SearchAhead
The Safe Way to Search
Searching for content through an Internet search engine has become a primary entry point to the Web. The search engine is the most popular Internet application after email. Over 7 billion Web searches are conducted each month in the US alone, and search engines account for over 90 percent of the new Web sites visited by users. With so much exposure to unknown content, search engines are now a major gateway to malware and compliance risks.
Up to 20 percent of Internet search result pages contain offensive content or malware. Organizations need a way to secure their employees' Web searches, while employees need a way to be warned of malicious or inappropriate search results.
Securing search, however, presents challenges. First, the Web is very large. It is simply impossible to analyze every Web page on the Internet for malware and inappropriate content several times each day. Second, the Web is dynamic. New Web pages and new content for existing Web pages are continually created. Static URL and reputation lists based on periodic analysis of Web sites cannot keep up with a large and dynamic Web. A new approach utilizing real-time analysis of search results is required.
How it Works
SearchAhead automatically annotates all search engine results with no additional hardware or software required. Because each search result is scanned for malware and inappropriate content in real-time, employees are assured that the Web pages they visit are safe. Search results are color-coded according to their status, and these warning icons let employees know in advance when a particular link will be blocked or logged. Employees are presented with a detailed explanation for any warning, with the aim of preventing them from accidentally visiting unauthorized sites and breaching their organization's Web usage policy.
SearchAhead evaluates search result links in real-time against the Web filtering policy in place for the given user and ScanSafe's Outbreak Intelligence malware detection technologies, and displays a green, yellow, or red icon, indicating the organization's Web usage policy, or a bug, indicating a malware-infected page.
As an integral part of the ScanSafe Web Filtering service, SearchAhead does not require special deployment. The user simply switches on the SearchAhead setting in the ScanCenter Web console and enables SearchAhead for the entire organization.
Real-Time Early Warning for Search
SearchAhead is a real-time early warning system designed for search that is included, at no additional charge, with ScanSafe's Web Filtering service. The SearchAhead service warns employees when malicious or inappropriate Web pages appear in their search results, thereby proactively enforcing your Web usage policies and keeping employees from visiting unwanted Web pages. SearchAhead analyzes results from the major search engines - Google, Yahoo!, and MSN - and provides a simple, easy-to-understand notification, indicating the safety and compliance of search results. The security service operates transparently to the end user, so employees search as they normally would, through search portals or toolbars.
Effective User Education
The proactive, educational benefits of SearchAhead are apparent when comparing the results over a one-month period of employees who used SearchAhead and those who did not:
SearchAhead educated users by clearly labeling each search result regarding whether a block would occur if they clicked on the link. This early warning prevented users from making unwanted clicks, producing a 28% decrease in the average number of Web page blocks. By reminding users constantly of the acceptable use policy, SearchAhead raised the awareness of end-users and enabled them to police themselves on how to use the Web safely and responsibly.
Why SearchAhead?
- Secure employees' Web ..searches, a primary gateway to malware and compliance risks
- Provide early warning of the contents of search results according to Web usage policies and ScanSafe's Outbreak Intelligence malware detection technologies
- Ensure timely, accurate, and ..reliable analysis of searched Web pages through real-time scanning of Web pages
- Educate employees to use the ..Web safely and responsibly
- Reduce Web acceptable use ..policy violations by up to 30%
Our Technology
Global Threat Report
- No hardware, software, or appliance to evaluate
- Simply redirect your Web traffic
- Evaluate ScanSafe today