WebFilter Categories

WebFilter database categories and definitions:

Category

Defined Criteria

Adult/Sexually Explicit

Examples:

http://www.playboy.com/
http://www.sex.com/

Adult products including sex toys, CD-ROMs, and videos
Child Pornography/Pedophilia*
Adult services including videoconferencing, escort services, and strip clubs
Erotic stories and textual descriptions of sexual acts
Explicit cartoons and animation
Online groups, including newsgroups and forums, that are sexually explicit in nature
Sexually-oriented or erotic full or partial nudity
Depictions or images of sexual acts, including animals or inanimate objects used in a sexual manner
Sexually exploitive or sexually violent text or graphics
Bondage, fetishes, genital piercing
Naturist sites that feature nudity
Erotic or fetish photography, which depicts nudity

NOTE: We do not include sites regarding sexual health, breast cancer, or sexually transmitted diseases (except in graphic examples).

* SurfControl sends all child-oriented erotic sites to global advocacy groups, including the Australian Broadcasting Authority (AU), Bundesministerium für Inneres (AT), Internet Watch Foundation (UK), Interpol, Meldpunt (NL) and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (US).

Advertisements & Pop-Ups

Examples:

http://www.mediaplex.com/
http://www.goingplatinum.com/

Banner Ad Servers
Pop-Up advertisements
Adware

NOTE: SurfControl uses the most current technical definition for Adware, recognizing the difference between non-malicious adware like "cookies" and the more serious Spyware content.

Alcohol & Tobacco

Examples:

http://www.smokerswelcome.com/
http://www.jagermeister.com/

Alcohol and tobacco promotional Web sites
Distributing alcohol or tobacco free or for a charge

NOTE: Illegal use of Alcohol & Tobacco is covered under Illegal Drugs.

Arts

Examples:

http://www.moma.org/
http://www.bso.org/

Museums, galleries, artist sites (sculpture, photography, etc.)
Performing arts (theatre, vaudeville, opera, symphonies, etc.)
Dance companies, studios and training
Book reviews and promotions, variety magazines and poetry

Blogs & Forums

Examples:

http://www.blogger.com/
http://www.livejournal.com/

Weblog (blog) sites
Newsgroups
Opinion or discussion forums

Business

Examples:

http://www.webex.com/
http://www.ups.com

General business corporate web sites
International and multi-national large general business corporate sites
Business Associations
Basic business sites, such as FedEx, that enable organizations to manage their necessary daily business tasks

NOTE: Business sites that fit more appropriately into another related category, such as Finance or Travel, will be categorized in this more suitable category.

Chat

Examples:

http://chat.msn.com/
http://www.chatcamcity.com/

Web-based chat
Instant Message servers

NOTE:This category filters HTTP traffic only. For a broad-based IM and P2P filtering, please read about SurfControl Enterprise Threat Shield

Computing & Internet

Examples:

http://www.zdnet.com/
http://www.cnet.com/

Reviews, information, buyer's guides of computers, computer parts and accessories, and software
Computer/software/Internet companies, industry news and magazines
Pay-to-Surf sites

Criminal Activity

Examples:

http://www.lockpicks.com/
http://www.anarchist-cookbook.com/

Advocating, instructing, or giving advice on performing illegal acts
Tips on evading law enforcement
Lock-picking and burglary techniques

Downloads

Examples:

http://www.download.com/
http://www.extremethemes.net/

Downloadable (non-streaming) movie, video or sound clips
Downloadable PDA software, including: themes and graphics
Freeware and shareware sites
Personal storage or backup
Clip art, fonts and animated gif pages

NOTE: Does not include update sites such as those for operating systems, anti-virus agents, or other business-critical programs.

Education

Examples:

http://www.bu.edu/
http://heritagehomeschool.com/

Educational institutions, including pre-, elementary, secondary, and high schools; universities
Educational sites: pre-, elementary, secondary, and high schools; universities
Distance education and trade schools, including online courses
Online teacher resources (lesson plans, etc.)

