VirtueNet WebControl Solution

For schools, colleges, or universities that require the ultimate in control over their organizations online activities, VirtueNet offers the same premium web-management solutions as used by some of the leading blue-chip companies around the world that have been specially adapted to meet the unique requirements of educational environments. Whether you require management of 10 users in a classroom, or 10, 000 users across numerous campuses or locations, VirtueNet can deliver the correct solution for your school.

As the owner or administrator of an educational facility, it is essential for you to have an Acceptable Usage Policy for internet and computer facilities in place that protects you from the legal liability associated with exposure to harmful web content as well as the downloading and distribution of illegal software, images, videos or music to other students. Our solutions are not designed to simply prevent bandwidth or download abuse, but also protect your network from harmful viruses, malware, phishing and other security threats that are associated with unrestricted internet access. More importantly, our web management solutions will pro-actively control your online environment at all times, ensuring that students (or staff) are not using the internet for entertainment or other personal reasons - the end result will translate into drastically reduced time wasting with increased learning and productivity for your school.

Powerful, comprehensive web-based reporting tools allow for quick access to simple, easy to understand reports that will allow you to effectively enforce your organization's Acceptable Usage Policy (AUP). Our solutions can be customized to allow different rules to various user groups, with unrestricted access to higher level management, restricting of certain social networking sites (i.e. Facebook) to lunch hours only, or even restricting access further to allow only a handful of approved sites necessary for students to accomplish their daily tasks. Customized block pages may also allow you to brand your solution so that offenders are aware that your organization's management are monitoring online activities.

In order to realize our core vision of creating a safer internet in South Africa, VirtueNet offers the “Protect The Home” initiative to all schools willing to partner with us through which we provide a VirtueNet WebProtect Filter for every student to be used on their laptop or home computer, thus ensuring that children are kept safe whether at school, at home, or anywhere in-between. VirtueNet also provides practical on-going training and real-world advice for parents and teachers to help them to better understand and gain control of new technologies that their students or children use on a daily basis. We offer both brief and in-depth e-Safety presentations at no charge for schools using our services, equipping them with the necessary tools to manage and protect their learners. For parents, we offer the free and regularly revised VirtueNet Guide to e-Safety which can be downloaded from our website, along with many other useful resources.

Key Features –

• Block harmful web content across 90+ categories such as pornography, gambling, hate speech, violence, drugs & criminal skills
•  World’s largest URL database with over 5.3 billion categorized websites
• Manage use of social networking sites such as Facebook by blocking entirely or limiting to specific times of the day or week
• Reduce time wasting through misuse of the internet facilities while increasing productivity & learning
• Filter students laptops whether using a school, home, or mobile internet connection & enforce Acceptable Usage Policies at all times
• Protection against viruses, spyware, phishing and malicious applications
• Block the usage of anonymous proxies typically used to bypass most common web filters
• Centralized web-based administration with powerful, comprehensive scheduled or on-demand reporting on all students online activities
• Fast, zero-latency internet browsing speeds (0.1 milliseconds per URL request)
• Most accurate web filtering technology available (97% - 99% multilingual)
•  Eliminate high-bandwidth applications such as P2P file-sharing and other large movie, music or software downloads
• Filtering by protocol to control chat or instant messaging applications
• Limit internet access to specific times of the day or week using time schedules
•  Customize block / deny pages with school branding and message
•  Compatible with Microsoft Active Directory / ISA, Netcache & Squid Proxy Servers
• Dedicated onsite VirtueNet Policy Server for your organization (for multiple user policies)
• Works with any third-party internet connection (i.e. Telkom / MWeb)
• Fully managed and supported by VirtueNet
  

VirtueNet WebControl Solution

The VirtueNet WebControl Cloud Solution is the first locally hosted “in-the-cloud” web-filtering solution of its kind, and is designed to offer premium web-management without the implementation and support costs associated with running an onsite hardware / server based solution. VirtueNet’s cloud solutions are strategically located in secure hosting environments throughout SA, with state-of-the-art data centres guaranteeing 99.9% uptime. This cloud-based architecture not only reduces the cost of implementation & support (thus making these premium solutions affordable to smaller organizations), it also provides unparalleled power & flexibility in enforcing your Acceptable Usage Policy (AUP) for all onsite and remote users, on all devices, at all times.

For schools, colleges, or universities that require the ultimate in control over their organizations online activities, VirtueNet offers the same premium web-management solutions as used by some of the leading blue-chip companies around the world that have been specially adapted to meet the unique requirements of educational environments. Whether you require management of 10 users in a classroom, or 10, 000 users across numerous campuses or locations, VirtueNet can deliver the correct solution for your school.

As the owner or administrator of an educational facility, it is essential for you to have an Acceptable Usage Policy for internet and computer facilities in place that protects you from the legal liability associated with exposure to harmful web content as well as the downloading and distribution of illegal software, images, videos or music to other students. Our solutions are not designed to simply prevent bandwidth or download abuse, but also protect your network from harmful viruses, malware, phishing and other security threats that are associated with unrestricted internet access. More importantly, our web management solutions will pro-actively control your online environment at all times, ensuring that students (or staff) are not using the internet for entertainment or other personal reasons - the end result will translate into drastically reduced time wasting with increased learning and productivity for your school.

