked, but so do innocent and well-meaning sites with legitimate information. For instance, a keyword filter on a public library computer may be configured to filter all sites containing the word "breast". In most cases, this is successful in blocking unwanted sexual material - but may also deny access to cooking recipes ("chicken breast"), costume & fashion sites ("place tape measure under the breast") and medical information ("breast cancer"). For a filter to work effectively, it must be continually monitored, reviewed and updated to ensure that it is on par with real life - no easy task, by any means. Network-level and ISP-level filters offer a broad, no-think solution, but are unable to cater to individual needs, which can result in a "lowest common denominator" approach - unsuitable for even a wider audience. Making modifications to a filter at this level can be expensive to instigate, and has a large area of impact if something goes wrong. A personal filter is often recommended as a more affordable and practical alternative. While it only works in your home, you can tailor it to suit the needs of your household - which means more suitable protection for you and your family. Do filters actually protect users? A filter is simply a tool for blocking websites - and like all tools, can be effective when used correctly for the right purpose. It's a common misconception that an internet filter is adequate for preventing access to unwanted material. Filters cannot effectively monitor private channels - email, instant messaging, peer-to-peer file sharing, and offline media - the more frequented methods for distributing illegal and questionable content. While a filter may provide basic user protection, they are by no means a catch-all solution for keeping trouble at bay. Staying safe online Really staying safe online means getting to know your environment, understanding the risks and remembering what to do in a difficult situation. Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com This article is written by Hugh McInnes about internet filters and internet safety from malicious spam or illegitimate content. Find out how filters work with whitelist and blacklists, and how internet service providers can help protect your internet. |
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