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Creating Content Filtering Profiles

Before You Begin

  • Read the Content Security Overview topic.

  • Decide what kind of filtering you want for the Content Security policy: Web Filtering, Antispam, Antivirus, or Content Filtering.

  • Review the Content Filtering Profile main page for an understanding of your current data set. See Content Filtering Profile Main Page Fields for field descriptions.

Use the Content Security policy page to configure content filtering profiles.

Content filtering blocks or permits certain types of traffic based on the MIME type, file extension, and protocol command. The content filter controls file transfers across the device by checking traffic against configured filter lists.

Note:

The content filter profile evaluates traffic before all other Content Security profiles, except Web Filtering. Therefore, if traffic meets criteria configured in the content filter, the content filter acts first upon this traffic.

You can configure the following types of content filters:

  • MIME pattern filter—MIME patterns are used to identify the type of traffic in HTTP and MAIL protocols. There are two lists of MIME patterns that are used by the content filter to determine the action to be taken. The block MIME list contains a list of MIME type traffic that is to be blocked. The MIME exception list contains MIME patterns that are not to be blocked by the content filter and are generally subsets of items on the block list.

    Note:

    The exception list has a higher priority than the block list.

  • Block Extension List—Because the name of a file is available during the transfers, using file extensions is a highly practical way to block or allow file transfers. All protocols support the use of the block extension list.

  • Protocol Command Block and Permit Lists—Different protocols use different commands to communicate between servers and clients. By blocking or allowing certain commands, traffic can be controlled on the protocol command level. The block or permit command lists are intended to be used in combination, with the permit list acting as an exception list to the block list.

Note:

If a protocol command appears on both the permit list and the block list, the command is permitted.

To create a content filtering profile:

  1. Select Configur > UTM Policy > Content Filtering Profiles.
  2. Click the + icon to create a new content filtering profile.
  3. Complete the configuration according to the guidelines provided in Table 1.
  4. Click Finish. A content filtering profile is created that can be associated with an Content Security policy.
Table 1: Content Filtering Profile Settings

Setting

Guideline

General Information

Name

Enter a unique name for the content filtering profile that is a string of alphanumeric characters, colons, periods, dashes, and underscores. No spaces are allowed and the maximum length is 29 characters.

Description

Enter a description for the content filtering profile; maximum length is 255 characters.

Notification Options
 

Use the notification options to configure a method of notifying the user when a failure occurs or a virus is detected:

  • Notify Mail Sender—Select this check box if you want to notify the sender.

  • Notification Type—Select the type of notification, Protocol or Message from the drop-down list.

  • Custom Notification Message—Enter a custom notification message.

Protocol Commands
 

Use content filtering to block specific commands for HTTP, FTP, SMTP, IMAP, and POP3 protocols. Select the following options:

  • Command Block List—Enter the protocol commands to be blocked. Use commas to separate each command.

  • Command Permit List—Enter the protocol commands to be permitted. Use commas to separate each command.

Content Types
 

Use the content filter to block other types of harmful files that the MIME type or the file extension cannot control.

Block Content Type—Select from the following types of content blocking (supported only for HTTP):

  • Active X

  • Windows executables (.exe)

  • HTTP cookie

  • Java applet

  • ZIP files

File Extensions

  
 

Use a file extension list to define a set of file extensions to block over HTTP, FTP, SMTP, IMAP, and POP3.

  • Extension Block List—Enter file extensions to block separated by commas. For example, exe, pdf, js, and so forth.

MIME Types

 

Use content filtering to block or permit special MIME types over HTTP, FTP, SMTP, IMAP, and POP3 connections. Specify the MIME(s) to be blocked or permitted:

  • MIME Block List—Enter the MIME types you wish to block. Use commas to separate each MIME type.

  • MIME Permit List—Enter the MIME types you wish to permit. Use commas to separate each MIME type.

Related Documentation