Overview of 8e6 Internet Filter Database Product

8e6 Technologies is a provider of Internet content filtering, internet monitoring and reporting solutions for Internet Security. Central to proving effective and accurate Internet filtering of unwanted websites without blocking those sites that are wanted, is a comprehensive and up to date database of sites and URLs. In order to keep our URL database up to date, 8e6 Technologies has developed highly sophisticated content classification techniques; software, databases and publication processes used to effectively and efficiently keep these databases current.

• Content Accuracy
  
• Internet Access Requirements
  
• Classifying for Restricting Access
  
• Classifying for Reporting
  
• The Process of Classifying the Internet
  
• Submit Site
  
• 8e6 Database 
  

Content Accuracy
8e6 Technologies believes that only human review can effectively classify mixed content to the degree of accuracy required to provide a quality product. In order to meet the high standards 8e6 Technologies has set, we employ Internet Analysts, Content Verifiers and Content Control Library production staff for the purpose of developing and publishing a library of content classifications used in our products. In addition, we developed a high-speed content relevancy recognition technology (CRRT)/ Mudcrawler to collect the selected Internet sites.

Internet Access Requirements
Since 8e6 Technologies services such diverse markets as ISP's, Schools and corporations, we need to classify Internet content in a manner that matches the requirements of all our customers. This puts the classification process in the situation where we may have conflicting uses by our customer base. Some customers may wish to restrict access to explicit materials but allow access to all other materials, some customers would prefer to allow access to all content but be able to identify what types of content the user base is accessing, and some customers would like to block all content except sites on an approved list. Our Internet content filtering tools and our database development procedures aim to allow the necessary flexibility to meet each segment's needs.  

To address these multiple requirements, 8e6 Technologies segregates content classifications into libraries. Within 8e6 Technologies is documentation for each library. This documentation contains description s of the content, detail definition and specific guidelines on identifying and classifying content. 

Classifying for Restricting Access
Most of the requirements and requests by customers are for categories which they want restricted . This includes explicit content, content promoting violence, criminal activities as well as the entertainment and large bandwidth consumption sites. Generally, it is a fairly straightforward process to establish guidelines and examples of each type of restricted content. These guidelines have been developed based on our years of working with clients and closely observing changes in the Internet. Each category has detailed instructions that our verifiers must follow when classifying websites.  

Classifying for Reporting
8e6 Technologies also provides libraries of content classification for reporting purposes. These libraries would not be appropriate for use in limiting access but is are essential for reporting purposes. They are included in our reporting products as a broader function of the 8e6 database content classification.  

Database Classification Process
With the belief that only people can make the high quality decisions needed to have accurate classifications, 8e6 Technologies has developed a process where Internet Analysts look for ways to find content of the target classification.

Classifying
Using the guidelines provided Content Verifiers use proprietary applications to retrieve information on the content to be classified. These applications provide the Content Verifier with a pre-classified list. The Content Verifiers then review the web site, ensure that it matches the pre-classification category and assign it to the correct library. There are circumstances where the Content Verifier will assign a web site to additional or alternative classifications. 

Our Internet Analysts scour the web looking for search engines, website listings, communities that list sites and other methods of finding content. The analysts develop these methods to form search criteria (rules) for finding content that matches the intended library definition. 

8e6 uses the methods developed by the analysts to provide tools that scan the Internet using the lists and rules provide by the analysts. The Mudcrawler is built in such a fashion that the analysts can update the rule and lists without change to the applications.

• The Mudcrawler searches the Internet 24/7 and creates a queue of sites to be reviewed.
  
• Content Verifiers review the sites from the queues assigning the site to one or more libraries. Some sites are rejected from classification as 'General Internet'. These are saved for future re-review.
  
• Library production staff performs a quality control review of the verifier's classifications. Making occasional corrections. The library production staff will also make manual additions or deletions from requests received by 8e6 Technologies. 
  

Publishing
With the classified libraries residing in the database, we perform production processes to convert the database format to the unique format used by each product for daily download.

• Export the data including any values unique to the product formats.
  
• Process the data forming library files for each product.
  
• Perform quality assurance by installing the newly produced library for each product.
  
• Publish the libraries to the distribution servers.