Web filter techniques

Web filtering is a crucial aspect of cybersecurity, helping organizations protect their digital systems from threats and ensure safe internet usage. A range of techniques and tools are employed to ensure a secure, reliable, and safe digital environment for organizations.

The following table describes some of the industry standard techniques that are used for Web filtering and if they can be configured in the GUI or CLI.

Technique	Description	GUI	CLI
URL filtering	Blocks access to websites based on their URLs. See for more information.	✓	✓
Category-based filtering	The FortiGuard URL Filtering Service provides comprehensive threat protection to address threats including ransomware, credential-theft, phishing, and other web-borne attacks. See FortiGuard filter for more information.	✓	✓
Image and video filtering	Remove explicit results, such as sexual content or graphic violence, that a user may encounter when conducting a search through a search engine. See Search engines for more information.	✓	✓
Content filtering	Block access based on specific keywords or patterns present on a web page. See Web content filter for more information.	✓	✓
Credential phishing preventing	Scans for corporate credentials submissions to external websites and cross-references those entries with legitimate corporate credentials. See Credential phishing prevention for more information.		✓
Blocklists and allowlists	Curate lists of prohibited and permitted websites. See FortiGuard category threat feed for more information.	✓	✓
Web filter plugin	Extension that you can install on your web browser to enforce Web Filter rules. See Web browser plugin for HTTPS web filtering in the FortiClient Administration Guide for more information.	✓	✓
Endpoint filtering	Control and regulate access to websites at the level of individual devices in a network. See Web & Video Filter in the FortiClient Administration Guide for more information.	✓	✓
Websense web filtering service	Send traffic to the third-party web filtering service for rating and approval checking. See Websense Integrated Services Protocol for more information.		✓

See Configuring a web filter profile for more information.

Web filter techniques

The following table describes some of the industry standard techniques that are used for Web filtering and if they can be configured in the GUI or CLI.

Technique

Description

GUI

CLI

URL filtering

Blocks access to websites based on their URLs. See for more information.

✓

Category-based filtering

The FortiGuard URL Filtering Service provides comprehensive threat protection to address threats including ransomware, credential-theft, phishing, and other web-borne attacks. See FortiGuard filter for more information.

✓

Image and video filtering

Remove explicit results, such as sexual content or graphic violence, that a user may encounter when conducting a search through a search engine. See Search engines for more information.

✓

Content filtering

Block access based on specific keywords or patterns present on a web page. See Web content filter for more information.

✓

Credential phishing preventing

Scans for corporate credentials submissions to external websites and cross-references those entries with legitimate corporate credentials. See Credential phishing prevention for more information.

✓

Blocklists and allowlists

Curate lists of prohibited and permitted websites. See FortiGuard category threat feed for more information.

✓

Web filter plugin

Extension that you can install on your web browser to enforce Web Filter rules. See Web browser plugin for HTTPS web filtering in the FortiClient Administration Guide for more information.

✓

Endpoint filtering

Control and regulate access to websites at the level of individual devices in a network. See Web & Video Filter in the FortiClient Administration Guide for more information.

✓

Websense web filtering service

Send traffic to the third-party web filtering service for rating and approval checking. See Websense Integrated Services Protocol for more information.

✓