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Content filtering on the Internet and libraries poses a unique problem: Libraries are required to provide a full range of access to all patrons – including adult content – but they are also required to restrict that access for children. iPrism eases the problems of managing filtering on the Internet and libraries by focusing filtering on user controls rather than site blocking. iPrism filtering is set through user access control rules which define the content of site that can be viewed, not blacklisting IP addresses or domains. Different rules can be set for different people, so all patrons get the level of access they need without compromising children. iPrism administrstors utilize filtering on the Internet and libraries through two tools, user profiles and the Real-Time Monitor.
User profiles define the type of access that a user can have:
- Categories of sites for filtering on the Internet and libraries, which are monitored or blocked
- Time ranges when the filtering rules are in effect
- Restrictions for media such as images, file types, and file sizes
- Enforce safe (filtered) results from search engines
- Allow overrides for blocked sites and if they require admin approval
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Since there can be multiple user profiles, iPrism allows different kinds of filtering on the Internet and libraries. iPrism can set different access rules for adults, adolescents, and children while still providing the full range of information appropriate to each.
The Real-Time Monitor is an interface which tracks the current network usage, such as the URLs and categories of open web page, the user (by IP address) which are online, monitored profiles, and the bandwidth usage. There are 25,000 actions displayed in each monitoring window. The Real-Time Monitor oversees resources to control bandwidth usage, prevent access to dangerous malware sites, and identify how patrons use the Internet.
iPrism simplifies filtering on the Internet and libraries in other ways as well:
- Centralized configuration through a web-based interface. Rules for Filtering on the Internet and Libraries can be set up and changed at any time, anywhere. The admin interface can configure profiles for multiple appliances, so filtering is consistently applied to a single location or an entire district.
- Easy network integration. The iPrism appliance is a dedicated hardware for filtering on the Internet and Libraries; simply plug it into the existing network between the router and the firewall. It’s a transparent bridge, so there’s no need to reconfigure the firewall. Since there’s no software to install locally, iPrism is compatible with all operating systems and network environments.
- Automatic updates. The iGuard database is updated automatically every hour. There’s no difficult maintenance, and the paramaters for filtering the Internet and Libraries never gets outdated.
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