Content Filtering Rating Categories CFS5.0

 This document covers the different categories of content filtering and its details. This is only applicable to SonicWall firewalls running SonicOS 7.1.1 and later with CFS 5.0. There are 93 categories available as part of CFS 5.0.

 

  TIP: To determine which category a URL falls under please visit https://cfssupportapi.global.sonicwall.com/

 

1. Violence

Sites that depict extreme physical harm to people or property, or that advocate or provide instructions on how to cause such harm. Also includes sites that advocate or depict hostility, advocate aggression toward, or denigrate any individual or group on the basis of race, religion, gender, nationality, ethnic origin or other involuntary characteristics.

 

2. Intimate Apparel/Swimsuit

Sites that contain images or offer the sale of swimsuits or intimate apparel or other types of suggestive clothing. Does not include sites selling undergarments as a subsection of other products offered.

 

 

3. Nudism

Sites containing nude or semi-nude depictions of the human body. These depictions are not necessarily sexual in intent or effect, but may include sites containing nude paintings or photo galleries of artistic nature. This category also includes nudist or naturist sites that contain pictures of nude individuals.

 

 

4. Pornography

Sites that contain sexually explicit material for the purpose of arousing a sexual or prurient interest.

 

 

5. Weapons

Sites that sell, review or describe weapons such as guns, knives or martial arts devices and their accessories, or provide information on their use or other modifications. Does not include sites that promote collecting weapons, or groups that either support or oppose weapons use.

 

 

6. Adult/Mature Content

Sites that contain material of an adult nature that does not necessarily contain excessive violence, sexual content, or nudity. These sites include very profane or vulgar content and sites that are not appropriate for children.

 

 

7. Cult/Occult

Sites that promote or offer methods, means of instruction, or other resources to affect or influence real events through the use of spells, curses, magic powers or supernatural beings.

 

 

8. Drugs/Illegal Drugs

Drug sites that promote, offer, sell, supply, encourage or otherwise advocate the recreational or illegal use, cultivation, manufacture or distribution of drugs, pharmaceuticals, intoxicating plants or chemicals and their related paraphernalia. In addition, sites that discuss or promote the use and abuse of regulated drugs and the paraphernalia associated with regulated drugs, as well as sites that provide information about approved drugs and their medical uses and promote the use of chemicals that are not regulated by the FDA.

 

 

9. Illegal Skills/Questionable Skills

Sites that advocate or give advice on performing illegal acts such as service theft, evading law enforcement, fraud, burglary techniques and plagiarism. Also includes sites that provide or sell questionable educational materials, such as term papers.

 

 

10. Sex Education

Sites that provide graphic information on reproduction, sexual development, safe sex practices, sexuality, birth control and sexual development. Also includes sites that offer tips for better sex as well as products used for sexual enhancement.

 

 

11. Gambling

Sites where a user can place a bet or participate in a betting pool (including lotteries) online. Also includes sites that provide information, assistance, recommendations or training on placing bets or participating in games of chance. Does not include sites that sell gambling-related products or machines, or hotel or offline casino sites (as long as those sites do not meet one of the above requirements).

 

 

12. Alcohol/Tobacco

Sites that promote or offer alcohol/tobacco products, or provide the means to create them. Also includes sites that glorify, tout or otherwise encourage the consumption of alcohol/tobacco. This does not include sites that sell alcohol or tobacco as a subset of other products.

 

 

13. Chat/Instant Messaging (IM)

Sites that provide chat or instant messaging capabilities or client downloads.

 

 

14. Arts/Entertainment

Sites that promote and provide information about motion pictures, videos, television, music and programming guides, books, comics, movie theatres, galleries, artists or reviews on entertainment.

 

 

15. Business and Economy

Sites devoted to business firms, business information, economics, marketing, business management and entrepreneurship. This does not include sites that perform services that are defined in another category (such as Information Technology companies, or companies that sell travel services).

 

16. Abortion/Advocacy Groups

Sites that provide information or arguments in favor of or against abortion, describe abortion procedures, offer help in obtaining or avoiding abortion or provide information on the effects, or lack thereof, of abortion.

 

 

17. Education

Sites that offer educational information, distance learning and trade school information or programs. Also includes sites that are sponsored by schools, educational facilities and faculty or alumni groups.

 

 

18. Training and Tools

Distance education and trade schools, online courses, vocational training, software training, skills training.

 

 

19. Cultural Institutions

Sites sponsored by cultural institutions, or provide information about museums, galleries, theatres (not movie theaters). Includes groups such as 4-H and the Boy Scouts of America.

 

 

20. Online Banking

Sites that provide or advertise banking services (online or offline) or other types of financial information, such as loans. Does not include sites that offer market information, brokerage or trading services.

