Enabling SafeSearch for Search Engines

What is SafeSearch for Search Engines?

Many Google and Yahoo users prefer not to have adult sites included in their image search results. SafeSearch
is a function that lters out obscene content when you search for images on Google and on Yahoo.
SafeSearch lters screen for sites that contain pornography and other explicit sexual content and eliminate
them from search results. Google and Yahoo lters check keywords and phrases, URLs and Open Directory
categories to screen out potentially offensive material.
There are three levels when you use Googles SafeSearch mode.
-> Use strict ltering. (Filter both explicit text and explicit images)
-> Use moderate ltering. (Filter explicit images only - default behavior)
-> Do not lter my search results.
There are two level when you use Yahoos SafeSearch mode.
-> Filter out mature images.
-> Do not lter image results.
Using a Blue Coat ProxySG, a security administrator can congure a policy on the proxy to always enable the
SafeSearch (strict ltering) when a user accesses Google or Yahoo web sites and searches for images.
Popular content ltering databases may not help block certain searches made by users who use Google or
Yahoo SmartFilter, for example, does not list the search results as part as its database, so a Blue Coat ProxySG
lter can be used to block (or reduce) offensive search results.
Using a URL rewrite, a network administrator can force the SafeSearch feature to be enabled for all Google and
Yahoo image searches. This is true even for users who try to change these settings from their desktop.
After you implement this policy, the images that come up in any search for material on images.google.com or
on images.yahoo.search.com are much less offensive.
How is this feature implemented?
You enable SafeSearch by adding &safe=active and &vm=r to the Google and Yahoo query strings, respectively
by following the steps in the next section. Note that the policy includes both Google and Yahoo settings, but
sections of the code can be commented out to only use one search engine or the other.
Implementing a Blue Coat SafeSearch Policy
The SafeSearch policy can be implemented to help safeguard users from searching Google or Yahoo images
with SafeSearch turned off. There are four simple steps to deploy this policy:
1 Download and save the pre-dened Blue Coat Policy. (You will need to unzip the le).
2 Modify the policy to meet your requirements.
3 Open the Blue Coat management console to the archive page.
4 Install the policy and review the results.
Technical Brief: Enabling SafeSearch for Search Engines
Step 1 - Downloading the Blue Coat Policy
Copy the SafeSearch policy to your local PC. You can get the policy at the link below.
http://appliance.bluecoat.com/techlabs/policy/cong_safesearch.zip
You will need to unzip the SafeSearch le after you download it.
Step 2 - Modifying Parameters
You may need to modify some parameters in the copied policy to customize the desired effect for your
environment. For example, you may need to modify the policy for only Google or Yahoo
Step 3 - Installing the local policy
1. Using the ProxySG Management Console, open the Policy Files window; select Conguration > Policy >
Policy Files.
2. Open the Install Local File from drop-down menu, select Text Editor, and then click Install. A browser
window displays the Edit and Install the Local Policy File page.
3. Open the safe search CPL le (cong_safesearch.zip) and copy the text.
4. Return to the Edit and Install the Local Policy File page and paste the contents of the safe search CPL
le at the end of the local policy le on your ProxySG.
5. Click Install. A page displays in the browser that tells you if the installation was successful. If
necessary, correct any errors in the le and reinstall it.
Step 4 - Saving and Installing the Policy
Click on Install at the bottom of the above screen to save and install the policy. Check for any installation errors
and correct them. Once the policy is installed, you are ready to review the results. Access Google or Yahoo
images and try to change the SafeSearch mode to off. The policy will reset SafeSearch to on each time the
request goes out.
Conclusion
The Blue Coat ProxySG lets a security administrator create a policy that will enable SafeSearch. This policy
lters out obscene content for all users who access Google or Yahoo. The SafeSearch feature helps your
company to maintain greater control over the type of information accessed during company hours and when
using company resources.
Copyright 2013 Blue Coat Systems, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. No part of this document may be reproduced by any means nor translated to any electronic medium without the written consent of Blue Coat Systems, Inc. Specications are subject
to change without notice. Information contained in this document is believed to be accurate and reliable, however, Blue Coat Systems, Inc. assumes no responsibility for its use. Blue Coat, ProxySG, PacketShaper, CacheFlow, IntelligenceCenter and
BlueTouch are registered trademarks of Blue Coat Systems, Inc. in the U.S. and worldwide. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners. v.TB-SAFE-SEARCH-v3a-0413
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Technical Brief: Enabling SafeSearch for Search Engines