Web-Access Control and Monitoring Software

Employers have more incentive than ever to curb employees' access to the Internet. Activities such as Instant Messaging (IM), spyware and malicious software (malware) infiltrations, and unrestricted application downloading and file sharing threaten the security of business systems. Readers recognize the urgency of Web-access control and, fittingly, chose among 14 products for the Best Web-Access Control and Monitoring Software award. Websense Enterprise 5.1 captured first place, closely followed by three competitors. (A new version of the product, Websense Enterprise 5.2, was released in May, during the voting period for the 2004 Readers' Choice awards.) Websense Enterprise controls user access on the network, gateway, and desktop, providing a variety of filtering and access-management functions. Websense Enterprise lets you manage employee Internet access and the launch of desktop applications, prevent peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, block IM attachments and manage IM use, reduce bandwidth by managing streaming media, prevent spyware and malicious mobile code, and prevent employee hacking. Readers say that the product works very well and is easy to use.