What is K9 Web Protection?
K9 Web Protection was a software product developed by Blue Coat, Inc. to filter and restrict Internet access. The software was adopted by businesses to restrict employees from wasting time on unproductive websites and to prevent users from accessing malware.
What is Happening to K9 Web Protection?
K9 Web Protection was sold in 2016 to Symantec and is now being subjected to “end-of-life” status, meaning that updates and support will no longer be available. The “end-of-life” status will commence on June 30th, 2019.
The official “end-of-life” statement from Symantec is as follows:
“We’re immensely grateful for the loyalty of our K9 Web Protection customers. For years, many of you have been using the award-winning K9 application to protect your computers, children, and organizations from spyware, malware, adult content and other threats and risky interactions. We’ve worked together to make the Internet a much safer place for our families and communities.
On August 1, 2016, Blue Coat, Inc. (K9’s parent company) was acquired by cybersecurity leader Symantec™. As can be imagined Blue Coat and Symantec had a handful of similar products and unfortunately, it didn’t make sense to maintain two competing products. it was decided to “end-of-life” K9 Web Protection and focus corporate and customer attention on Symantec’s line of Norton™ products.
Effective immediately, K9 Web Protection is no longer available for purchase or download. Technical Support for K9 will end on June 30, 2019. Until then, support for K9 can reached via email at DL-ECS-K9TechnicalSupport@symantec.com. We’ve also created an uninstall tool should you need help removing the application from your computer.
The key takeaways from this statement include:
“K9 Web Protection is no longer available for purchase or download.”
This statement is clear that the product is no longer available.
“Technical support for K9 will end on June 30, 2019.”
This statement is particularly alarming for users that have implemented K9 Web Protection into their network as they will no longer receive support if they run into any bugs or issues. Customer support is critical for any software product as bugs need to be resolved and customers often need a hand in configuring the software settings.
“We’ve also created an uninstall tool should you need help removing the application from your computer.”
It is clear from this statement that K9 Web Protection will shortly become obsolete as web browsers and filtering technologies continue to advance.
What is the best alternative to K9 Web Protection?
The best alternative to K9 Web Protection is CurrentWare’s BrowseControl Web Filter.
CurrentWare BrowseControl is an easy to use Internet control software that restricts Internet access and enforces web usage policies on your network. It has been primarily used by businesses and organizations that are aiming to increase workplace productivity and prevent damage to valuable computers.
How to block Internet access in your office with BrowseControl?
Blocking Internet access in your office is easier than ever with BrowseControl. Administrators can easily create groups to allow or block users from accessing specific websites, all from one central console.
There are a few different configurations that administrators can implement on their network depending on the levels of restrictions or allowances they wish to apply.
Blocking users from specific websites:
If you know that users are spending too much time on websites such as Facebook.com or ESPN.com, you can add those websites to the Blocked List.
- Select the folder/group of your computers.
- Set “Internet” to “On”.
- Go to “URL Filter”.
- Add “Facebook.com” and “ESPN.com” to the Blocked List.
Allowing users to access specific websites:
If you want to only allow access to specific websites, you can choose to turn Internet Off and then create an Allowed List of websites.
- Select the folder/group of your computers.
- Set “Internet” to “Off”.
- Go to “URL Filter”.
- Add the allowed websites to the Allowed List.
Allowing or blocking users access to websites by category:
You can choose to allow or block user access to websites based on the website’s category. Choose from hundreds of categories including News, Sports, Gambling, Porn, and many more.
- Select the folder/group of computers.
- Go to “Category Filtering”.
- View the list of categories and add them to the Allowed or Blocked list as desired.
Blocking Access to Applications and Programs
You can choose to allow or block user access to applications and programs on the computer.
- Select the folder/group of computers.
- Go to “App Blocker”.
- Search for the applications and programs you wish to block
- Add them to the Blocked Application List.
How to get started with BrowseControl
Web Filter in 4 simple steps?
- Download the free 14-day trial of BrowseControl.
- Download the cwServer and cwConsole onto an administrator console.
- Install the cwClients onto the computers that you wish to control Internet access.
- Configure settings to allow or block websites.
How much does BrowseControl cost?
BrowseControl is a one-time-payment-based license. Once purchased, the license key will remain usable for life. The Category FIltering add-on is an annual subscription.
The cost of BrowseControl is dependent on the number of licenses you need. BrowseControl provides licenses for as few computers as 5, and can provide licenses for networks with hundreds or thousands of computers at a discounted cost. See how much BrowseControl will cost for you by clicking here.