URL filtering is a kind of technology that helps businesses to stop users or guests from visiting certain malicious content on the web. There are benefits to a business in lots of aspects; here learn more about “what is URL filtering,” and how it secures your web experience.

What is URL Filtering?

Users, employees, and guests spend their most of the time in internet surfing, for the work, enjoyment, clicking on email links, or utilizing a variety of web-based SaaS application for both personal and business use. While the safe side of the internet benefits business, the kind of unfettered web activity exposes organization to a range of security and business risks, such as propagation of threats, possible data loss, and potential lack of compliance. In this case, URL filtering stops you from visiting a malicious or unsafe page on your web browser. 

If you’ve ever gotten a “block” page while surfing the internet at the office, then your company is using web filtering. Here you can see URL filtering example for block page: 

How does URL filtering work?

URL filtering technology compares all web traffic against a URL filtering database, allowing or denying access based on information contained therein. Each website in the database is given a URL category, or group, which businesses can use in one of two ways:

Block or allow traffic based on the URL category

Create a URL filtering profile with an action for each URL category and associate it with a policy. This comprises malware and phishing website categories.

Match traffic based on URL category for policy government

If the goal is for a specific policy rule to apply only to specific web traffic categories, add the category as match criteria when creating the policy rule.

URL filtering blocks URLs from loading, or only allows certain URLs to load, on a company network. If a user attempts to reach a blocked URL, they are redirected to a “blocked” page. Typically, a company will not develop this database internally, relying instead on the vendor providing the filtering service. However, most vendors enable companies to customize which URLs are blocked or allowed.

URL filtering can block individual URLs or categories or URLs. By blocking individual URLs, companies can block specific web pages that are known to be dangerous or inappropriate. Meanwhile blocking URL categories allows companies to more efficiently restrict the type of content accessed over their network by blocking large groups of URLs at once instead of having to list hundreds of individual URLs

Differences between URL filtering and DNS filtering?

DNS filtering and URL filtering perform the same function. The main difference is that URL filtering blocks URLs, while DNS filtering blocks DNS queries. Additionally, URL filtering blocks webpages, while DNS filtering blocks domains. 

On the other hand, DNS filtering makes it possible to block a website and all its webpages, no matter their URLs, by blocking the domain name. However, URL filtering gives more granular and detailed filtering by allowing companies to block individual web pages instead of the whole website at once.

URL filtering is more granular than DNS filtering, therefore it may necessitate more upkeep and customization. Furthermore, each application protocol must be built separately. DNS filtering, on the other hand, is protocol-independent: once enabled, it applies to all sorts of web traffic.

How URL filtering secure your web experience

Several types of cyber-attacks require users to load one or more web pages in order to be successful.  Some cyber attackers aim to trick users into loading a malicious webpage that initiates a malware download.  If these malicious webpages are identified as dangerous, URL filtering can block them, preventing this type of attack.

Cyber attackers attempt to steal user accounts via phishing attacks: tricking users into giving away their login credentials or active session. As you know that phishing attacks ask users to load fake websites that appear legitimate and then users are prompted to enter personal or financial information that is directly sent to attackers. Known phishing websites can be filtered out using URL filtering, thwarting these types of attacks.

URL filtering service provided by various vendors online, you can choose as per your selection. Additionally, antivirus software can also help in securing web experience. Antivirus software may also function similarly to URL filtering but may not be exactly the same as URL filtering. But, if you visit any web page that contains malware; antivirus software will block the page and notify you that the web page you’re trying to access is not safe.

For more details on how antivirus software can help you in securing web experience visit Priil and explore the security products.

Final Touch

Hey guys! This was the guide about “what is URL filtering.”  URL filtering service is important for your business or if you’re working as an individual, as URL filtering secures you from visiting the malicious web page. I hope this guide would help you to understand URL filtering services and their importance.  If you still have any queries regarding this article, please let us know in the comment section. We would be glad to answer you!