Overview:
The Safe Way to Search
Searching for content through an Internet search engine has
become a primary entry point to the Web. The search engine is
the most popular Internet application after email. Over 7 billion
Web searches are conducted each month in the US alone, and search
engines account for over 90 percent of the new Web sites visited
by users. With so much exposure to unknown content, search engines
are now a major gateway to malware and compliance risks.
Up to 20 percent of Internet search result pages contain
offensive content or malware. Organizations need a way to secure
their employees' Web searches, while employees need a way to
be warned of malicious or inappropriate search results.
Securing search, however, presents challenges. First, the
Web is very large. It is simply impossible to analyze every
Web page on the Internet for malware and inappropriate content
several times each day. Second, the Web is dynamic. New Web
pages and new content for existing Web pages are continually
created. Static URL and reputation lists based on periodic analysis
of Web sites cannot keep up with a large and dynamic Web. A
new approach utilizing real-time analysis of search results
is required.
Indside SearchAhead
SearchAhead automatically annotates all search engine results
with no additional hardware or software required. Because each
search result is scanned for malware and inappropriate content
in real-time, employees are assured that the Web pages they
visit are safe. Search results are color-coded according to
their status, and these warning icons let employees know in
advance when a particular link will be blocked or logged. Employees
are presented with a detailed explanation for any warning, with
the aim of preventing them from accidentally visiting unauthorized
sites and breaching their organization's Web usage policy.
SearchAhead evaluates search result links in real-time against
the Web filtering policy in place for the given user and ScanSafe's
Outbreak Intelligence malware detection technologies, and displays
a green, yellow, or red icon, indicating the organization's
Web usage policy, or a bug, indicating a malware-infected page.
As an integral part of the ScanSafe Web Filtering service, SearchAhead
does not require special deployment. The user simply switches
on the SearchAhead setting in the ScanCenter Web console and
enables SearchAhead for the entire organization.
Real-Time Early Warning for Search;
SearchAhead is a real-time early warning system designed
for search that is included, at no additional charge, with ScanSafe's
Web Filtering service. The SearchAhead service warns employees
when malicious or inappropriate Web pages appear in their search
results, thereby proactively enforcing your Web usage policies
and keeping employees from visiting unwanted Web pages. SearchAhead
analyzes results from the major search engines - Google, Yahoo!,
and MSN - and provides a simple, easy-to-understand notification,
indicating the safety and compliance of search results. The
security service operates transparently to the end user, so
employees search as they normally would, through search portals
or toolbars.
Effective User Education:
The proactive, educational benefits of SearchAhead are apparent
when comparing the results over a one-month period of employees
who used SearchAhead and those who did not:
SearchAhead educated users by clearly labeling each search
result regarding whether a block would occur if they clicked
on the link. This early warning prevented users from making
unwanted clicks, producing a 28% decrease in the average number
of Web page blocks. By reminding users constantly of the acceptable
use policy, SearchAhead raised the awareness of end-users and
enabled them to police themselves on how to use the Web safely
and responsibly.
Why SearchAhead?
- Secure employees' Web ..searches, a primary gateway
to malware and compliance risks
- Provide early warning of the contents of search results
according to Web usage policies and ScanSafe's Outbreak
Intelligence malware detection technologies
- Ensure timely, accurate, and ..reliable analysis of
searched Web pages through real-time scanning of Web pages
- Educate employees to use the ..Web safely and responsibly
- Reduce Web acceptable use ..policy violations by up
to 30%
ScanSafe
SearchAhead
