Lesson 3: Downloading the Forcepoint URL Database

New Admin Quick Start | Forcepoint Web Security and Forcepoint URL Filtering | v8.5.x


Use this lesson to learn about subscriptions and the Forcepoint URL Database. The lesson includes instructions for entering a subscription key and creating a database download schedule.

Before this tutorial can be completed, an administrator must enter the subscription key used to activate your web protection software. Entering a subscription key:

Activates a partial version of the Forcepoint URL Database installed with your product.

Activates your software.

Initiates the download of the Forcepoint URL Database, which contains the category and protocol definitions that provide the foundation for policy enforcement.

Exercise 1: Enter your subscription key and configure database download settings:

Log on to the Forcepoint Security Manager.

If the subscription key has not been entered, the Initial Setup Checklist prompts you to enter the key:

Enter any required proxy settings (if the machine running Filtering Service must go through a proxy to connect to the Internet).

Enter your key and click Apply.

If Filtering Service is able to connect to the Internet and validate the key, a success message is displayed and the database download begins.

Click Settings on the left navigation pane, and then go to the Account page (selected by default when you select Settings). Information about your subscription appears near the top of the page.

Complete subscription information is not displayed until the first database download is complete.

Click Settings > Database Download in the left navigation pane. Forcepoint URL Database configuration information appears in the content pane.

Use the Download days check boxes and Download timeframe drop-down lists to establish a schedule for downloading the Forcepoint URL Database.

By default, your web protection software is configured to attempt a download every day, some time between 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Daily downloads ensure that you are always using current information for policy enforcement. Database downloads should occur at least once a week.


	Note If you do not download the Forcepoint URL Database for 14 days, policy enforcement stops. If no download days are selected on the Database Download page, your web protection software attempts to download the database every 7 days.

If your network requires authentication to a proxy server or firewall, do the following. Otherwise, skip to step 7.

In the Authentication area at the bottom of the screen, check Use Authentication.

Enter the User name and Password required by the proxy server or firewall.

You may also need to configure the proxy server or firewall to accept clear text or basic authentication.

If your network requires that browsers use an upstream proxy server to reach the Internet, do the following. Otherwise, skip to step 8.

In the Proxy Server area, check Use proxy server or firewall.

Enter the name or IP address of the proxy server or firewall machine in the Server IP or name field.

Use the Port field to enter the port used by the proxy server or firewall (the default is 8080).

Click OK to cache your settings, and then click Save and Deploy in the toolbar to implement them.

After you enter a subscription key, the Forcepoint URL Database begins to download in the background.

Exercise 2: Verify Forcepoint URL Database download status

To view database download status, or to manually initiate a download at any time:

In the Main section of the left navigation pane, select Status > Dashboard.

Select the System tab of the Dashboard page.

The Health Alert Summary (displayed by default at the top of the System dashboard) provides general download status information.

Click Database Download (in the toolbar at the top of the page) for detailed download information.

By default, the Database Download page displays a summary of all Filtering Service machines, listing the Forcepoint URL Database version currently in use on each, as well as the status of the last download.

You can manually initiate a database download from this page by clicking the Update button for a Filtering Service instance. If a download attempt is in progress, the button is disabled.

Click a Filtering Service IP address in the list on the left to see detailed download information, including progress information for ongoing downloads.

Click Close to return to the Dashboard page. Closing the Database Download page does not interfere with any updates that may be in progress.


	Important If you have the Forcepoint Web Security Hybrid Module, after your first successful Forcepoint URL Database download is complete, log off of the Security Manager and log back on. This allows several hybrid-specific pages to be displayed.

When a database update adds or removes pre-defined categories and protocols, you must log off of the Security Manager and log on again to see the updated category and protocol lists. This protective measure ensures that database updates do not interfere with any policy updates that administrators may be making.

A database update that adds or removes categories and protocols is likely to occur:

When you first enter your subscription key and download the Forcepoint URL Database.

After you have moved from Forcepoint URL Filtering to Forcepoint Web Security.

Typically, category and protocol additions or removals are rare, and generally publicized several weeks before the update takes place. If you have configured your web protection software to notify administrators of systems alerts, you will also receive notification when new categories and protocols have been added or removed.

You have completed the Initial Setup section of this quick start tutorial. Continue with Policy Management.