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Microsoft Forefront TMG Categories for Web URL Filtering

Update As of September2011 Microsoft has discontinued Forefront For more information on how to protect your Microsoftenvironment check out ...

12 min read
Published on Jan 3, 2010
Microsoft Forefront TMG Categories for Web URL Filtering

Update: As of September 2011, Microsoft has discontinued Forefront. For more information on how to protect your Microsoft environment, check out our Managed Service and Cloud Consulting services.

URL Filtering allows you to control end-user access to Web sites, protecting the organization by denying access to known malicious sites and to sites displaying inappropriate or pornographic materials, based on predefined URL categories. Visit TechNet to read about Planning for URL Filtering and Managing URL Filtering.

The table below summarizes the URL categories available. Those marked with an asterisk are blocked by Forefront TMG when in the Web Access Policy Wizard you choose to create a rule blocking the minimum recommended URL categories.

URL Filtering allows you to control end-user access to Web sites, protecting the organization by denying access to known malicious sites and to sites displaying inappropriate or pornographic materials, based on predefined URL categories. Visit TechNet to read about Planning for URL Filtering and Managing URL Filtering

. The table below summarizes the URL categories available. Those marked with an asterisk are blocked by Forefront TMG when in the Web Access Policy Wizard you choose to create a rule blocking the minimum recommended URL categories.  

 