Entertainment

Examples:

http://www.nbc.com/
http://www.billboard.com/

Television, movies, music and video programming guides
Online magazines and reviews on the entertainment industry
Celebrity fan sites
Broadcasting firms and technologies (satellite, cable, etc.)
Horoscopes
Jokes, comics, comic books, comedians or any site designed to be funny or satirical
Online greeting cards
Amusement/theme parks

Fashion & Beauty

Examples:

http://www.revlon.com/
http://www.cosmopolitan.com/

Fashion or glamour magazines online
Beauty and cosmetics

Finance & Investment

Examples:

http://www.bankofamerica.com/
http://www.mutualsavings.com/

Stock quotes, stock tickers, and fund rates
Online stock or equity trading
Online banking and bill-pay services
Investing advice or contacts for trading securities
Money management/investment services or firm
General finances and companies that advise about finances
Accountancy, actuaries, banks, mortgages, and general insurance companies

Food & Dining

Examples:

http://www.papaginos.com/
http://www.allrecipes.com

Recipes, cooking instruction and tips, food products, and wine advisors
Restaurants, cafes, eateries, pubs, and bars
Food/drink magazines, reviews

Gambling

Examples:

http://www.casino.com/
http://www.100-gambling.com/

Online gambling or lottery web sites that invite the use of real or virtual money
Information or advice for placing wagers, participating in lotteries, gambling, or running numbers
Virtual casinos and offshore gambling ventures
Sports picks and betting pools
Virtual sports and fantasy leagues that offer large rewards or request significant wagers

NOTE: Casino/Hotel/Resort sites that do not feature online gambling or provide gaming tips are categorized under Travel.

Games

Examples:

http://www.gamezilla.com/
http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/

Game playing or downloading; game hosting or contest hosting
Tips and advice on games or obtaining cheat codes ("cheatz")
Journals and magazines dedicated to online game playing

Government

Examples:

http://www.parliament.uk/
http://www.whitehouse.gov/

Local, state, federal and international government sites
Government services such as taxation, armed forces, customs bureaus, emergency services

Hacking

Examples:

http://www.astalavista.net/
http://www.easywarez.com/

Promotion, instruction, or advice on the questionable or illegal use of equipment and/or software for purpose of hacking passwords, creating viruses, gaining access to other computers and/or computerized communication systems
Sites that provide instruction or work-arounds for filtering software
Cracked software and information sites; Warez
Pirated software and multimedia download sites
Computer crime

Health & Medicine

Examples:

http://www.johnshopkins.org/
http://www.weightwatchers.com/

Prescription medicines
Medical information and reference about ailments, conditions, and drugs
General health such as fitness and well-being
Medical procedures, including elective and cosmetic surgery
Dentistry, optometry, and other medical-related sites
General psychiatry and mental well-being sites
Psychology, self-help books, and organizations
Promoting self-healing of physical and mental abuses, ailments, and addictions
Alternative and complementary therapies, including: yoga, chiropractic and cranio-sacral
Hospital, medical insurance

Hobbies & Recreation

Examples:

http://rockclimbing.org/
http://www.ete.org/

Recreational pastimes such as collecting, gardening, kit airplanes
Outdoor recreational activities such as hiking, camping, rock climbing
Tips or trends focused on a specific art, craft, or technique
Online publications on a specific pastime or recreational activity
Online clubs, associations or forums dedicated to a hobby
Traditional (board, card, etc.) games and their enthusiasts
Animal/pet related sites, including breed-specific sites, training, shows and humane societies

Hosting Sites

Examples:

http://www.geocities.com/
http://www.angelfire.com/

Web sites that host business and individuals' web pages (i.e. GeoCities, earthlink.net, AOL)

Illegal Drugs

Examples:

http://www.cannabis.com/
http://www.shroomery.org/

Recipes, instructions or kits for manufacturing or growing illicit substances for purposes other than industrial usage
Glamorizing, encouraging, or instructing on the use of or masking the use of alcohol, tobacco, illegal drugs, or other substances that are illegal to minors
Information on "legal highs": glue sniffing, misuse of prescription drugs or abuse of other legal substances
Distributing illegal drugs free or for a charge
Displaying, selling, or detailing use of drug paraphernalia

Infrastructure

Examples:

http://a248.g.akamai.net/
http://g.msn.com/

Content delivery networks
XML Reference Schemas
Web analytics and statistics services
Transaction servers
Corporate image servers

NOTE: SurfControl recommends this category be used for monitoring and reporting purposes only.

