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What is Sophos Web Filtering?

Author

Emily Cortez

Published Feb 16, 2026

What is Sophos Web Filtering?

Sophos Web Filtering: How to block websites and configure websites override for certain users - Firewall and Policies - XG Firewall - Sophos Community. Firewall and Policies.

Similarly, what is Sophos Web control?

This feature is designed to prevent threats from reaching the web browser. Web control is an additional feature available in the following licenses: Sophos Central Endpoint Protection Advanced.

Subsequently, question is, what is Web Filter? A Web filter is a program that can screen an incoming Web page to determine whether some or all of it should not be displayed to the user. The filter checks the origin or content of a Web page against a set of rules provided by company or person who has installed the Web filter.

Similarly, it is asked, how does Sophos Web protection work?

Web Protection provides enhanced protection against web threats. It includes the following features: Live URL filtering, which blocks access to websites that are known to host malware. This feature works by performing a real-time lookup against Sophos' online database of infected websites.

How do I block a website on Sophos?

Solution

  1. Sign in to Sophos Home dashboard.
  2. Select the computer where the website is blocked.
  3. Go to the Web filtering tab.
  4. Scroll down to Website Exceptions.
  5. Add the website domain to the field then press Enter on your keyboard.

What is the function of live protection?

Live Protection is a Spybot feature which monitors all processes created or running on your system and scans them. Malicious processes are blocked even before they start.

What is the function of on access scanning?

The on-access scanner places itself between programs and the operating system. It examines programs as they interact with files, memory areas and network functions. It has to examine a suspicious program's behavior and halt malevolent software before the software executes.

How do I whitelist a website in Sophos Central?

From Sophos Central
Go to Settings > Scanning Exclusions. Select Add Exclusion and choose Website (Windows/Mac) as the Exclusion Type. Under Value, enter the domain name or IP address you want to exclude and click Add. Click Save at the upper right corner of the dashboard once done.

How do I block Facebook on Sophos Central?

In Sophos Central Admin, go to Policies.

Example

  1. Block the category Social Networking & Dating in the Web Filtering > Productivity Categories section of your policy.
  2. Add facebook.com, instagram.com, and twitter.com to a tag in Web Gateway > Settings > Website Management.

What is the function of a message relay?

A Message Relay enables your devices to communicate all policy and reporting data via a central server. This can be used if you do not have internet facing devices, as all traffic will go via the Message Relay.

How do I block YouTube in Sophos Central?

Edit the Application Filter
  1. At the Application Filter tab click the edit icon for the filter we created earlier.
  2. Click on Add.
  3. Change to Select Individual Application.
  4. Type YouTube in the search field.
  5. Select the tick box next to each YouTube application you want blocked.
  6. Change the Action to Deny.
  7. Click on Save.

Which TCP port is used to communicate policies to endpoints?

Summary of ports used by Sophos applications
ComponentFunctionalityPort(s)
Sophos Home80: HTTP 443: HTTPSTCP 80 443
Sophos Mobile Control (SMC)SMC server to internet uses TCP 443 HTTPS. Port 80 is only used to redirect connections to port 443, HTTPS. TCP 2195 for accessing APNs server.TCP 443 80 2195

Why do schools use Internet filters?

Why Do We Need Internet Filters in Schools? Internet filtering content filtering is the solution for schools authorities to limit and monitor student's internet activity. Implementing these hardware or software filters assure parents that their children in the school are safe from any kind of inappropriate web surfing.

What is URL filter?

URL filtering compares the URLs that end-users attempt to access to URL categories or lists of URLs. You can use URL filtering to prevent users from accessing websites that provide content that is objectionable, potentially harmful, or not work-related.

Why do our customers need web filters?

Web filtering protects your company's data from malware, phishing scams and other various cyber threats. It will block content and websites that could be potentially harmful. In turn, this will reduce the risk of a virus or security breach. can choose which websites you allow your employees to access.

What is a typical method used by Web filters to block Web sites?

The most common method used to block website content is the use of blacklists. Blacklists are lists of websites known to be used for phishing, host exploit kits or contain malware. Most school Internet filters also allow website content to be blocked with category filters.

What is meant by firewall?

A firewall is a system designed to prevent unauthorized access to or from a private network. You can implement a firewall in either hardware or software form, or a combination of both. Firewalls prevent unauthorized internet users from accessing private networks connected to the internet, especially intranets.

How does Barracuda Web Filter work?

Preventatively, Barracuda allows businesses to comply with Internet usage policies by blocking access to objectionable content and unauthorized applications found on the Internet. Reactively, the filter's anti-malware function prevents viruses, blocks spyware downloads, and blocks requests to malicious websites.

Why is everything blocked at school?

School systems block certain websites to protect students from harmful material. Also school systems may be held liable if students gains access to inappropriate material while under the supervision the school.

What is Internet filtering software?

Content-control software, commonly referred to as an Internet filter, is software that restricts or controls the content an Internet user is capable to access, especially when utilised to restrict material delivered over the Internet via the Web, e-mail, or other means. In some countries, such software is ubiquitous.

What is anti spam program?

anti spam. (adj.) The phrase anti spam (or anti-spam)Refers to any software, hardware or process that is used to combat the proliferation of spam or to keep spam from entering a system. For example, a Bayesian filter is an anti spam software application, and the use of opt-in e-mail is an anti spam process.

How do I create a Web filter policy in Sophos?

Create Web Policy
  1. Navigate to Web > Policies.
  2. Click Add Policy or click on the Edit Icon .
  3. Fill out the policy Name.
  4. You may set the Default Action to Allow or Block.
  5. Click Add Rule.
  6. Select the group for Users or leave at the default of Anybody to apply to all users.

How do I allow my IP address through Sophos firewall?

Go to Configure > Authentication > Users and select the user to which the IP Address is to be bound. Under Login Restriction, select Selected Nodes and enter the IP address to which the user is to be bound. Click Save to apply the changes.

How do I create a Web policy in Sophos XG firewall?

Navigate to Web > Policies and click on Add Policy. Click on the + sign to Add Rule and then the name from ALLWebTraffic to JobSearch_Custom under Activities. Change the Action to Block or Allow as needed. Click Save to create the policy.

How do I find the URL category in Sophos?

Use URL category lookup to search whether the URL is categorized or not. It searches the specified URL and displays the category name under which the URL is categorized along with the category description.

To search a URL:

  1. Go to Diagnostics > URL category lookup.
  2. Enter URL to be searched in Search URL.
  3. Click Search.

How do I uninstall Sophos?

How do I uninstall Sophos Antivirus from my computer (Windows)?
  1. Click on the Start button.
  2. Click on Control Panel (right panel)
  3. Double-Click on Sophos Anti-Virus and select Uninstall.
  4. Click through the prompts to complete the removal of Sophos Anti-Virus.
  5. Reboot your computer when finished.

How do I block Facebook in Sophos XG firewall?

Step 2: Create Web Filter Policy to Block Facebook Games
  1. Go to Objects > Policies > Web Filter or Protection > Web Protection > Web Filter Policies and click Add to create a new Web Filter Policy named BlockFacebookGames.
  2. Click Add to add a rule to the policy using the following parameters.

How do I add exceptions in Sophos Central?

Sophos add file exclusion to antivirus scanning
  1. In the navigation pane, select Sophos Central Customers and search for the company.
  2. In the navigation pane, select Endpoint Protection, then select Policies.
  3. Under the Settings tab, scroll to the bottom and click Add Exclusion.
  4. Enter the name of the file and select Add.
  5. At the top of the Policy page, hit Save.