Monday, September 3

Aladdin eSafe Secure Web Gateway Blocks 100 percent of Anonymous Proxies

Anonymous proxies, or anonymizers, are Web sites that allow Internet users to connect to the Web through an external Web site, thereby bypassing any restrictions typically enforced on the local network.

This bypass mechanism, though originally designed for safe, anonymous Web surfing, proves extremely dangerous for businesses, schools and other organizations. It opens any computer to all malware that is usually filtered out by a gateway device, and malware is now free to enter the computer and the network – facing only traditional security measures that have proven ineffective against the new waves of malware threats.

Many using anonymous proxies simply want to access MySpace, YouTube and other restricted sites while at work and are completely unaware of the threat proxies pose to the organization. In a recent SearchSecurity.com poll, 27 percent of respondents said they would consider using anonymous proxies and 9 percent said they are already using them.

Since proxy servers frequently change URL addresses, it is impossible for URL filters to keep up with elusive proxy servers. The eSafe Anti-Anonymizer goes beyond traditional filtering methods to also proactively block anonymous proxies based on their site code and communications behavior – even if encrypted by SSL protocols. eSafe prevents users from leaving the protected network at any time, maintaining network integrity and increasing productivity, as well as ensuring regulatory compliance that is extremely important for government, healthcare, education and other industries. Existing eSafe customers were automatically updated to include the new anti-anonymizer technology in their eSafe product and add-on modules.