Mention WiFi filtering for student accommodation and you are likely to get one of two responses. Some people believe WiFi filtering for student accommodation should be compulsory, as it is in many state-funded schools, in order to protect students from being exposed to harmful or inappropriate material.
Alternatively, opponents to WiFi filtering for student accommodation argue that filtering Internet content prevents students from accessing educational or research material, and from accessing online support groups to help them cope with issues they encounter as they reach the age of majority.
People can even be divided on whether WiFi filtering for student accommodation is a good way to protect users and their devices from malware and other web-borne threats. There is an argument that shielding students from online threats fails to prepare them for real life once they graduate. It is a tricky conflict to resolve, but it is possible.
WiFi Filters are Not What They Used to Be
The first thing to consider with regard to WiFi filtering for student accommodation is that WiFi filters are not what they used to be. Early models of Internet filters were inflexible and did prevent students from accessing educational or research material. It got to the point where an inequality developed between students who had home computers and those whose only access to the Internet was at school.
These days it is different. WiFi filters are more flexible and use multiple filtering mechanisms that can be applied by individual user, user-group or universally. This means system administrators can universally prevent illegal online activities such as peer-to-peer file sharing and online gambling, but be selective on how they apply category and keyword filters to provide students with the online access they need.
For example, it is possible to block access to websites advocating the use of illegal drugs, but provide access to students researching the medicinal value of legal drugs and students looking for support to overcome a drug habit. In individual cases and group cases alike, it is now also possible to “whitelist” specific websites to ensure access to them is not prevented by the WiFi filter.
Easy WiFi Filtering for Student Accommodation
Another major difference with modern WiFi filters is that the application and monitoring of user policies is much easier than it previously was. WiFi filtering for student accommodation is managed via a central web-based portal with a simple user interface that enables system administrators to apply user policies with the click of a mouse and monitor real-time and historic web activity to identify trends and threats.
Modern WiFi filters – or, at least the one most suitable for WiFi filtering for student accommodation – are cloud-based and require no installation or any technical expertise to set up or manage. All software updates are performed by the service provider, as are updates to the filtering mechanisms that prevent students visiting websites harboring malware, fake phishing websites, and proxy websites.
In respect of the argument that shielding students from online threats fails to prepare them for real life once they graduate, most businesses and organizations now implement some form of web filtering to protect their networks from web-borne threats. Rather than being an argument against WiFi filtering for student accommodation, the implementation of a WiFi filter prepares students for real life beyond graduation better than having no protection at all.
TitanHQ’s Filter for Student Protection
TitanHQ’s filter for student protection is WebTitan Cloud for WiFi – an easy-to-use and flexible WiFi filter that requires a simple redirection of the network´s DNS server settings to implement. Due to its simple implementation and auto-configuration, WebTitan Cloud for WiFi can be up and running within minutes to provide WiFi filtering for student accommodation quickly and easily.
WebTitan Cloud for WiFi has won awards for “policy control combined with solid malware protection, web filtering and application control”, and – as it is scalable up to 60,000 users with no bandwidth restrictions or loss in Internet speed – it is suitable for every type of WiFi filtering scenario from single WiFi access points to nationwide networks with multiple WiFi hotspots.
If you would like to find out more about TitanHQ’s filter for student protection, or have any questions about WiFi filtering for student accommodation, do not hesitate to get in touch. Our team of Sales technicians will be happy to explain more about how WebTitan Cloud for WiFi is the ideal solution for safe student browsing without limiting access to educational or research material, or support groups.
You can even try WebTitan Cloud for WiFi for free for fourteen days to witness how flexible and uncomplicated our WiFi filtering for student accommodation is. Be sure to ask for details of our free trial when speaking with our Sales Technicians, and they will explain the process to you for registering your free account and implementing a fully-enable version of WebTitan Cloud for WiFi.
Summary of the Benefits of WebTitan Cloud for WiFi
- Create a family-friendly, safe and secure web browsing environment.
- Block malicious websites and malware downloads.
- Block material contained in the child abuse image content URL list (CAIC List) and other third-party blacklists.
- Accurately filter web content through 53 pre-set categories and up to 10 custom categories.
- Filter by keyword and keyword score.
- Inspect encrypted websites.
- Filter content in 200 languages.
- Apply time-based filtering controls.
- Filter the Internet across multiple WiFi hotspots.
- Manage access points through a single web-based administration panel.
- Delegate management of access points.
- Schedule and run reports on demand with real time-views of Internet activity and extensive drill down reporting.
- Integrate the solution into existing security and monitoring systems.