Powerful, comprehensive web-based reporting tools allow for quick access to simple, easy to understand reports that will allow you to effectively enforce your organization's Acceptable Usage Policy (AUP). Our solutions can be customized to allow different rules to various user groups, with unrestricted access to higher level management, restricting of certain social networking sites (i.e. Facebook) to lunch hours only, or even restricting access further to allow only a handful of approved sites necessary for students to accomplish their daily tasks. Customized block pages may also allow you to brand your solution so that offenders are aware that your organization's management are monitoring online activities.

In order to realize our core vision of creating a safer internet in South Africa, VirtueNet offers the “Protect The Home” initiative to all schools willing to partner with us through which we provide a VirtueNet WebProtect Filter for every student to be used on their laptop or home computer, thus ensuring that children are kept safe whether at school, at home, or anywhere in-between. VirtueNet also provides practical on-going training and real-world advice for parents and teachers to help them to better understand and gain control of new technologies that their students or children use on a daily basis. We offer both brief and in-depth e-Safety presentations at no charge for schools using our services, equipping them with the necessary tools to manage and protect their learners. For parents, we offer the free and regularly revised VirtueNet Guide to e-Safety which can be downloaded from our website, along with many other useful resources.

Key Features –

• Fully hosted “in-the-cloud” solution (for multiple or single organizational policies for all users)
• Block harmful web content across 90+ categories such as pornography, gambling, hate speech, violence, drugs & criminal skills
• World’s largest URL database with over 5.3 billion categorized websites
• Manage use of social networking sites such as Facebook by blocking entirely or limiting to specific times of the day or week
• Reduce time wasting through misuse of the internet facilities while increasing productivity & learning
•  Filter students laptops whether using a school, home, or mobile internet connection & enforce Acceptable Usage Policies at all times
•  Protection against viruses, spyware, phishing and malicious applications
• Block the usage of anonymous proxies typically used to bypass most common web filters
• Centralized web-based administration with powerful, comprehensive scheduled or on-demand reporting on all students online activities
• Fast, zero-latency internet browsing speeds (0.1 milliseconds per URL request)
• Most accurate web filtering technology available (97% - 99% multilingual)
•  Eliminate high-bandwidth applications such as P2P file-sharing and other large movie, music or software downloads
• Filtering by protocol to control chat or instant messaging applications
• Limit internet access to specific times of the day or week using time schedules
• Customize block / deny pages with school branding and message
•  Compatible with Microsoft Active Directory / ISA, Netcache & Squid Proxy Servers
•  Works with any third-party internet connection (i.e. Telkom / MWeb)Fully managed and supported by VirtueNet
  

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VirtueNet StudentProtect Solution

The VirtueNet StudentProtect Solution is one of our most exclusive & innovative education solutions, being the only locally-hosted “in-the-cloud” e-Safety solution in South Africa. Typically, many schools rely on internet blocking software alone to keep their students safe, while cyber-bullying, racism, sexting, predator grooming and other “offline” misuse goes undetected. Where common web-management solutions are limited to the monitoring and filtering of online activities only, VirtueNet StudentProtect takes e-Safety to the next level offering the ultimate in protection and control.

VirtueNet StudentProtect will give you a clear overview of what’s really happening on your school network every day. It flags up key words, phrases and images to show you when a computer has been used inappropriately, including misuse, obscene content, bullying and swearing. By capturing evidence of every incident as a screenshot, students learn that any misbehaviour will be noticed which leads to a rapid reduction in computer facility abuse, cyber-bullying and wasted learning time.

Furthermore the ability to block the use of unauthorised applications, as well as memory stick downloads (including encrypted files), will ensure that no circumvention or hacking software can run on the network and will also prevent the spread of harmful content to other students that may have been downloaded outside of school. Combine this with the capability to detect misuse in any legitimate software program (not just the internet), and the result is the safest possible school computer & internet environment with state-of-the-art technology that drastically reduces risk while increasing e-learning simultaneously.

For progressive and forward-thinking schools that want to showcase that they are a flagship school in terms of e-Safety, VirtueNet is able to make this possible with solutions that go far beyond the minimum requirement needed to avoid legal risk. If your school falls in this category, VirtueNet StudentProtect is the only solution for you.

