How to block facebook or other HTTPS websites

Version 2.5

Applies to Platform: UTM 2.4, UTM 2.5
Last Update: 04 June 2014

This lesson explains how to block, with the Endian UTM Appliance, facebook, twitter, and other sites that use SSL. Two different approaches will be shown in this lesson: Using an Access Policy rule in the HTTP Proxy, and using the DNS proxy

The first apporach should be used when the HTTP proxy is set to Non-Transparent, while the second approach is suitable for cases where the HTTP proxy is not enabled, or is enabled in Transparent mode.

1. Create an Access Policy to Block HTTP/HTTPS Sites.

This method is useful only when the HTTP Proxy is enabled in Non-Transparent mode. From the web GUI select from Menubar > Proxy > HTTP > Access Policy > Add Access Policy.

In the Access Policy Editor, configure as follows the various options:

• Source: The places where the clients will be subjected to the rule, which can be ANY, Zone, Network/IP, or MAC Address.
• Destination: The places that you want to block. In this case, the domains facebook.com and twitter.com. Write one domain per line, remember the starting dot if you want to : .facebook.com and .twitter.com.
• Access Policy: Deny access, for the rule to block traffic to the domains.
• Position: First, to make sure that this rule take precedence over other rule, which possibly allow access.
• Policy status: Click on the checkbox Enable policy rule to activate the rule.
• The remaining options may keep their default values.

Finally,  click on Update policy to save the new rule. After a few seconds, all services are reloaded and the new rule begins working.

2. Create a Rule in DNS Proxy

This method is useful ONLY in two situation:

1. you have the HTTP Proxy set in transparent mode (This method can intercept only HTTP traffic)
2. you don't have HTTP proxy enabled.

From the web GUI go to Menubar > Proxy > DNS.  Click on the checkboxes next to the Transparent on GREEN, BLUE, ORANGE, depending on which zones you want to create the rule into, then clik on Save.

Now, go to the Anti-spyware tab and insert in the textbos under the Blacklist domains label all the domains that you want to be blocked (ex. facebook.com) and click on Save.