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K9 Web Protection
- Company
- Blue Coat Systems
- Version
- 4.4.276
- Devices supported
- Computer
- Operating system
- Mac OS X
Windows 7
Windows 8
Windows Vista
Windows XP - Price *
- free of charge
- Language of interface
- english
- Test date
- SIP Bench III, 3rd test cycle, Summer 2014
EFFECTIVENESS
The overall effectiveness score is fair on adult content and very weak on other harmful content.
There is no major difference in effectiveness between teenagers and children.
There is no major difference in effectiveness between web and web 2.0.
There is no major difference in effectiveness among the different languages.
There is no major difference in effectiveness between teenagers and children.
There is no major difference in effectiveness between web and web 2.0.
There is no major difference in effectiveness among the different languages.
Effectiveness score with adult content filtering for users up to 12 year old: 2.2
Effectiveness score with other harmful content filtering for users up to 12 year old: 0.0
Effectiveness score with adult content filtering for users 13 years and older: 2.4
Effectiveness score with other harmful content filtering for users 13 years and older: 0.0
Effectiveness score with other harmful content filtering for users up to 12 year old: 0.0
Effectiveness score with adult content filtering for users 13 years and older: 2.4
Effectiveness score with other harmful content filtering for users 13 years and older: 0.0
Effectiveness score for users up to 12 year old: 1.1 out of 4 points
Effectiveness score for users 13 years and older: 1.2 out of 4 points
Effectiveness score for users 13 years and older: 1.2 out of 4 points
USABILITY
Installation of the tool: The installation process is easy and well comprehensible. The installer does not provide advanced options. The installation process is generally consistent. The user has less influence to make adjustments, for example, the destination folder for the installation file can not be chosen.
Configuration of the tool: The configuration process is mostly comprehensible and generally easy to learn. There are a few options to influence or individualize the process. The tool does not provide options to create various user profiles. The design could be improved to match the common standard.
Usage of the tool: The tool provides some options to react, when a website has been blocked, but these options are mainly addressed to parents and not to children. The default message could be optimised with respect to children's capability of understanding. The reporting is overall comprehensible.
Usability of the installation process: 2.3
Usability of the configuration process: 3.3
Usability of the usage of the product: 2.7
Overall score for usability: 2.9 out of 4 points
FUNCTIONALITY
K9 is a web filter with a very flexible possibility for adjustments. It offers the possibility to choose among different levels of restriction or to customize user profiles. There are numerous content categories to filter web pages accordingly. The parent can indicate specific URLs to be blocked (creation of a black list) or allowed (creation of a white list) by the filter regardless of the content categories. The parents can create keywords black-list which will cause the page blocking if the keywords is found in the URL. The parent can choose to enable or disable Safe Search. The access to P2P applications can be blocked. It is possible to block the social networks by choosing the category of content. It is also possible to set up time restrictions for internet access.
SECURITY
The tool resisted to the main hacking attempts to by-pass it, except the possibility to by-pass the tool using the safe mode.
Overall score for security: 3 out of 4 points
DETAILED FUNCTIONALITY
| Area of need | Functionality | Specific issues | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Management | Management of User profiles | Create several profiles | No |
| Remote Management | Manage on various devices | No | |
| Monitoring | Remote access to monitoring | No | |
| Filtering Customisation | Topics | Customisation of Filtering Topics | Yes |
| URLs White List | Restrict Browsing to White List | No | |
| Default White List | No | ||
| Modification OR Creation | Yes | ||
| URLs Black List | Creation of User's own Black List | Yes | |
| Keywords | Keywords | Default Black List | No |
| Default White List | No | ||
| Creation of a User's Black List | Yes | ||
| Creation of a User's White List | No | ||
| Time | Time Limit Settings | Set a specific time frame or web access duration | Yes |
| Blocking Message | Type | Ask for unblocking by parents | No |
| Redirect to safe resources | No | ||
| Usage Restriction | Web | Block Access | Yes |
| Monitor Access | Yes | ||
| Safe search | Availability | Yes | |
| Social Networks | Block Access | Yes | |
| Monitor Usage | No | ||
| Personal data Provision | Block | No | |
| Streaming | Block Access | Yes | |
| Monitor Access | No | ||
| P2P | Block the application | Yes | |
| Monitor Downloads | No | ||
| Skype | Block chat | No | |
| Block video chat | No | ||
| Monitor | No | ||
| Prevent new Contact | No | ||
| Windows Life Messenger | Block chat | No | |
| Block video chat | No | ||
| Monitor | No | ||
| Prevent new Contact | No | ||
| Block email client and/or webmail access | Yes |
DETAILED USABILITY FINDINGS
| Yes / No | |
|---|---|
| I: installation in 3 steps or less | No |
| I: choice of installation for beginners or advanced users | No |
| C: different degrees of strength for the filtering | Yes |
| C: different content criteria for the filtering | Yes |
| C: option to transfer filter configurations between target users | n/a |
| C: option to transfer filter configurations between devices | No |
| C: overall comprehensible configuration | Yes |
| C: overall conformity with user expectations | Yes |
| C: overall easy to learn | Yes |
| U: alert message in a child friendly language | No |
| U: option to customise the reaction in case of blocking | No |
| U: overall easily operable and comprehensible reporting | No |
DETAILED SECURITY FINDINGS
| The Tool prevents the user from by-passing the filter by: | Yes / No |
|---|---|
| Using the IP address instead of the URL | Yes |
| Using an alternative browser | Yes |
| Changing time and date settings* | Yes |
| Disabling or uninstalling the software without a password* | Yes |
| Closing the filtering tool trough the Task Manager | Yes |
| Using a proxy instead of a direct connection to the Internet | Yes |
| Accessing the web-pages through the Google Cache | Yes |
| Reaching a website through translation sites | Yes |
| Renaming a blocked application | n/a |
| Using Safe Mode | No |
| Filtering Content personalised by user | No |
| Filtering Content evolving through time | No |
| Filtering Multimedia content | No |
| Filtering outbound content | No |
