Creating Webblocker Exceptions - Watchguard Firebox X1000 User Manual

Chapter 15: Controlling Web Site Access

Creating WebBlocker exceptions

WebBlocker provides an exceptions control to override any
of the WebBlocker settings. Exceptions take precedence
over all other WebBlocker rules; you can add sites that you
want to be allowed or denied above and beyond other
WebBlocker settings. Sites listed as exceptions apply only
to HTTP traffic and are not related to the Blocked Sites list.
The exceptions option maintains a list of IP addresses that
you want to either specifically allow or deny, regardless of
other WebBlocker settings. You can specify exceptions by
domain name, network address, or host IP address. You
can also fine-tune your exceptions by specifying a port
number, path name, or string which is to be blocked for a
particular Web site. For example, if you wanted to block
only www.sharedspace.com/~dave, because Dave's site con-
tains nude pictures, you would enter " ~dave " to block that
directory of sharedspace.com. This would still allow users to
have access to www.sharedspace.com/~julia, which contains
a helpful article on increasing productivity.
If you wanted to block any sexually explicit content that
might be on sharedspace.com, you might enter *sex , to
block a Web page such as www.sharedspace.com/~george/
sexy.htm. By placing an asterisk (*) in front of the string you
want to match, it will be matched if that string appears
anywhere in the location part of the URL. However, you
cannot enter *sex in the pattern section, and expect to
block all URLs that contain the word "sex." The * option
can be used only to modify the exceptions within a specific
URL. For example, you can block www.sharedspace.com/
*sex and expect that www.sharedspace/sexsite.html will be
blocked.
This WebBlocker features is applicable only for outbound
requests to access web sites. You cannot use WebBlocker
exceptions to make an internal host exempt from
WebBlocker rules.
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