How do I set up a filtering whitelist?

Topic 80020 / Updated: 18-May-2011

Applies To:

Websense Web Filter, Web Security, Web Security Gateway, and Web Security Gateway Anywhere Version 7.6

There are 2 ways to define a set of URLs that clients can always access. These can be global whitelists (applying to all clients in a delegated administration role) or limited whitelists (applying to clients who share a specific filtering policy).

Global whitelists

Web Filter allows you to designate a URL as unfiltered. Unfiltered URLs can be accessed by any user, except when governed by the Block All category filter or a limited access filter.

1.	Navigate to the Policy Management > Filter Components > Unfiltered URLs page.

2.	Under Define Unfiltered URLs, enter one URL or IP address per line, and then click the right arrow (>).

Websense software does not match a custom URL with its equivalent IP address. To permit both the URL and the IP address for a site, add both to the Unfiltered URLs list.

3.	When you are finished, click OK to cache changes and return to the Edit Categories page. Changes are not implemented until you click Save All.

See Defining unfiltered URLs in the TRITON - Web Security Help for more detailed information on adding an unfiltered URL.

Limited whitelists

You can also add URLs to a custom category designated as permitted by default to create a limited whitelist. This allows you to still block the URLs in the custom category in certain policies while the sites are permitted in all policies where your custom category or the URL is not specifically blocked.

1.	On the Policy Management > Filter Components > Edit Categories > Add Category page add a category name, description and parent category (optional).

2.	Enter the sites (URLs or IP addresses) that you want to add to this category.

You can also edit this list after creating the category.

3.	Select Permit as the default filtering Action to apply to this category in all existing category filters.

4.	Enable any desired Advanced Filtering actions (optional). Then click OK to cache your changes. Changes are not implemented until you click Save All.

 

 

Note  To add sites to the category later, go to the Policy Management > Filter Components > Edit Categories > Recategorize URLs page enter URLs and IP addresses you want to recategorize on separate lines and select the category you created.