• SonicOS 7.1 Content Filtering
• About SonicOS
  • Working with SonicOS
  • SonicOS Workflow
  • How to Use the SonicOS Administration Guides
  • Guide Conventions
• Content Filtering Service 5.0
  • CFS Overview
• Configuring Content Filtering Service
  • Configuring the SonicWall CFS Tab
  • Configuring the CFS Custom Category Tab
• Defining Profile Objects
  • Creating or Editing a Profile Object
    • Creating a New URI List Object
  • Advanced Settings
  • Consent
  • Custom Header
  • Editing Profile Objects
  • Deleting Profile Objects
• Configuring CFS Action Objects
  • Adding or Editing CFS Action Objects
  • Deleting Action Objects
• Configuring the Reputation Match Object
  • Adding or Editing a Reputation Object
  • Cloning a Reputation Object
  • Deleting a Reputation Object
• Configuring CFS Policies and Rules
  • Adding or Editing CFS Policy Rules
  • Deleting CFS Policy Rules
• Monitoring Content Filtering
• SonicWall Support
  • About This Document

CFS Overview

URL filtering is becoming a commodity with basic requirements for blocking, based on business objectives and threat reputation. The SonicWall Content Filtering Service targets these issues and has been updated to provide more web categories to screen and a new filter so URLs can be filtered by reputation. The Reputation feature calculates a score that forecasts the security risk of a URL so you can determine how best to categorize and respond to it.

You configure Content Filtering Service settings in SonicOS. The SonicWall Content Filtering Service is available with both the Essential Protection Service Suite and the Advanced Protections Service Suite. With a valid subscription, you can create custom CFS policies and apply them to network zones or to groups of users within your organization. You can enforce policy rules for educational institutions, businesses, libraries, and government agencies. With content filter objects, you can control the websites users can access using their IT-issued computers while behind the organization’s firewall.

The general process for setting up and enabling Content Filtering Service is:

1. Enable Content Filtering Service.

   Some basic Content Filtering capability is provided, but it can be customized and expanded beyond the default tools provided. Navigate to POLICY | Security Services > Content Filter to enable the service. For more information, refer to Configuring Content Filtering Service.

2. Define the profile objects for Content Filtering.

   A Profile Object defines what kind of operation can be triggered for each HTTP/HTTPS connection. Navigate to OBJECT | Profile Objects > Content Filter to edit the CFS Default Profile or add customized Content Filtering profile objects. For more information, refer to Defining Profile Objects.

3. Define the action objects for Content Filtering.

   An Action Object defines what happens after a packet is filtered by CFS. Navigate to OBJECT | Action Objects > Content Filter Actions to edit or define action objects. For more information, refer to Configuring CFS Action Objects.

4. Define the reputation object for Content Filtering.

   A Reputation is an Action Object that defines the action to take based on the reputation of a URL. A CFS Default Reputation Object is provided, but you can create customized Reputation Objects. For more information, refer to Configuring CFS Action Objects .

5. Define the policies for how to filter and respond to web content that users access.

   A default policy provides standard settings for content filters, but with additional licensing, you can create customized policies to manage different user scenarios. Navigate to POLICY | Rules and Policies > Content Filter Rules to define policies. For more information, refer to Configuring CFS Policies and Rules.