Intimate Apparel & Swimwear

Examples:

http://www.victoriassecret.com/
http://www.swimsuits.com/

Lingerie, negligee and other intimate apparel modeling
Swimwear modeling
Model fan pages
Modeling information and agencies
Fitness models/sports celebrities

Intolerance & Hate

Examples:

http://www.theneworder.org/
http://www.whitepowerforum.com/

Advocating or inciting degradation or attack of specified populations or institutions based on associations such as religion, race, nationality, gender, age, disability, or sexual orientation
Promoting a political or social agenda that is supremacist in nature and/or exclusionary of others based on their race, religion, nationality, gender, age, disability, or sexual orientation
Holocaust revisionist/denial sites and other revisionist sites that encourage hate
Coercion or recruitment for membership in a gang* or cult**
Militancy, extremist
Flagrantly insensitive or offensive material, including lack of recognition or respect for opposing opinions and beliefs

NOTE: We do not include news, historical, or press incidents that may include the above criteria (except in graphic examples).

*A gang is defined as: a group whose primary activities are the commission of felonious criminal acts, which has a common name or identifying sign or symbol, and whose members individually or collectively engage in criminal activity in the name of the group.

**A cult is defined as: a group whose followers have been deceptively and manipulatively recruited and retained through undue influence such that followers' personalities and behavior are altered. Leadership is all-powerful, ideology is totalistic, and the will of the individual is subordinate to the group. Sets itself outside of society.

Job Search & Career Development

Examples:

http://www.monster.com/
http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/

Employment agencies, contractors, job listings, career information
Career searches, career-networking groups

Kid's Sites

Examples:

http://yahooligans.yahoo.com/
http://www.nickjr.com/

Child oriented sites and sites published by children

Motor Vehicles

Examples:

http://www.honda.com/
http://www.autoweb.com/

Car reviews, vehicle purchasing or sales tips, parts catalogs
Auto trading, photos, discussion of vehicles including motorcycles, boats, cars, trucks and RVs
Journals and magazines on vehicle modification, repair, and customization
Online automotive enthusiast clubs

News

Examples:

http://www.cnn.com/
http://www.reuters.com/

Newspapers online
Headline news sites, newswire services, and personalized news services
Weather sites

Peer-to-Peer

Examples:

http://www.bearshare.com/
http://www.kazaa.com/

Peer-to-peer file sharing clients
Peer-to-peer file sharing servers

Personals and Dating

Examples:

http://www.friends.com/
http://www.match.com/

Singles listings, matchmaking and dating services
Advice for dating or relationships; romance tips and suggestions

Philanthropic & Professional Orgs.

Examples:

http://www.redcross.org/
http://www.aflcio.org/

Philanthropic and charity orgs.
Environmental orgs.
Professional associations
Labor unions
Social orgs.

Phishing & Fraud

Examples:

http://www.phonelosers.org/
http://1stchoicetermpapers.com/

Phishing
Phone, service theft advice
Plagiarism & cheating, including the sale of research papers

Photo Searches

Examples:

http://www.webshots.com/
http://www.flickr.com/

Sites that provide resources for photo and image searches
Online photo albums/digital photo exchange
Image hosting

Politics

Examples:

http://www.republicans.org/
http://www.voiceofthevoter.com/

Political parties
Political debate, canvassing, election information and results
Conspiracy theorist & alternative government views that are not hate-based

Proxies & Translators

Examples:

http://babelfish.altavista.com/
http://www.proxify.com/

Remote proxies or anonymous surfing
Search engine caches that circumvent filtering
Web-based translation sites that circumvent filtering

Real Estate

Examples:

http://cascaderealtyinc.com/
http://www.realtor.com/

Home, apartment, and land listings
Rental or relocation services
Tips on buying or selling a home
Real estate agents
Home improvement

Reference

Examples:

http://www.yellowpages.com/
http://www.mapquest.com/

Personal, professional, or educational reference
Online dictionaries, maps, and language translation sites
Census, almanacs, and library catalogues
Topic-specific search engines

Religion

Examples:

http://www.ibbmiami.org/
http://www.esbc.com/

Churches, synagogues, and other houses of worship
Any faith or religious beliefs, including non-traditional religions such as Wicca and witchcraft