Key Features –

• The next level of online safety - unparalleled student protection beyond standard web-filtering / web management solutions
• Works in conjunction with any pre-existing web-filtering / web-management systems to supplement your current systems
• Pro-active risk identification & evidence capturing
• Change unacceptable behaviour and enforce school policies / code of conduct / Acceptable Usage Policy (AUP)
• Eliminate racism, cyber-bullying and predator grooming on computer facilities
• Teach pupils to stay safe, both online and offline
• Easy for teaching staff or IT administrators to manage content
• Records & monitors all user activity, including social networking sites like Bebo, MySpace and Facebook
• Records & monitors online applications, like email and MSN Messenger & offline applications, such as Word and PowerPoint
• Records & monitors laptops even when disconnected from the school network
• Records & monitors all user activity during lessons, even if content is unsaved or deleted
• Monitors standard & encrypted files downloaded from memory sticks to school computers or laptops & limit the spread of inappropriate data content
• Manage time, applications and user permissions – prevent unauthorized applications from running on the school network
• Evidence cannot be altered or deleted - staff are protected from false accusations of tampering
• Recognises the words and phrases that your pupils use, such as slang and text speak - pre-defined policies, word and phrase lists included in 9 comprehensive libraries
• Regularly updated database libraries cover cyber-bullying, racism, predator grooming, swearing / inappropriate language, pornography, drugs, weapons, gambling & hacking / proxy websites
• Fully customizable - add your own extra words and phrases
• View violations from any school computer at any time
• Captures screenshot evidence of any misuse of computer facilities
• Records the time, date, nature of each violation
• Automatic email alerts to staff of inappropriate activity or potentially serious situations
• Ability to adapt severity coding according to pastoral concerns
• Run regular violation reports including hacking attempts or the use of network administrator passwords
• Onsite StudentProtect Server supplied and supported by VirtueNet as part of monthly rental
• Fully hosted “in-the-cloud” option for smaller schools that prefer not to implement / manage an onsite solution

Coming Soon...

Coming Soon.

The safety and security of Internet users is a top priority for many organizations, no more so than for those running public access facilities. It’s a clear moral responsibility and is already a requirement of a European Framework on Safer Mobile Use by Younger Teenagers and Children, under which operators agree to support access control for adult content and the fight against illegal content on mobiles. Similarly, there is already a growing demand in South Africa for local service providers to follow suit.

VirtueNet is currently the leader in the local Web Content Filtering arena, being the first and only ISP to offer a “clean-feed” ADSL solution in South Africa. We have partnered with leading technology suppliers across the globe to offer specialized web filtering solutions designed specifically for large networks typical to those of 1st & 2nd Tier ISP's, including Mobile Network Operators (MNO's) and other large Telco's.

Typically, a few SA-based ISP's have already tried to implement filtering technologies that are well suited for the corporate enterprise; however, they do not scale well to larger high-capacity networks with millions of subscribers, leaving the ISP with a relatively ineffective, costly solution that is not financially viable. Also, when traditional "corporate" proxy-based solutions are deployed at ISP's this can often introduce high levels of latency into the end user browsing session (among other known issues), and can severely impact the customer's experience online, drawing negative attention to the ISP brand.

VirtueNet is able to consult with these ISP's to provide effective real-world solutions that have been tried and tested in the networks of some of the leading fixed-line and mobile operators in the UK, Europe, Asia and Canada, all of whom filter data traffic for no less than 10 million subscribers, without any noticeable impact on end user performance. Furthermore, the costs are considerably lower than the most commonly used solutions (debunking the popular myth that ISP-level filtering is both unaffordable and complicated) thereby allowing ISP's to generate additional income by adding value-added services to their customer base.

In an age where customers are becoming increasingly concerned about their children's and families online safety, ISP's cannot afford to lose market share to those who offer filtered "clean-feed" solutions across mobile and fixed-line platforms. Our ISP solutions will enable you to enhance your corporate image by being a "family-safe" ISP, while also generating up to 20% additional revenue (covering the capital and operational expenditure) at the same time.

Key Features –

• Revenue-boosting web content filtering / security solution for fixed-line and mobile users
• Reduce churn rate - increase customer loyalty and retention by providing additional value-add services
• Increase revenue with novel value-added services
• Consultancy to define highly flexible content security solution with minimized CAPEX
• Business modelling and technical design of content security architecture for integration with existing technology infrastructure
• Turnkey deployment and integration of solution to provide content filtering and parental control services
• Full security service offering web-filtering, anti-virus, email filtering (optional)
• Provides fully “in-the-cloud” multi-tenant security services with policy granularity down to the individual end-user
• Based on Linux operating system - run on new or existing hardware
• Multi-mode functionality - bridge, router, proxy, sniffer or BGP routing mode, giving the ISP flexibility in choosing the best option for their network
• Multi-Lingual Semantic Analyzer (Multi-content Inspection & Dynamic Analysis System)
• Industry-leading accuracy and incredibly low false-positive rates (0.01)
• Ultra-high performance & throughput with very low latency (> 0.1 milliseconds)
• Extremely high availability and fault tolerance
• Seamless integration with Sandvine, Cisco and other leading DPI devices, as well as RADIUS, LDAP, NTLM, & Active Directory
• Integration of security services in a single, multi-instance / multi-tenant platform
• Centralized management of all services from a single console
• Customization of the product to match the operator's branding / corporate image
• Fast installation and start-up with minimal impact on operator's network
• Implementation with scalability, and reliability needed to meet stringent SLAs (Service Level Agreements of 99.999%)
• “In-the-cloud” SaaS architecture eliminates the need to provide, install and support software on millions of subscriber devices, thereby increasing adoption rate
• Scalable to millions of network- wide subscribers
• Software licensing by registered user count eliminates overhead of managing multiple licenses for each hardware system deployed
• Allows compliance with government security mandates while drastically reducing the overhead costs of the implementation