Symantec.cloud FAQ's - Web Security.cloud



  • Why is Web Security.cloud important to my busness? +

    The use of the Web is now central to doing business, so it’s important to protect your organization. There are two core areas to effective Web Security; Enforcing user policy via Web URL Filtering; while also protecting against malware and spyware which is now found on over 70% of legitimate websites. Our Web Security.cloud service provides this protection; $$ Helps you defend your organization from Web-borne threats- malware and spyware $$ Aids enforcement of your Web Acceptable Use Policy and promotes proper Web use $$ Enables a consistent, secure browsing experience for end users $$ Helps protect bandwidth and productivity by applying file download, time and volume limits $$ Protect remote and roaming users and enforce policies regardless of location. :endlist

  • What is the difference between Web Security & Web Filtering? +

    Web Security- protects your organization against malware and spyware found on websites used by your employees.
    Web URL Filtering- is about enforcing policy such as blocking or allowing websites. These filtering policies can be set by URL category, specific URL, users and groups, time of day, content type, or internet consumption level.
    Web Security.cloud services keeps your organization protected by providing both URL filtering and protection against web-based threats.

  • Why is Web Security so important today? +

    Web filtering will always play an important role in enforcing policy, however it does not protect your organization against web-borne threats such as malware and spyware. Today over 70% of malware that we encounter on the web is on legitimate websites that your employees are going to on a regular basis throughout the day. So just enforcing policy through simplistic web filtering won’t improve your security.

    Symantec Web Security.cloud protects your organization against web-threats utilizing both signature based systems and heuristics to identify and protect against both known and new web threats. More importantly its detects web threats in real time in the cloud, so that the threats never reach your network in the first place

  • Why is Web Security.cloud superior to other solutions? +

    Web Security.cloud blocks 100% of known web-borne virus, spyware and phishing threats. As users browse the Web, the pages are scanned live with multiple scanners that detect malware difficult for traditional desktop AV to identify.

    Information on zero-day threats is gleaned from actively following millions of web links as part of our Email Security services. It is this knowledge of new threats that truly sets us apart. Support for roaming users extends protection and policy enforcement to employees who access the Internet from outside the corporate network.

  • Can I customise the user notifications and alerts? +

    When access is denied to a website for any reason, an alert page is normally displayed in the user’s web browser – this can be set up as required, for example with details about what has happened and what the user should do next.

  • Do I need to lock down port 80 on my firewall? +

    Once the redirection to the Web Security Services proxy service on port 3128 has been set up and fully tested, port 80 should be blocked on the gateway firewall device. This will ensure that all outgoing web traffic can only go via the Symantec.cloud Web Security Services. This is especially important if the users’ web browser proxy settings cannot be locked down. It forces the users to keep the proxy settings in place if they want to be able to surf the net. This is also important in the case of a mixed environment where both PC and Mac users are being configured. The PC users can have their settings locked down but the Mac users cannot be restricted in this way, so locking down port 80 on the firewall is essential.

  • Is the service scalable? +

    Delivered as a cloud-based service, our solution is scalable to fit your needs as they grow and does not require the upfront investment and hardware costs found in other solutions.

  • Is Web Security.cloud services easy to setup? +

    Yes. Customers use the service by directing Web traffic requests to the Symantec.cloud services for examination, rather than passing a user directly to the Web site or performing scanning within a client’s infrastructure. Roaming users also have their browsing automatically routed to our service via a software agent.

  • Does it provide a simple management console? +

    Symantec.cloud offers a single, integrated management console for email, Web and instant messaging, simplifying administration and lowering total cost of ownership while providing increased visibility into user behavior

  • How does Symantec.cloud integrate with Active Directory? +

    Our services synchronize with your Active Directory to acquire groups, users, email addresses, aliases, and distribution lists. Combined with our roaming agent or local client side proxy, this integration allows you to get reporting at the user level by Active Directory username.

  • What are the Management and Reporting Cabilities? +

    Web Security.cloud includes several reporting options to inform administrators of the service’s effectiveness and actions. Reports are configured and obtained using the service’s ClientNet Web-based portal. Dashboard, summary, detailed and scheduled reporting options are included and are configurable to provide visibility, accountability and confidence in the effectiveness of the service.

  • How can we protect from the threats inherent in users accessing web-based email? +

    There are two levels of protection. You could;Block access to all Webmail sites by category; or if the Webmail site does not use SSL, you could permit it, knowing that items downloaded via HTTP to the client PC are checked for malware and spyware.

  • What is the maximum interval between someone making a change on the UI and it being applied to the environment? +

    Changes are typically applied within one hour – on average the time will be around five minutes, and normally will not be more than fifteen minutes.

  • What is the cost of the web security service? +

    All Symantec.cloud services are based on a per user, per month subscription, plus a one-off minimal set-up fee.You simply pay a fixed monthly cost based on the number of users connected. Each service can be purchased separately or you can bundle multiple services to provide complete security protection.

    All pricing quotes are individually tailored for each client’s specific requirements and Symantec.cloud offers discounts for both scale and multiple services.


To find out more, contact a security specialist or go to the Web Security.cloud page.