Advanced options

Web Security Help | Web Security Solutions | Version 7.8.x

Related topics:

Scanning options

Content categorization

Security threats: Content security

Security threats: File analysis

Outbound security

Scanning exceptions

Reporting on advanced analysis activity

Use these options to:

Set the sensitivity level of Content Categorization and Content Security analysis

Set the analysis time limit*

Set the analysis size limit*

Enable stripping of specific types of code from HTML content*

*These settings apply to all incoming traffic.

Content categorization and scanning sensitivity level

The algorithms used to perform content categorization and content analysis are tuned by Websense Security Labs to provide optimal results for most organizations. However, if the Optimized setting does not produce the results you expect, you can adjust the sensitivity level to influence more restrictive or more permissive results.

There are 5 sensitivity levels.

Optimized is the sensitivity level tuned by Websense Security Labs.

More Stringent and Most Stringent raise analytic sensitivity.

Less Stringent and Least Stringent reduce analytic sensitivity.

When you are finished, click OK to cache your changes.

Changes are not implemented until you click Save and Deploy.

Scanning timeout

Each content or file analysis consumes a variable amount of time that cannot be determined before analysis begins. By default, to ensure a good user experience, analysis is limited to 1.5 seconds (1500 milliseconds). To adjust the timeout, select Custom and enter a value within the range 500 - 10000 (milliseconds).

Scan size limit

The scan size limit is the threshold to which analysis is performed. Analysis stops when the threshold is reached. The default is 10 MB. To change the value, select Custom and enter a size in megabytes.

Content delay handling

Depending on the Content Gateway configuration and load conditions, very large files, streamed transactions, and slow origin servers can leave clients waiting for content.

The options in this section provide a tool for delivering a portion of buffered content to the client before analysis is performed. Analysis begins when all data is received or the scan size limit is exceeded.

Use Begin returning data to the client after to specify a time period after which a percentage of buffered data is released to the client. The default is 30 seconds. Select Custom to enter another value.

Use Specify how much data to return to the client to specify the percentage of buffered data to release to the client. The default is 80 percent. Select Custom to enter a different value, up to 90 percent.

Content stripping

Threats to your system can be hiding in active content sent via web pages. Active content is content that is embedded in the HTML page that performs actions, such as running an animation or a program.

The content stripping options make it possible to specify that content in particular scripting languages (ActiveX, JavaScript, or VB Script) be stripped from incoming web pages. If content stripping is enabled, all content in the specified scripting languages is removed from sites flagged as containing dynamic content or appearing on the Always Scan list (see Scanning options).

Content is removed only after the advanced analysis options have categorized the site and Filtering Service has determined which policy applies.


	Warning Web pages that rely on active content that has been stripped do not function as expected. To permit full access to sites that require active content, disable content stripping or add the sites to the Never Scan list.

The user requesting a page with active content does not receive any notification that content has been removed.

Use the Settings > Scanning > Scanning Options > Advanced Options area to set content stripping options.

In the Advanced Options > Content Stripping area, select the types of scripting languages to be removed from incoming web pages.

To disable content stripping for a selected language, clear the associated check box.

When you are finished, click OK to cache your changes. Changes are not implemented until you click Save and Deploy.


	Warning Content stripping can result in some content being garbled and unreadable. You can reduce the number of such occurrences by making a small change to the Content Gateway configuration. 1) Open the Content Gateway manager and go to the Configure > Protocols > HTTP > Privacy tab. 2) In the Remove Headers > Remove Others field, add: Accept-Encoding 3) Click Apply and restart Content Gateway.