Content filtering and internet monitoring are two of the vital services provided to the Archdiocese by the Internet Services Group.
In order to protect the interests of the Archdiocese of New Orleans and all of the organizations that fall beneath its umbrella of responsibility, content filtering and real time monitoring are utilized extensively within the Archdiocesan network.
The Archdiocese of New Orleans utilizes four layers of content filtering: a database of categorized websites from Symantec with daily updates; a local database of inappropriate sites; subnet blocks; and key word blocks.
The database of categorized websites downloaded from Symantec, though updated by Symantec regularly, is not sufficient. It is, however, a base upon which to build. The Archdiocese uses this database because it integrates well with the firewall.
In addition to the Symantec database of categorized web sites, the Archdiocese has a local database of fifteen thousand websites that have been identified by the Internet Service Department as inappropriate. These sites have been accumulated through proactive searches, blocking of inappropriate sites visited by users, parsed from lists on the internet and through the advice of Archdiocesan users.
Also, Internet email accounts are maintained at providers such as Hotmail and Yahoo to collect offensive emails in order to identify and block new inappropriate sites as they come out.
The local database consists of IP addresses and URLs (website names). When the local database contains twenty-five IP addresses from the same subnet (a class C subnet contains 254 IP addresses) then that subnet is blocked.
Currently there are over twelve hundred class C subnets blocked through this process. Class C subnets are contained in a larger group of class B subnets. There are 254 class C subnets in a class B subnet.
When the local database reveals that 10% of the class C subnets contained in a class B subnet have been identified as inappropriate, then the class B subnet is blocked. There are currently 6 class B subnets blocked.
Key words are also identified as inappropriate and are denied access inside of the Archdiocesan network. Key words are added into an access list on a cache engine. These words include categories of profanity, spyware, shareware, instant messaging and bulletin boards/forums.
The content filtering described above is monitored in real time and also reviewed throughout the day for items missed.
Real time monitoring is achieved through a combination of running two filters: one on the firewall and one on the cache engine where the key word blocks are maintained. Each of these two filters is viewed in real time, i.e., the results of the filters are seen on two different screens.
Additionally, the entire log files are reviewed daily for items that may have been overlooked in real time.
Regardless of the effort, there is no way to be 100% effective. We count on Archdiocesan users to advise us whenever an inappropriate web site is encountered.
The Internet Service Department understands that service and security go hand in hand. It is our responsibility to serve our users and provide access to the internet sites that teachers, administrators and workers require in the performance of their duties.
Exceptions and corrections are made regularly to accommodate the needs of Archdiocesan users. The Symantec database sometimes improperly categorizes web sites. Sites that are blocked by IP addresses contain legitimate useful sites using the same IP address, and domain names of websites are placed in a good domain access list to allow access when word combinations deny access.
Internet Services Department strives to serve all of the schools and organizations within the Archdiocesan network. There is always room for improvement and we regularly review our practices and upgrade our system to accommodate the needs of our users.
Issues that frequently require explanation are: free or large hosting sites; forums; internet image search engines; and Weatherbug.
Hosting sites that are either free or without a policy of prohibiting adult material are not allowed in the Archdiocesan network. The companies that provide web hosting services at discount prices or for free to clients, e.g., BellSouth, Cox, Charter, etc., without concern to content are blocked. Even when these providers have a policy against adult material, the lack of policing and enforcement allow users to post inappropriate content. Two exceptions to the free web site access is geocities.com and members.aol.com.
Forums, bulletin boards, chat sites are also blocked. The reason for not allowing these types of sites is the repeated abuse of the unmoderated forums/bulletin boards offered at innumerable web sites.
Image search engine are blocked because a simple search of “girl” provides images of girls across the spectrum. Even if the site from which the picture originates is blocked, the thumbnail images provided by the search engine are stored locally on the search engine searcher and viewable in the one by one format. Repeated abuse of the use of the image service of the search engines is the reason for denying access.
Weatherbug has been in use in the Archdiocese for years. It has been employed by schools for class purposes and in general has been viewed as a convenient way to know the temperature outside.
Unfortunately, as Weatherbug has grown in popularity it has become the number one requested site in the Archdiocesan network. Without consideration to the advertisements that accompany most versions of the Weatherbug, the ten byte constant connection the software sends out to the various weather station servers when multiplied by thousands results in a waste of bandwidth and unnecessary CPU utilization on the firewall.
The convenience of using the Weatherbug can easily be replaced by visiting the various weather stations and either book marking the location or making a shortcut on the desktop to allow for the one click access to the desired weather.
The block on the Weatherbug only applies to the commercial version of the application and does not affect the educational applications. However, the lack of the Weatherbug will affect classroom curriculum negatively.
It has been two years since we last reviewed the offerings of the biggest players in the content filtering business. These national services offer advantages and services that are attractive but the last review conducted by the Internet Services Department revealed that none of the “big players†allowed for real time monitoring and other features were not suitable for the Archdiocesan system.
The strength of the monitoring system of the Archdiocese is the real time monitoring of internet activity and the repeated daily reviews of the log files of all internet access. This type of monitoring allows for swift identification of violations and notification to the respective schools and organizations identified as the origin of the violation.
The Internet Services Department works together with the Office of Catholic Schools and the Internet Resource Committee to formulate procedures. These procedures are reviewed and approved by the executive members of the Archdiocese who ultimately determine policy.
The Internet Service Department can be contacted via email at ISD@archdiocese-no.org or individually through our respective email accounts. We welcome all comments and count on your continued assistance