Blocking Websites & Pages
Introduction:
Blocking a site is a straight forward process in SchoolProtect, however, behind the scenes, it may not be as simple as blocking a URL. The guidance below will talk you through each step of blocking a site.
1. Users and Policies:
In order to block, you will firstly need to set up policies to block against. A basic structure is highlighted here.
2. Decryption:
LGfL SchoolProtect HTTPS decryption allows SchoolProtect to decrypt and re-encrypt HTTPS traffic. This process allows schools to have greater control over their web filtering and monitoring. Without HTTPS decryption, web filtering and monitoring tools can only see the top-level domain of a website (e.g., https://www.bbc.co.uk), making it impossible to block or allow specific pages or content within that site. HTTPS decryption enables the filtering system to inspect the full URL string, including search terms and embedded content, which is crucial for effective safeguarding. It also ensures that when a website is blocked, a clear "blocked page" message is displayed, rather than a generic "page cannot be displayed" error. To enable this service, a network manager or IT support organization at the school must install a certificate on school-managed devices. While it works seamlessly on managed devices, Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) devices require manual installation of the certificate or the creation of an excluded IP range or policy.
3. How to block:
Once you've been through each of the above, and decided you do indeed want to block your website, this is done by going to the URLs Overview page. On this page you will see your policies. You can click add new URL, and block this for the selected policy.
If you've made a mistake, you can delete the entry you just made by simply pressing the red X to the right of the entry.
We strongly advise blocking keywords as this can inadvertently result in 'overblocking' which schools are asked to avoid in KCSIE and the DfE Standards. If you are seeing concerns relating to particularly words being entered in search engines for example, first of all, please make sure you have Safe Search enforced and that you are decrypting.
4. Troubleshooting and Testing:
4.1 For troubleshooting and testing, SchoolProtect has a feature called Reports. Under Reports, you can create, or schedule reports to accurately provide information on what is being blocked, or being allowed through. For example, an IP report can be generated to report back from an individual IP of a machine. This will give you a report that will show what is being blocked or allowed through. You can see more details on the Dashboard, which will provide you with an overview, and will also assist hugely in troubleshooting any problems.
4.2 There is also a method to test a URL, to see if it would be Denied or Allowed under each policy. This is under Policies - Test Tool.
Denied:
Allowed:
Dashboard information here...