The Web Security family of products from Websense provide for the organization gateway-based protection from various Web threats via the categorization and policy-based blocking of identified Internet (HTTP, and with the Content Gateway Module, SSL) traffic. Each of the products builds on the features and capabilities of the previous; starting with Web Filter (formerly Websense Enterprise), and moving upwards through Web Security and Web Security Gateway.

Beneath the hood of many of the product family's capabilities is the vendor's ThreatSeeker network, which collects real-time data from deployed sites around the world and combines it with human analysis to provide feedback that is re-injected into the components themselves for the purposes of site reputation classification and content categorization, identification of security risks, etc. The vendor states that the network includes over 50 million real-time collecting systems parsing a billion pieces of content daily.

Web Filter provides site categorization and policy-based site access controls, with the vendor noting current support for over 90 category designations. Additionally, bandwidth controls and protocol-specific (over 100 network protocols recognized) policies can be implemented. The vendor targets Web Filter to companies with from 250 to over 250,000 employees.

Web Security, the namesake product of the suite, adds to the site filtering capabilities; including TheatSeeker based data enhancements and the ability to identify and block malicious traffic such as spyware, bots, and more (including phone home requests from existing spyware and keyloggers). Web Security is targeted to organizations with up to and over 250,000 users.

Web Security Gateway adds to Web Security the Content Gateway Module (which provides the proxy-based ability to examine SSL traffic, as well as provide "instant" categorization of content which has not yet been categorized). The Content Gateway Module is also listed as an optional addition to Web Filter and Web Security.

Optional products available in the Web Security family include the aforementioned Content Gateway; the Client Policy Manager for Endpoint controls; and Remote Filtering which extends the products' features to mobile users.

Two other products are additionally offered under the Web Security umbrella. Websense Express is a Windows only offering targeted to organizations with under 1,000 users (with both security and filtering features), and the newly enhanced Websense Hosted Web Security, a vendor hosted offering that the vendor targets primarily to highly distributed organizations and/or those with a high population of mobile users.

Websense Web Security is available now. Contact the vendor for further information.