 

 

21. Online Brokerage and Trading

Sites that provide or advertise trading of securities and management of investment assets (online or offline). Also includes insurance sites, as well as sites that offer financial investment strategies, quotes and news.

 

 

22. Games

Sites that provide information about, or support for, game playing or downloading video games, computer games, electronic games, tips and advice on games or how to obtain cheat codes. Also includes sites dedicated to selling board games as well as journals and magazines dedicated to game playing. Includes sites that support or host online sweepstakes and giveaways.

 

 

23. Government

Sites sponsored by, or that provide information on, government, government agencies and government services such as taxation and emergency services. Also includes sites that discuss or explain laws of various governmental entities.

 

24. Military

Sites that promote or provide information on military branches or armed services.

 

 

25. Political/Advocacy Groups

Sites sponsored by, or that provide information on, political parties, special interest groups or any organization that promotes change or reform in public policy, public opinion, social practice or economic activities.

 

 

26. Health

Sites that provide advice and information on general health such as fitness and well-being, personal health or medical services, drugs, alternative and complimentary therapies, medical information about ailments, dentistry, optometry, general psychiatry, and self-help and support organizations dedicated to a disease or condition.

 

 

27. Information Technology/Computers

Sites that sponsor or provide information on computers, technology, the internet and technology-related organizations and companies.

 

 

28. Hacking

Sites providing information on illegal or questionable access to, or the use of, communications equipment/software or provide information on how to bypass proxy server features or gain access to URLs in any way that bypasses the proxy server.

 

 

29. Search Engines and Portals

Sites that support searching the internet, indices and directories.

 

 

30. E-Mail

Sites offering web-based email services, such as online email reading, e-cards and mailing list services.

 

 

31. Web Communications

Sites that allow or offer web-based communication via email, chat, instant messaging or message boards.

 

 

32. Job Search

Sites that provide assistance in finding employment and tools for locating prospective employers.

 

 

33. News and Media

Sites that primarily report information or comments on current events or contemporary issues of the day. Also includes radio stations and magazines. Does not include sites that can be rated in other categories.

 

 

34. Personals and Dating

Sites that promote interpersonal relationships.

 

 

35. Usenet News Groups Usenet

Sites that offer access to Usenet news groups or other messaging or bulletin board systems.

 

 

36. Reference

Sites containing personal, professional or educational reference, including online dictionaries, maps, census, almanacs, library catalogues, genealogy-related sites and scientific information.

 

 

37. Religion

Sites that promote and provide information on conventional or unconventional religious or quasi-religious subjects, as well as churches, synagogues and other houses of worship. Does not include sites containing witchcraft (Cult/Occult) or atheist beliefs.

 

 

38. Shopping

Sites that provide or advertise the means to obtain goods or services. Does not include sites that can be classified in other categories such as vehicles or weapons.

 

 

39. Internet Auctions

Sites that support the offering and purchasing of goods between individuals. Does not include classified advertisements.

 

 

40. Real Estate

Sites that provide information on renting, buying or selling real estate or properties.

 

 

41. Society and Lifestyle

Sites that provide information about issues related to daily life. Does not include sites that can be classified in other categories such as arts and entertainment, health and sports/recreation.

 

 

43. Restaurants and Dining

Sites that list, review, discuss, advertise and promote food, catering, dining services, cooking and recipes.

 

 

44. Sports

Sites that promote or provide information about spectator sports, recreational activities or hobbies. Includes sites that discuss or promote camping, gardening and collecting.

 

 

45. Travel

Sites that promote or provide opportunity for travel planning, including finding and making travel reservations, vehicle rentals, descriptions of travel destinations or promotions for hotels or casinos.

 

 

46. Vehicles

Sites that provide information on, or promote, vehicles, boats, or aircraft. These include sites that support the online purchase of vehicles or vehicle parts.

 

 

47. Humor/Jokes

Sites that focus on humor, comedy, jokes and fun. May include sites containing humor or jokes of adult or mature nature. Sites containing adult or mature content may also have an Adult/Mature Content category rating.

 

 

48. Multimedia

Sites that sell, deliver or stream music or video content in any format, including sites that provide downloads for such viewers.

 

 

49. Freeware/Software Downloads

Sites that are dedicated to the electronic download of software packages, whether for payment or at no charge.

 

 

50. Pay to Surf Sites

Sites that pay users in the form of cash or prizes for clicking on or reading specific links, email or web pages.

 

 

52. Keyloggers and Monitoring

Downloads and discussion of software agents that track a user's keystrokes or monitor their web surfing habits.

 

53. Kid Friendly

Sites designed specifically for children.

 

 

54. Advertisement

Sites that provide online advertisements or banners will always be allowed. These do not include advertising servers that contain adult-oriented advertisements.

 

 

55. Web Hosting

Sites of organizations that provide top-level domain pages, as well as web communities or hosting services.

