PROXY WATCH - WEB FILTERING SOFTWARE

If you're like most Internet service subscribers, you enjoy the convenience and benefits of the Internet almost every day. There's nothing quite like it.

If your son or daughter needs help with a research paper, you no longer have to drive them to the library, or buy them a set of encyclopedias. You just type in the subject you're looking for and thousands of Web sites packed full of information suddenly appear.

The Internet continues to grow at a rapid pace with new Web sites appearing every day. While many of these sites contain useful information, some feature objectionable or explicit material that is not appropriate. IKANO provides access to the "good" material available on the Internet while restricting access to the "bad."

A recent New York Times study said that the majority of Americans think schools should install filters to block students from accessing pornography and hate speech. About 75 percent of them favored outright government bans on hate speech and online smut.

To keep up with the continual growth of the Internet, IKANO's proxy server is updated on a daily basis with a list of new sites to block. IKANO also provides end-users with a feedback mechanism. End-users can submit sites to IKANO that they want blocked or unblocked. IKANO's filter cannot be disabled without customer consent.

IKANO's filtering service is a client-side software solution. This means proxy settings are set within the subscriber's browser typically during the software installation process. The only way to disable filtering is with a password.

IKANO's filter is a server-based solution. This means that IKANO hosts and manages the filter at the NOC (Network Operating Center). To speed the delivery of sites requested, IKANO maintains a cache server that stores and then delivers the most frequently requested sites.