CategoryDescription
LiabilityAggregation of sites that may be in conflict with applicable legal and/or policy compliance obligations.
     AlcoholAlcohol Web sites promote or offer for sale alcoholic beverages or the means to create them; supplies, recipes or paraphernalia; glorifies, touts, or otherwise encourages alcohol consumption or intoxication.
     Gambling*Gambling Web sites are sites where a user can place a bet or participate in a betting pool (including lotteries) online; obtain information, assistance or recommendations for placing a bet; receive instructions, assistance or training on participating in games of chance
     TobaccoTobacco Web sites glorify, promote, offer for sale or otherwise encourage the consumption of tobacco.
     Obscene/Tasteless*Obscene/Tasteless Web sites provide vulgar, crude, disgusting or otherwise offensive material, e.g., mutilation, murder, and defecation.
     ProfanityProfanity Web sites are sites that advocate or convey what may be interpreted as insulting, rude or vulgar behavior (through words, gestures, or other behavior); or otherwise show disrespect towards, or desecration of, something held sacred.
     Violence*Violence Web sites are sites which advocate or provide instructions for causing physical harm to people or property through use of weapons, explosives, pranks, or other types of violence.
     WeaponsWeapons sites are sites which sell, review, or describe legal weapons such as: guns, knives, or martial arts devices; provide information on their use, accessories, or other modifications.
     NudityNudity Web sites are sites containing images of human nudity, e.g., nude art, incidental nudity
     Pornography*Pornographic Web sites are sites containing sexually explicit material for the purpose of arousing a sexual or prurient interest.
     Provocative AttireProvocative attire Web sites are sites which sell, review, or describe alluring attire but do not involve nudity.
     Mature ContentMature sexual content sites contain sexually explicit information that is not of a medical or scientific nature.
     Criminal Activities*Criminal activities Web sites are sites which promote, offer, sell, supply, encourage or otherwise advocate illegal activities, or describe how to commit criminal activity.
     DubiousDubious Web sites are sites with questionable, suspicious, or ethically ambiguous content.
     Hacking/Computer CrimeComputer hacking/crime Web sites are sites which advocate or provide instructions for causing harm to people or property through use of unauthorized computer activity.
     Hate/Discrimination*Hate Web sites are sites which advocate hostility or aggression toward an individual or group on the basis of race, religion, gender, nationality, ethnic origin, or other involuntary characteristics; a site which denigrates others on the basis of those characteristics or justifies inequality on the basis of those characteristics; a site which purports to use scientific or other commonly accredited methods to justify said aggression, hostility or denigration.
     Illegal Drugs*Drug Web sites are sites which promote, offer, sell, supply, encourage or otherwise advocate the recreational or illegal use, cultivation, manufacture, or distribution of drugs, pharmaceuticals, intoxicating plants or chemicals and their related paraphernalia.
     Illegal SoftwareIllegal Software Web sites are sites which promote, offer, sells, supply, encourage or otherwise advocate the use, cultivation, manufacture, or distribution of software that is illegal in one or more major jurisdictions.
     School Cheating InformationSchool Cheating Information Web sites are sites which promote, offer, sell, supply, encourage or otherwise advocate information used to cheat in school.
BandwidthBandwidth Web sites are sites which may result in large amounts of data being uploaded or downloaded, e.g., video download, file download, etc.
     Media SharingMedia sharing Web sites are sites which promote, sell, offer, supply or allow sharing between users of media, e.g., video download, file download, etc.
     Streaming MediaStreaming media sites provide media for streaming consumption, e.g., on demand video, internet radio.
BusinessBusiness Web sites are sites which promote, sell, offer, or supply business information, e.g., employment services, financial institutions, online trading and brokerages.
     General BusinessBusiness Web sites are sites which promote, sell, offer, or supply business information, e.g., corporate Web site, business to business sites.
     EmploymentEmployment Web sites are sites which promote, sell, offer, or supply employment information including providing job seeking information.
     FinancialFinancial Web sites are sites which promote, sell, offer, or supply financial information including financial account access.
     Online Trading/BrokerageOnline Trading/Brokerage Web sites are sites which promote, sell, offer, or supply trading information including online trading and brokerage account access.
CommunicationCommunication Web sites are sites which provide a means for digital communications. These sites may include access for adding, removing, and updating personal content, e.g., chat, forums, and blogs.
     Blogs/WikiBlog/Wiki Web sites are sites which provide dynamic content where users frequently add, remove, and update content.
     ChatWeb chat Web sites are sites which provide Web-based chat as the main feature or function of the site.
     Digital PostcardsDigital postcard Web sites are sites which enable users to send and receive digital postcards and greeting postcards.
     Forum/Bulletin BoardsForum/Bulletin Board Web sites are sites which provide dynamic content where users frequently add content.
     Instant MessagingInstant Messaging Web sites are sites which provide Web-based or downloadable chat-related applications as the main feature or function of the site.
     Online CommunitiesOnline Community Web sites are sites which provide dynamic content for the purpose of social networking. These sites may include access for adding, removing, and updating personal content.
     Portal SitesPortal Web sites are sites where the main purpose is to route users to Web content.
     Usenet NewsUsenet news Web sites provide access to Usenet archives.
     Web E-mailWeb E-mail Web sites are sites that enable users to send and receive email.
     Web MeetingWeb Meeting Web sites are sites which provide online meeting services.
     Web PhoneWeb Phone sites are site which provide online phone services.
     Web-based Productivity ApplicationsWeb-based productivity application Web sites are sites which provide Web browser-based productivity application services, e.g., Web browser-based word processing.
EntertainmentEntertainment Web sites are sites that distributes, displays, discusses or promotes entertainment related content - e.g., games, humor, recreation or hobbies.
     Art/Culture/HeritageAn art/culture/heritage site is a site that distributes, displays, discusses or promotes art, culture, or heritage related content - e.g., books, literature, theater.
     General EntertainmentEntertainment Web sites are sites that distribute, display, discuss or promote entertainment related content, e.g., movies, television, and music.
     GamesGames Web sites are sites that distribute, display, discuss or promote game related content, e.g., board games, video games, etc.
     Humor/ComicsHumor/Comics Web sites are sites that distribute, display, discuss,. or promote humor related content, e.g., comics, cartoons, etc.
     Recreation/HobbiesRecreation/Hobby Web sites are sites that distribute, display, discuss or promote recreation and hobby related content, e.g., model airplane building, knitting, sewing, etc.
General ProductivityGeneral productivity Web sites are an aggregation of sites believed to engage users in time or resource-intensive activities that may be in conflict with expected use of computer and network resources.
