Bess (content-control software)

Bess is a brand of content-control software made by Secure Computing Corporation, which acquired maker N2H2 in 2003; it is usually used in libraries and schools. The main purpose of the system is as an Internet filter, blocking minors using the public computers from accessing web content deemed inappropriate by the Bess manufacturers or local administration. The system is not installed locally (on each individual computer workstation), but installs on the server between the users and the open Internet. This feature makes it harder to bypass, though it is not uncommon for students with more extensive computer knowledge to attempt to bypass the system.

The system is compliant with the Children's Internet Protection Act. Like other similar filters, Bess has come under attack for unnecessarily impeding school research (false positives), being too aggressive in its filtering procedures or not being aggressive enough in its filtering procedures. Other critics believe that the imposition of Internet filtering software without the consent of the user constitutes a violation of the First Amendment.

Categories usually blocked by the system

* Adults Only
* Advertisements
* Alcohol
* Anonymizers
* Auction
* BlockGeneral
* Chat
* Custom Block List
* Drugs
* Electronic Commerce
* Educational
* Employment Search
* Free Mail
* Extreme
* Gambling
* Games
* Hate/Discrimination
* Humor
* Illegal
* Legal
* Jokes
* Lingerie
* Message/Bulletin Boards
* Murder/Suicide
* News
* News Corporation
* Nudity
* P2P/Loopholes
* People
* Personal Information
* Personals
* Politically Correct Opinions
* Pornography
* Profile Websites
* Profanity
* Recreation/Entertainment
* School Cheating Information
* Search Engines
* Search Terms
* Social
* Sex
* Sports
* Stocks
* Swimsuits
* Tasteless/Gross
* Tobacco
* Video
* Violence
* Visual Search Engine
* Weapons
* Web Page Hosting/Free Pages (One of the most common)

The system is intended to evolve based on reused sites. Any loopholes in these blocking categories are supposed to be filled in with use.

Exception categories

* For Kids
* History
* Medical
* Moderated

Methods of bypass

Since the Bess system, by installing between the workstation and the open internet, itself functions as a web proxy, it is common for students to use web proxies to get around Bess. Anonymous web proxies, which use familiar web interfaces, are the most straightforward bypassing method available. While Bess may block the address of a known proxy, there are always more proxies remaining to be found. Alternate browsers can also be used. Since most schools use Internet Explorer and block access to its connection settings, a student can use another browser such as Firefox and configure it to use a secure proxy server. Web page translators can be used as proxies. Although common ones like Google and Alta Vista are usually blocked by default under the "P2P/Loopholes" category, less common ones including those in another language are usually available.

More complicated attempts to bypass the system are also used. Students may change registry files to have the computer use a proxy. Others may use a secure website. Some may introduce software such as Firefox onto the blocked computer via a USB flash drive or use Live Distros of other operating systems in their efforts to bypass the Bess system.

ee also

* Censorship
* Internet censorship
* Content-control software
* Internet pornography

External links

* [http://www.securecomputing.com Official Bess homepage]