Comments, flames, suggestions
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 19 Feb 1998 10:04:25 -0800
From: Mike Martucci <Mike .
Martucci @
watchguard .
com>
Subject: WatchGuard Says Blocking Not Enough
> WATCHGUARD APPLAUDS LEGISLATORS, BUT WARNS:
> BLOCKING ALONE WON'T MAKE THE INTERNET SAFE FOR SCHOOLS
>
> February 19, 1998 - Seattle, Wash. * Blocking falls far short of
> educators' needs for four key reasons: They also need real-time
> monitoring, a firewall, historical reporting, and guided surfing. Some
> of the greatest security risks related to student Internet use are not
> even part of the discussion on Capitol Hill.
>
> WatchGuard Technologies, Inc. today released a statement from
> President and CEO Christopher Slatt in response to legislative
> attempts to restrict Internet use in schools and libraries. WatchGuard
> pioneered the network security appliance, now used by many schools to
> enforce customized Internet security programs.
>
> WatchGuard both applauds and questions the technical
> wisdom of bills such as S. 1619, which suggest that filtering or
> blocking are the sole and primary ways of making the Internet safe for
> schools.
>
> First of all, we agree with Senators McCain, Hollings,
> Coats and Murray that school and library administrators should not be
> guided by the Federal government in their filtering or blocking of
> Internet sites. Systems should be customized to reflect their sense
> of what is appropriate for their children, and, to that end,
> WatchGuard routinely works with educators to establish surfing
> parameters in facilities equipped with our security system.
>
> There are other facets of the challenge, through.
> Primarily, they relate to how teachers do their job and what parents
> expect from schools where the Internet plays a role in the curriculum.
> Some of the greatest security risks related to student Internet use
> are not even part of the discussion on Capitol Hill.
>
> Blocking falls far short of educators' needs for four
> key reasons: They also require the ability to monitor students,
> protect the school network, keep predators out, and create records of
> network activity. Blocking alone also cheats students, who need to
> know exactly where to go on the Internet to complete an assignment or
> explore a topic.
>
> In short, classrooms and libraries need real-time
> monitoring, a firewall, historical reporting, and guided surfing.
>
> Real-time Monitoring
>
> Teachers help and protect students by monitoring them,
> and parents require this. A teacher doesn't take students on a field
> trip to a museum, then just drop them off at the door and hope for the
> best. It's no different with Internet use. Being able to monitor
> where students go is useful and necessary.
> *more *
> WatchGuard Applauds Legislators
> 2/3
>
> One type of solution is WatchGuard SchoolMate's
> Classroom Monitor feature, which enables teachers to see-in real
> time-where students go on their Internet trips. This is important,
> not only to cross-check that undesirable sites are indeed blocked, but
> also as a way to help educators move students toward learning
> experiences.
>
> Firewall
>
> The Internet is a two-way street. To completely omit
> protection on the "incoming" side not only puts students at risk, but
> also the entire school network. Intrusions can come in the form of
> stealing information in the school computer about where students live,
> altering exam and grade files, tampering with financial records, and
> much more.
>
> By sitting between a school's router and trusted
> network, WatchGuard's firewall appliance, which is a VCR-sized red
> box, channels incoming traffic to an appropriate location on the
> network or, in the case of an intrusion, stops it entirely.
>
> Historical Reporting
>
> Educators and school administrators have many practical
> reasons why they need a record of traffic over the Internet-whether
> it's classroom surfing or contact from an external location. Without a
> way to see which sites have been visited, the ability to refine the
> system is weak; without a way to record the source of incoming
> traffic, the ability to track intruders is almost non-existent.
>
> As part of the WatchGuard SchoolMate, teachers and
> network administrators can get a graphical historical report, that is,
> one that is easy to understand at a glance. And, they can get it on
> whatever basis they want-daily, weekly, monthly.
>
> Guided Surfing
>
> We at WatchGuard also feel strongly that it is important
> to give educators the opportunity for to create a path for students
> that helps them with their curriculum in a very precise way. We call
> this "guided surfing."
>
> This merely reflects how teachers already work. They
> create a lesson plan for a subject, then introduce the students to the
> subject through specific books, photographs, illustrations, and so on.
> Using the Internet as part of the lesson plan should imply that the
> teacher has the same ability to guide learning. With WatchGuard
> SchoolMate, educators can input Internet sites that "fit the
> curriculum for the class, day, week, month, or year - and the system
> automatically restricts student's surfing to just those sites on that
> are part of the "assignment".
>
> To conclude, it's important to note that these measures
> to enhance security and learning are neither hard to do nor expensive.
> WatchGuard urges that they come to the fore in the public discussion
> over Internet use in schools.
> *more *
>
> WatchGuard Applauds Legislators
> 3/3
>
> About WatchGuard
>
> WatchGuard Technologies, Inc. designs and produces affordable,
> easy-to-use network security products that enable businesses and
> schools to conduct safe, secure, and private electronic commerce and
> communications. Founded in 1996 and based in Seattle, Washington,
> WatchGuard Technologies' founders and engineers have expertise in
> network management and firewall technology from previous
> entrepreneurial ventures, including the highly successful Networx and
> Mazama Software Labs. WatchGuard Technologies' senior management team
> combines experience with leading high-technology, computing,
> networking, and Internet-based companies: Boeing Aerospace (BA), GTE
> (GTE), Apple Computer (AAPL), Bay Networks (BAY), Cisco (CSCO), 3Com
> (COMS), Ascend (ASND), Knight-Ridder (KRI), Corbis Corporation, Legent
> Corporation (acquired by Computer Associates (CA)), Sierra-On-Line,
> Networx, and Mazama Software Labs.
>
> WatchGuard and Firebox are trademarks of WatchGuard Technologies, Inc.
> For more information contact WatchGuard at www.watchguard.com or (206)
> 521-8340.
>
> * END *
>
> Editor's Note: A free White Paper entitled "Surfing Schools:
> Issues and Answers Regarding Students on the Internet" is available at
> WatchGuard's website (http://www.watchguard.com) or by requesting it
> by phone (206-521-8340 and toll free at 1-888-682-1855). Teachers may
> also contact WatchGuard in this manner to request further information
> on WatchGuard SchoolMate or a product demonstration. WatchGuard
> SchoolMate is a plug-and-play system currently installed in many
> schools in the United States.
>
>
> Contact: Frances Bigley, PR Manager Kary
> Rolston
> WatchGuard Technologies, Inc. UpStart
> Communications
> 206-521-3577
> 510-420-6684
> frances .
bigley @
watchguard .
com krolston @
upstart .
com
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