WebBlocker Override in WatchGuard Cloud

Applies To: Cloud-managed Fireboxes

When your users browse the Internet, WebBlocker blocks connections to websites in categories that you configured the WebBlocker content filtering action to block. If you want to allow users temporary access to websites that WebBlocker blocks, you can enable and configure WebBlocker override.

For example, if you administer a network for a school, you might want to allow teachers to override WebBlocker when a student must connect to a website in a blocked WebBlocker category.

To use WebBlocker override, you must select the Decrypt HTTPS Traffic check box in firewall web traffic policies. For more information, go to Configure Traffic Types in a Firewall Policy.

WebBlocker Override Methods

You can use one of these methods to allow users to override WebBlocker:

Passphrase

Specify a passphrase that users type to override the WebBlocker settings and get access to denied content.

User Group

Select an existing Firebox-DB or Active Directory user group. Users who are members of the selected group can type their user credentials to override the WebBlocker settings and get access to denied content. Users who are members of a different user group cannot override the WebBlocker settings. Other types of authentication servers, such as RADIUS, are not supported for User Group override.

To configure WebBlocker override by user group, you must first configure authentication settings for the Firebox. For more information, go to About Firebox Authentication Settings.

When WebBlocker override is enabled and users navigate to a website that WebBlocker blocks, the WebBlocker block page includes a section where users can enter the WebBlocker override password or their user group credentials.

Enable WebBlocker Override

When you enable WebBlocker override for a Content Filtering action, the override is enabled for all blocked categories in the action.

To enable WebBlocker override, from WatchGuard Cloud:

  1. From Account Manager, select the account.
  2. Select Configure > Devices.
  3. Select the cloud-managed Firebox that you want to configure WebBlocker override for.
  4. Click Device Configuration.
    The Device Configuration page opens.
  5. Click the Content Filtering tile.
    The Content Filtering page opens.
  6. Add or edit a content filtering action. For information on how to configure content filtering actions, go to Configure Content Filtering in WatchGuard Cloud.
  7. On the action page, select the WebBlocker tab.
  8. Select Enable WebBlocker Override.
  9. Screenshot of Enable WebBlocker Override check box in WatchGuard Cloud

  10. From the Method drop-down list, select one of these override methods:
    • Passphrase — Enable users to enter a password to connect to blocked content.
    • User Group — Enable users who are members of a specified user group to enter their user credentials to connect to blocked content.
  11. Configure one of these settings, based on the override method you selected:
    • Override Password — Specify the password that users can enter to get access to the blocked content.

      Screenshot of Override Password text box

    • User Group — Select the user group that can enter credentials to get access to the blocked content.

      Screenshot of User Group drop-down list highlighted

  12. In the Inactivity Timeout text box, enter the number of minutes a user can be inactive before they can no longer connect to blocked content.
  13. To send an alarm when a user enters the override password or their user credentials to connect to blocked content, select the Alarm check box.
  14. Click Save.

Related Topics

Configure Content Filtering in WatchGuard Cloud

Configure Firebox Database User Authentication

Add an Authentication Domain to a Firebox