 

 

56. Other

Sites that cannot be rated into any other category.

 

57. Internet Watch Foundation CAIC

Sites considered by the Internet Watch Foundation to contain potentially criminal internet content, including child sexual abuse content hosted anywhere in the world, criminally obscene adult content hosted in the UK and non-photographic child sexual abuse images hosted in the UK.

 

 

58. Social Networking

User communities and sites that allow users to interact with each other, post messages, pictures or otherwise communicate with groups of people. Does not include blogs or personal sites.

 

 

59. Malware

Sites that host software that is covertly downloaded to a user's system to collect information and monitor user activity. Also, sites that are infected with destructive or malicious software such as viruses, Trojans or worms that are specifically designed to damage, disrupt, attack or manipulate computer systems without the user's consent.

 

 

60. Radicalization and Extremism

Sites that contain radical and extreme content.

 

 

61. Hate and Racism

Sites that contain content and language in support of hate crimes and racism such as Nazi, neo-Nazi, Ku Klux Klan, etc.

 

62. Questionable

Tasteless humor, "get rich quick" sites, and sites that manipulate the browser user experience or client in some unusual, unexpected, or suspicious manner.

 

63. Proxy Avoidance and Anonymizers

Proxy servers and other methods to gain access to URLs in any way that bypasses URL filtering or monitoring. Web-based translation sites that circumvent filtering.

 

 

64. Not Rated

Sites that haven’t been rated and not in content filtering backend database.

 

65. Spyware and Adware

Spyware or Adware 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, also unsolicited advertising popups and programs that may be installed on a user's computer.

 

66. Legal

Legal websites, law firms, discussions and analysis of legal issues.

67. Hunting and Fishing

Sport hunting, gun clubs, and fishing.

 

68. Online Greeting Cards

Online Greeting card sites.

 

69. Recreation and Hobbies

Information, associations, forums and publications on recreational pastimes such as collecting, kit airplanes, outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, rock climbing, specific arts, craft, or techniques; animal and pet related information, including breed-specifics, training, shows and humane societies.

 

70. Home and Garden

Home issues and products, including maintenance, home safety, decor, cooking, gardening, home electronics, design, etc.

 

71. Fashion and Beauty

Fashion or glamour magazines, beauty, clothes, cosmetics, style.

 

72. Personal Sites and Blogs

Personal websites posted by individuals or groups, as well as blogs.

 

73. Local Information

City guides and tourist information, including restaurants, area/regional information, and local points of interest.

 

74. Translation

URL and language translation sites that allow users to see URL pages in other languages. These sites can also allow users to circumvent filtering as the target page's content is presented within the context of the translator's URL. These sites were formerly part of Proxy Avoidance and Anonymizers, but have been removed to this new category to provide differentiation and more granular policy.

 

75. Music

Music sales, distribution, streaming, information on musical groups and performances, lyrics, and the music business.

 

76. Computer and Internet Security

Computer/Internet security, security discussion groups.

 

77. Online Personal Storage

Online storage and posting of files, music, pictures, and other data.

 

78. Content Delivery Networks

Delivery of content and data for third parties, including ads, media, files, images, and video.

 

79. Image and Video Search

Photo and image searches, online photo albums/digital photo exchange, image hosting.

 

80. Dynamic Content

Domains that generate content dynamically based on arguments to their URL or other information (like geo-location) on the incoming web request.

 

81. P2P

Peer to peer clients and access. Includes torrents, music download programs.

 

82. Open HTTP Proxies

Proxy sites which delegate the web access from their client browsers.

 

83. Marijuana

Marijuana use, cultivation, history, culture, legal issues.

 

84. Cheating

Sites that support cheating and contain such materials, including free essays, exam copies, plagiarism, etc.

 

85. Gross

Vomit and other bodily functions, bloody clothing, etc.

 

86. Phishing and Other Frauds

Phishing, pharming, and other sites that pose as a reputable site, usually to harvest personal information from a user. These sites are typically quite short-lived, so examples don?t last long. Please contact us if you need fresh data.

 

87. Bot Nets

These are URLs, typically IP addresses, which are determined to be part of a Bot network, from which network attacks are launched. Attacks may include SPAM messages, DOS, SQL injections, proxy jacking, and other unsolicited contacts.

 

88. SPAM URLs

URLs contained in SPAM.

 

91. Parked Domain

Parked domains are URLs which host limited content or click-through ads which may generate revenue for the hosting entities but generally do not contain content useful to the end user. Also includes Under Construction, folders, and web server default home pages.

 

92. Dead Sites

These are dead sites that do not respond to http queries. Policy engines should usually treat these as "Uncategorized" sites.

 

93. Private IP Addresses

Sites with its hostname is a private IP, generally deployed as internal website.