Web monitoring software resized

Security vendor GFI Software has repackaged its WebMonitor software into three editions, designed to better target the needs of different organizations.

WebMonitor 4.0 offers organizations a way to limit employees’ use of the Internet to business-critical sites, while also securing their Web use, according to company officials. The software, targeted primarily at small- and midsized businesses, is now available in the following three packages:

* WebFilter Edition, with GFI’s WebGrade database that categorizes Web sites based on human review, as well as filtering technology that lets administrators block employee access to sites based on their category (such as adult, and online gaming). This edition monitors the sites visited and the bandwidth used by employees, and lets administrators set policies on a user-by-user basis. The package is priced per user; an organization with 500 users would pay $12.87 per user per year for the first year.

* WebSecurity Edition, which includes download control policies that dictate and monitor which files employees download from the Web, blocking select file types such as MP3s. The package also includes virus scanners that check each file downloaded from the Web for viruses, and blocks access to known phishing sites via an included database of malicious sites that is automatically updated. This edition is priced per user; an organization with 500 users would pay $8.05 per user per year for the first year.

* UnifiedProtection Edition, which includes monitoring Web sites and Web downloads, and also blocks applications that connect to Web sites to download updates. This package also tracks traffic that is downloaded and uploaded to the Web, counts URL hits over time, provides whitelists and blacklists for making exceptions to policies, and offers access to the product's configuration and monitoring interface.

The company also sells e-mail security software and e-mail archiving products.