Content check
The article "Modern Internet attacks" is provided by Sophos Plc and SophosLabs.
August 2007
The easiest way to check the Internet content is using an application that checks incoming HTTP traffic [60]. The application passes the incoming content to the antivirus program and blocks pages that contain malicious programs and scripts. Some solutions also help block potentially inappropriate content with the lists of keywords.
Checking the content at the web gateway provides extra protection with the help of antivirus programs. Leading products let you optimize the check depending on the environment (checking Internet traffic is different from checking the email at the gateway or from a computer check). Checking the content and filtering URLs (see section 4.2) make a perfect combination and protect the users even if the source and method of attack change.
One of the problems related to such check is performance. Unlike email, Internet content is passed in real time, so the web applications should try to avoid delays. This contradicts to the growing need for costly analysis of complex, intendedly masked malicious scripts.