     Education/ReferenceEducation/reference Web sites are sites which promote, offer, sell, supply, encourage or otherwise advocate educational or reference information.
     Child Friendly MaterialsChild friendly materials Web sites are sites which promote, offer, sell, supplies, encourage or otherwise advocate child-friendly materials.
     Government/MilitaryGovernment/Military Web sites are sites created and maintained by an official government or military organization
     HealthHealth Web sites are sites which promote, offer, sell, supply, encourage or otherwise advocate health information.
     HistoryHistory Web sites are sites which promote, offer, sell, supply, encourage or otherwise advocate historical information.
     Legal Services & ReferenceLegal services and reference Web sites are sites which provide, promote, offer, sell, supply, encourage or otherwise advocate legal services and reference information.
     Non-Profit/Advocacy/NGONon-profit/Advocacy/NGO Web sites are sites which promote, offer, sell, supply, encourage or otherwise advocate non-profit, advocacy, or NGO information.
     Politics/OpinionPolitics/Opinion Web sites are sites which promote, offer, sell, supply, encourage or otherwise advocate politics or opinion information.
     Public InformationPublic information Web sites are sites which provide general reference information for public consumption, e.g., listings, maps, weather, etc.
     Religion/IdeologyReligion/Ideology Web sites are site which promote, offer, sell, supply, encourage or otherwise advocate religion or ideology.
     Search EnginesSearch engine Web sites are sites where the main purpose is to provide search Web content based on user-defined queries.
Information TechnologyInformation technology Web site are sites which promote, offer, sell, supply, encourage or otherwise advocate technology information, e.g., free hosting, Internet services, Web ads.
     Technical InformationTechnical Information Web sites are sites which promote, offer, sell, supply, encourage or otherwise advocate technical information, e.g., tutorials for computer programming, reviews of computer software or hardware, technical forums, information security.
     Edge Content Servers/InfrastructureEdge content servers/infrastructure Web sites are sites which hosts files for other Web sites usually for high-volume consumption.
     Free HostingFree hosting Web sites are sites which promote, offer, sell, supply, encourage or otherwise advocate free Web hosting information, e.g., Web sites that allow users to create personal homepages.
     Internet ServicesInternet services Web sites are sites which promote, offer, sell, supply, encourage or otherwise advocate Internet services information, e.g., domain registration, ISPs.
     Web AdsWeb ads Web sites are sites from which advertising content originates. Advertising content includes but is not limited to banners, marketing trackers, and text ads.
LifestylesLifestyle Web sites are sites that cater to or discuss personal or social interests and activities with content intended for a specific audience.
     Dating/PersonalsDating/Personals Web sites are sites which promote, offer, sell, supply, encourage or otherwise advocate dating or personal information.
     Special InterestsSites that reflect a group or collection of persons that have a common interest or issue that is representative of who they are, their life situation, or is of closely held significance to them. This includes without limitation, cultural or ethnic identity, organization/club affiliations, or sexual orientation/identity.
     Restaurants/DiningRestaurants/Dining sites are sites which promote, encourage or otherwise advocate information about restaurants or dining choices.
     Social OpinionSocial Opinion Web sites are sites that provide information related to variety of social topics, e.g., movie reviews, actor critiques.
     Self DefenseSelf defense Web sites are site which promote, encourage or otherwise advocate information about self defense - e.g., karate, mace, stun guns.
     TravelTravel web sites are sites which promote, encourage or otherwise advocate traveling.
News/ReportsNews/Reports Web sites are sites that provide news or report information.
     NewsNews Web sites provide news media such as local weather, and other relevant regional, national and international information.
    SportsSports Web sites are sites which promote, offer, sell, supply, encourage or otherwise advocate professional athletics, e.g., professional or recreational baseball leagues.
PurchasingPurchasing Web sites are sites which promote, offer, sell, supply, and encourage purchasing of products.
     Fashion/BeautyFashion/Beauty Web sites are sites which promote, offer, sell, supply, encourage or otherwise advocate the use, or distribution of fashion or beauty related products.
     Motor VehiclesMotor Vehicles Web sites are sites which promote, offer, sell, supply, encourage or otherwise advocate the use, distribution or discussion of motor vehicle related products.
     ShoppingShopping Web sites are sites which promote, offer or sell products or services online.
     PharmacyPharmacy Web sites are sites which promote, offer, sell, supply, encourage or otherwise advocate the use, distribution or discussion of prescription drugs.
     Real EstateReal estate Web sites are sites which promote, offer, sell, supply, encourage or otherwise advocate the buying, selling, managing or maintenance of real estate.
SecurityAggregation of sites which may either directly constitute a risk to IT resources, or are associated with activities suspected to increase risk of exposure to these dangers.
     Anonymizers*Anonymizer Web sites are sites used to anonymize a user’s originating IP address
     Anonymizing UtilitiesAnonymizing utilities Web sites are sites which promote, offer, sell, supply, encourage or otherwise advocate the use, manufacture, or distribution of anonymizing utilities.
     P2P/File SharingP2P/File sharing Web sites are sites which offer, sell, supply, encourage or otherwise advocate the use, manufacture, or distribution of P2P/File sharing software.
     Parked DomainParked domain Web sites are sites that no longer contain content or are no longer registered.
     Personal Network StoragePersonal network storage Web sites provide Web-based storage for personal files, e.g., pictures, documents, etc.
     Remote AccessRemote access Web sites are sites which provide Web-based or downloadable remote access related applications as the main feature or function of the site, e.g., a Web site that allows a user to access a computer from a remote location.
     Resource SharingResource sharing Web sites are sites that provide information about applications that utilize otherwise unused system resources, e.g., SETI@home.
     Shareware/FreewareShareware/Freeware Web sites are sites which provide Web-based or downloadable applications as the main feature or function of the site.
     Botnet*Botnet sites are sites which covertly install applications onto targeted systems allowing unauthorized remote control for malicious activity.
     Malicious*Malicious Web sites covertly install applications onto targeted systems with the intent of causing harm to people or property through use of unauthorized computer activity.
     Phishing*Phishing sites are sites that masquerade as a trustworthy entity for the purpose of tricking users into disclosing personal information.
     Spam URLsSpam Web sites are sites that contain unsolicited information from spam e-mails.
     Spyware/Adware*Spyware/adware Web sites are sites which covertly install applications onto targeted systems with the intent of performing unsolicited activity, namely, transmitting personal information or providing unsolicited advertisements.

Read the complete article @> Forefront TMG (ISA Server) Product Team Blog : Categories for URL Filtering

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