Your Network

1
Your Network GALILEOFilters, Proxies, Popups
more

• Technology Leadership Conference
• October 27, 2004
• Katie Gohn, GALILEO Support Specialist
• Philip McArdle, GALILEO Services Coordinator

2
Purpose of our presentation

• To discuss the elements of the GALILEO system
  that can be affected by filtering and security
  software, proxy servers, and browser
  configurations.
• To provide information to help network
  administrators, librarians, and individual users
  avoid problems.

3
What well cover in this presentation

• Browsers
• Cookies, popups, security/privacy settings
• Proxy servers
• Authentication, caching, filtering
• Desktop filtering/security software
• Keyword blocking, site blocking

4
Resources in About GALILEO

• GALILEO exceptions list for proxy servers
• http//www.usg.edu/galileo/exceptions_list.phtml
• Browser specifications settings
• http//www.usg.edu/galileo/browser_help.phtml
• Guidelines for use of filtering software
• http//www.usg.edu/galileo/filtering.phtml

5
Browsers GALILEO

• Cookies
• GALILEO system does not require users to accept
  cookies, but many vendor databases do
• GALILEO recommends setting browsers to accept
  first- and third-party cookies
• First-party cookies originate from same domain as
  the site youre viewing
• Third-party cookies originate from another domain
• MSIE sometimes mistakes first-party for
  third-party when frames are involved

6
Browsers GALILEO
7
Browsers GALILEO

• Popup blockers
• Does your browser have one?
• Internet Explorer 6
• XP Service Pack 2 adds popup blocker
• Google and Yahoo! toolbars add popup blockers
• EarthLink, AOL, and other ISPs offer popup
  blockers
• Other browsers with popup blockers
• Netscape 7.1 and 7.2
• Mozilla suite and Mozilla Firefox
• Safari
• Opera

8
Browsers GALILEO

• When does GALILEO open new windows?
• When opening a database under the GALILEO banner
  causes authentication problems
• When the content of a new page doesnt include a
  clear path back to GALILEO
• In some instances, blockers will perceive new
  GALILEO windows as popups and suppress them.
• Databases opening in new windows usually arent
  affected, except Express Links.

9
Browsers GALILEO

• How do I avoid problems with popups?
• Add items in GALILEO exceptions list to popup
  blockers allowed-sites list
• or
• Turn off popup blocker while using GALILEO

10
Browsers GALILEO

• Other browser issues
• High IE security settings can interfere with
  homepage access.
• Browser should be set to check for new versions
  of stored pages regularly.

11
Proxy servers GALILEO

• A proxy is a service that sites between web
  servers and clients (i.e., users workstations)
  it receives requests from clients and makes
  requests to servers on their behalf.
• Primary purposes include caching, filtering,
  usage tracking, and remote resource access.

12
Proxy servers GALILEO

• When a proxy makes requests to GALILEO and vendor
  databases on behalf of a client, the client
  appears to have the IP address of the proxy
  server.
• This can be beneficial in some cases for
  instance, to facilitate remote access.
• This can be harmful if GALILEO does not recognize
  your proxy servers IP address.

13
Proxy servers GALILEO

• Use GALILEOs exceptions list to prevent your
  proxy server from proxying on-site users GALILEO
  requests.
• List may be employed centrally on server or in
  each workstations browser settings.
• Allows GALILEOs and vendors servers to
  authenticate by workstation IP address.
• Ensures that caching, filtering, and other
  services do not interfere with functioning of
  GALILEO system.

14
Filtering software GALILEO

• Keyword-blocking software
• Screens the text and sometimes URL of web pages
  if text contains certain words or phrases, user
  is not allowed to view web page.
• Contents of GALILEO databases may include words
  and phrases prohibited by software may cause
  error messages, incorrect search results, or
  other problems.
• Examples ClickSafe, CyberSentinel Bess
  (optional)

15
Filtering software GALILEO

• Site-blocking software
• Determines whether the URL of a web page is on a
  list of sites the manufacturer or administrator
  has already decided are inappropriate.
• Examples WebSense, CyberPatrol, Bess

16
Filtering software GALILEO

• Both types of filtering software can be
  inaccurate neither can ensure that all
  inappropriate sites will be blocked or that all
  appropriate sites will be accessible.
• Use GALILEOs exceptions list to exclude GALILEO
  and its databases from both types of filtering.

17
Internet security software GALILEO

• May include firewalls, popup blockers, and other
  devices that interfere with GALILEO.
• If software allows user to create a list of
  allowed sites, use GALILEO exceptions list to
  ensure that software doesnt interfere with
  GALILEO sessions.

18
Resources in About GALILEO

• GALILEO exceptions list for proxy servers
• http//www.usg.edu/galileo/exceptions_list.phtml
• Browser specifications settings
• http//www.usg.edu/galileo/browser_help.phtml
• Guidelines for use of filtering software
• http//www.usg.edu/galileo/filtering.phtml

19

• Questions?