Integration of CFS 5.0 Support in Capture Client

The integration of Content Filtering Service (CFS) 5.0 support within Capture Client ensures that endpoint devices benefit from advanced web content filtering capabilities. This includes the adoption of new content categories, reputation-based filtering mechanisms, and enhanced policy enforcement, all managed seamlessly through the Capture Client interface. The integration is designed to maintain backward compatibility with CFS 4.0 agents, enabling organizations to transition smoothly without disrupting existing security policies.

With the launch of Capture Client (CC) 3.12.0 and Cloud Management Console (CMC) 4.0.0, SonicWall now supports Content Filtering Service (CFS) 5.0. This update introduces advanced web content filtering categories and reputation-based filtering, while ensuring backward compatibility with existing CFS 4.0 agents.

Key Features

• Dual Policy Support:
  • New Categories Tab:
    
  • Legacy Category Tab :
    
• Auto-Sync Functionality:
  • Actions (select/deselect) in the Legacy tab are automatically mapped to the New tab for overlapping categories.
  • Actions in the New Category Tab for categories that are not present in Legacy Category Tab are ignored in Legacy Category Tab for backward compatibility.
• No Downgrade:
  • CFS 5.0 is not backward compatible with CFS 4.0 agents. Downgrade from CFS 5.0 to 4.0 is not supported.
• Policy Retention:
  • Existing CFS policy configurations are retained for all customer tenants. Only split categories (51, 61, 63) are automatically marked as needed.

Expected Behaviour

• CFS 4.0 Supported Clients :
  • Continue to receive and Enforce CFS 4.0 policies.
  • Categories not available in CFS 4.0 (including new/split categories) are mapped to "Not Rated" (64).
• CFS 5.0 Supported Clients :
  • Receive and enforce CFS 5.0 policies, including new categories and reputation-based filtering.
• Policy Management :
  • Changes in the Legacy tab affect only legacy clients.
  • Changes in the New tab affect only clients running CC 3.12 or later.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Question : What happens if I select a category in the New Category Tab that does not exist in Legacy Category Tab?
  • Answer : The action is ignored for legacy clients; only new clients will be affected.
• Question: Can I downgrade from CFS 5.0 to 4.0?
  • Answer : No, CFS 5.0 is not backward compatible. Downgrade is not supported.
• Question: How do I enable reputation-based filtering?
  • Answer : In the WCF profile, check "Enable Reputation" and configure the desired risk thresholds.

How do I enable CFS 5.0

 To enable CFS 5.0 in SonicWall Capture Client and Cloud Management Console (CMC), follow these steps:

• Prerequisites :
  • Cloud Management Console (CMC) version 4.0.0 or later.
  • Capture Client (CC) version 3.12.0 or later on endpoints.
• Steps to Enable CFS 5.0 :
  • Web Content Filtering (WCF) Policy Configuration :
    • Go to the Web Content Filtering page in the CMC UI.
    • You will now see two tabs: Legacy Category (CFS 4.0) and New Category (CFS 5.0).
    • The New Category Tab (CFS 5.0) will be loaded by default.
    • Configure your forbidden categories and reputation-based filtering as needed in the CFS 5.0 tab.
  • Endpoint Upgrade :
    • Ensure all endpoints are running Capture Client 3.12.0 or later to take advantage of CFS 5.0 features.
    • Mixed environments (some endpoints on CFS 4.0, some on 5.0) are supported, but only upgraded endpoints will enforce CFS 5.0 policies.
  • Enable Reputation-Based Filtering (Optional) :
    • In the WCF profile (CFS 5.0 tab), check the option to Enable Reputation.
    • Configure the desired risk thresholds for URL reputation filtering.

NOTE: Downgrade is not supported: Once enabled, you cannot revert from CFS 5.0 to CFS 4.0 for upgraded clients.Legacy clients will continue to use CFS 4.0 policies and categories  

TIP: UI/UX: The New (CFS 5.0) tab provides access to expanded categories and reputation filtering.  

 New Categories in CFS 5.0

CFS 5.0 expands the number of web content filtering categories from 64 (in CFS 4.0) to 93 categories. This update allows for more granular and modern web filtering, covering new areas of the internet that were not addressed in previous versions. Some categories from CFS 4.0 have been split into multiple, more specific categories in CFS 5.0, and many entirely new categories have been added to reflect current web trends and threats.

Key HighLights

• CFS 5.0 introduces 29 new categories compared to CFS 4.0.
• Some existing categories have been split for finer control (e.g., "Violence/Hate/Racism" in CFS 4.0 is split into "Violence" and "Hate" in CFS 5.0).
• The new categories cover areas such as botnets, cheating, computer and internet security, content delivery networks, dead sites, dynamic content, and more.

For a complete and detailed list of all 93 categories in CFS 5.0, please log in to the Capture Client Management console to find the list of categories.