Ringtones/Mobile Phone Downloads

Examples:

http://www.jamster.co.uk/
http://www.hit-logo-ringtone.com/

Providers of mobile phone downloads, including:
- Ringtones
- Logos
- Backgrounds
- Screensavers
- Games

Search Engines

Examples:

http://www.yahoo.com/
http://www.lycos.com/

General search engines (Yahoo, AltaVista, Google)

Sex Education

Examples:

http://www.itsyoursexlife.com/
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/

Pictures or text advocating the proper use of contraceptives
Sites relating to discussion about the use of the Pill, IUDs and other types of contraceptives
Discussion sites on how to talk to your partner about diseases, pregnancy and respecting boundaries

NOTE: Not included in the category are commercial sites that sell sexual paraphernalia. These sites are typically found in the Adult category.

Shopping

Examples:

http://www.ebay.com/
http://www.amazon.com/

Department stores, retail stores, company catalogs and other sites that allow online consumer shopping
Online auctions
Online downloadable product warehouses; specialty items for sale
Freebies or merchandise giveaways

Society & Culture

Examples:

http://www.theknot.com/
http://www.parenting.com/

Home life and family-related topics, including weddings, births and funerals
Parenting tips and family planning
Gay/lesbian/bisexual (non-pornographic) sites
Foreign cultures, socio-cultural information
Tattoo, piercing parlors (non-explicit)

Spam URLs

Examples:

http://boxeddogtoyz.com/
http://www.4phones.biz/

URLs found in spam, including these topics:
- Computing
- Finance & Stocks
- Entertainment
- Games
- Health & Medicine
- Humor & Novelties
- Personal & Dating
- Products & Services
- Shopping
- Travel

Sports

Examples:

http://www.nba.com/
http://www.espn.com/

Team or conference web sites
National, international, college, professional scores and schedules
Sports-related online magazines or newsletters
Fantasy sports and virtual sports leagues that are free or low-cost

Spyware

Examples:

http://www.remotespy.com/
http://www.covert-spy.com/

Sites that provide or promote information gathering or tracking that is unknown to, or without the explicit consent of, the end user or the organization
Sites that carry malicious executables or viruses
3rd party monitoring and other unsolicited commercial software
Spyware and Malware "Phone Home" destinations

NOTE: SurfControl uses the most current technical definition for Spyware for this category. We focus on filtering malicious and tracking content, not simple adware and cookies. For non-malicious adware filtering, please block the Advertisements & Pop-ups category.

Streaming Media

Examples:

http://www.skype.com/
http://www.live365.com/

Streaming media files or events (any live or archived audio or video file)
Internet TV and radio
Personal (non-explicit) webcam sites
Telephony sites that allow users to make calls via the Internet
VoIP services

Tasteless & Offensive

Examples:

http://www.crapville.com/
http://www.somethingawful.com/

Offensive or violent language, including through jokes, comics or satire
Excessive use of profanity or obscene gesticulation

Travel

Examples:

http://www.expedia.com/
http://www.travelocity.com/

Airlines and flight booking agencies
Accommodation information
Travel package listings
City guides and tourist information
Car Rentals

Violence

Examples:

http://www.ogrish.com/
http://www.rotten.com/ </ul>

Portraying, describing or advocating physical assault against humans, animals, or institutions
Depictions of torture, mutilation, gore, or horrific death
Advocating, encouraging, or depicting self-endangerment, or suicide, including through eating disorders or addictions
Instructions, recipes or kits for making bombs or other harmful or destructive devices
Sites promoting terrorism
Excessively violent sports or games (including video & online games)

NOTE: We do not block news, historical, or press incidents that may include the above criteria (except in graphic examples).

Weapons

Examples:

http://www.mcmfamily.com/
http://www.ruger-firearms.com/

Online purchasing or ordering information, including lists of prices and dealer locations
Any page or site predominantly containing, or providing links to, content related to the sale of guns, weapons, ammunition or poisonous substances
Displaying or detailing the use of guns, weapons, ammunition or poisonous substances
Clubs which offer training on machine guns, automatics and other assault weapons and/or sniper training

NOTE: Weapons are defined as something (as a club, knife, or gun) used to injure, defeat, or destroy.

Web-based E-mail

Examples:

http://www.gmail.com/
http://mail.lycos.com/

Web-based e-mail accounts
Messaging sites (SMS, etc.)