[GLLUG] content filtering

[Nathan Hartley]

> It's time I get more serious about content filtering at home, now that my
kids are able to get online.

I am interested in this as well...

I have five children and have been struggling through a similar situation
for a while now. My oldest despises restrictions, you know things like "do
not installing malware", "do not enter random URLs i.e.
www.YourSistersName.com", "do not enter your entire life history into every
survey you find on the net" and "do not use web proxies". Though she did get
a lesson once when one of the web proxies used her MySpace credentials to
vandalize her profile.

For me, it not just about protecting my children, it is also about
protecting my PCs and home network. And besides, I believe it is
irresponsible for parents not draw a line somewhere on these issues.

I have ran DansGuardian on an old machine but it was way too slow and I had
to "tweak" it often too prevent false positives and negatives. I have heard
rumor that it is possible to pay to receive category lists, which might help
with the accuracy. I had plans to turn an old server into an Astaro gateway
server, as they offer the software and updates free for home use, but after
wrestling with it several times and again just this last weekend, the
machine appears to be incompatible with their installer. With no error
messages, I am guessing the old RAID controller is giving it fits.

Right now our main PC, which has to run Windows for various reasons, is in
the living room near the kitchen and is running the free K9 Web Protection.
Our Ubuntu "homework" PC in the basement is locked down to a select few
sites using Dan's Guardian.

I am thinking I may have to invest in a decent, low energy, machine to setup
as a content filter or install Dan's Guardian on my MythBuntu box.

As far as OpenDNS, it works, but is easily defeated by using using IP
address. Which wouldn't block my daughter from using a list of web proxy
sites IP addresses she got in computer class.

In the end I am looking for a centrally managed filter that doesn't get in
the way and causes my wife and kids to look for back doors (which are often
just as dangerous as the sites they may stumble across).


Astaro
http://www.astaro.com/our_products/astaro_security_gateway/software_applianc
e

Another Astaro-like option
http://www.clarkconnect.com/info/features.php

Blue Coat K9 Web Protection
http://www.k9webprotection.com/

-----Original Message-----
From: linux-user-bounces at egr.msu.edu [mailto:linux-user-bounces at egr.msu.edu]
On Behalf Of Michael George
Sent: Monday, March 31, 2008 2:16 PM
To: linux-user at egr.msu.edu
Subject: [GLLUG] content filtering

It's time I get more serious about content filtering at home, now that my
kids are able to get online.

I know there is the dansguardian/squid proxy filter, but I don't want to
jump immediately to an approach that requires another computer.  I use
LTSP for myself and for the kids, so we're all on the same system
(therefore I can't just use mine as the proxy server).

I've heard of OpenDNS for DNS-level filtering, but I'm not sure if that
will have some loopholes that I hadn't though of...

I should have thought ahead more when I got my router.  I put in a Linksys
WRT54GL running dd-wrt just recently.  I'm happy with it so far, and it
will facilitate a transparent proxy, but it doesn't implement one.  Since
I only use it for basic router and firewall tasks, it would be nice to
have a content filtering proxy built into it.

Anyone here have opinions/advice?  Thanks!

-Michael George
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