LAs clamp on chat rooms. (Internet News).

Local authorities are increasingly turning to Internet filtering software as a means to protect employees, students and members of the public from viewing inappropriate Web sites, reports Websense Inc. Local Boroughs and Councils are opting for EIM software as a means of protecting their employees, electorate and students from the dark side of the Web.

Faced with a wide range of users surfing the Web for different interests, searching in different languages and exploring obscure sites that come online every day, authorities chose Websense as their EIM product of choice primarily because of the accuracy of the Websense Master Database, which is updated daily in 44 different languages and 81 different categories of content.

Driving the purchases of EIM software by local authorities and councils is a growing concern over online chat rooms, which have recently grown to more than 25,000 sites on Web, according to Websense research. When accessing chat rooms, students often unknowingly give out personal information, leaving themselves vulnerable. In addition, chat room Web sites are also seen as a security threat, because hackers are able to circumvent traditional firewall and anti-virus protections.

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