At the heart of the Websense Enterprise® product lies the Websense Master Database. This database comprises websites (represented by their URLs), applications and executables (represented by unique “hashes”), and protocols. It is the largest and most up-to-date such database in the industry, and a staff of trained analysts work diligently to keep it so.

The Websense Master Database contains more than 8.5 million websites, published in more than 50 languages, and they are organized into more than 90 categories. This large number of categories permits a high degree of specificity in designing your organization’s internet use policy.

HOW IS THE WEBSENSE MASTER DATABASE DEVELOPED AND MAINTAINED?

A variety of automated site-mining processes are used to find new websites and applications. These include WebCatcher™, a proprietary tool that captures the uncategorized URLs visited by users at customer sites and returns them for priority handling, and the similar AppCatcher™. In this way the Master Database keeps pace with the actual surfing and use patterns of our customers. Automated classification software helps sort other new websites before they are examined by the Web Analyst staff for categorization. Still other tools help sustain the high quality of the database by sifting for dead sites and sites that have changed in character since first being categorized.

The Websense Master Database consists of four pieces: the basic URL database, the Premium Groups, the Protocols and the Application Categories.

URLs are categorized into the Websense Master Database in accord with the following definitions. Websense utilizes a combination of proprietary classification software and human inspection, both for initial categorization and in its program of quality review.

Suggestions for changes to the database may be submitted through our Suggest a URL form.

A Note Regarding Categories
The categories used by Websense to sort out the millions of Web sites on the Internet have been designed to collect together in useful groupings the kinds of sites of interest and concern to its subscribing customers. They are not intended to characterize any site or group of sites or the persons or interests who publish them, and they should not be construed as doing so. Likewise, the labels attached to Websense categories, are convenient shorthand and are not intended to convey, nor should they be construed as conveying, any opinion or attitude, approving or otherwise, toward the subject matter or the sites so classified.

Baseline URLs

• Abortion
  Sites with neutral or balanced presentation of the issue.
  • Pro-Choice -- Sites that provide information about or are sponsored by organizations that support legal abortion or that offer support or encouragement to those seeking the procedure.
  • Pro-Life -- Sites that provide information about or are sponsored by organizations that oppose legal abortion or that seek increased restriction of abortion.

• Adult Material
  Parent category that contains the categories: Adult Content, Lingerie and Swimsuit, Nudity, Sex, Sex Education
  • Adult Content -- Sites that display full or partial nudity in a sexual context, but not sexual activity; erotica; sexual paraphernalia; sex-oriented businesses as clubs, nightclubs, escort services; and sites supporting online purchase of such goods and services.
  • Lingerie and Swimsuit -- Sites that offer images of models in suggestive but not lewd costume, with seminudity permitted. Includes classic 'cheese-cake,' calendar, and pinup art and photography. Includes also sites offering lingerie or swimwear for sale.
  • Nudity -- Sites that offer depictions of nude or seminude human forms, singly or in groups, not overtly sexual in intent or effect.
  • Sex -- Sites that depict or graphically describe sexual acts or activity, including exhibitionism; also sites offering direct links to such sites.
  • Sex Education -- Sites that offer information about sex and sexuality, with no pornographic intent.

• Advocacy Groups
  Sites that promote change or reform in public policy, public opinion, social practice, economic activities and relationships.

• Business and Economy
  Sites sponsored by or devoted to business firms, business associations, industry groups, or business in general.
  • Financial Data and Services -- Sites that offer news and quotations on stocks, bonds, and other investment vehicles, investment advice, but not online trading. Includes banks, credit unions, credit cards, and insurance.

• Drugs
  Parent category that contains the categories: Abused Drugs, Prescribed Medications, Marijuana, Supplements/Unregulated Compounds
  • Abused Drugs -- Sites that promote or provide information about the use of prohibited drugs, except marijuana, or the abuse or unsanctioned use of controlled or regulated drugs; also, paraphernalia associated with such use or abuse.
  • Marijuana -- Sites that provide information about or promote the cultivation, preparation, or use of marijuana.
  • Prescribed Medications -- Sites that provide information about approved drugs and their medical use.
  • Supplements and Unregulated Compounds -- Sites that provide information about or promote the sale or use of chemicals not regulated by the FDA (such as naturally occurring compounds).

• Education
  Parent category that contains the categories: Cultural Institutions, Educational Institutions, Educational Materials
  • Cultural Institutions -- Sites sponsored by museums, galleries, theatres (but not movie theatres), libraries, and similar institutions; also, sites whose purpose is the display of artworks.
  • Educational Institutions -- Sites sponsored by schools and other educational facilities, by non-academic research institutions, or that relate to educational events and activities.
  • Educational Materials -- Sites that provide information about or that sell or provide curriculum materials or direct instruction; also, learned journals and similar publications.
  • Reference Materials -- Sites that offer reference-shelf content such as atlases, dictionaries, encyclopedias, formularies, white and yellow pages, and public statistical data.

• Entertainment
  Sites that provide information about or promote motion pictures, non-news radio and television, books, humor, and magazines.
  • MP3 -- Sites that support downloading of MP3 or other sound files or that serve as directories of such sites.

• Gambling
  Sites that provide information about or promote gambling or support online gambling, involving a risk of losing money.

• Games
  Sites that provide information about or promote electronic games, video games, computer games, role-playing games, or online games. Includes sweepstakes and giveaways.

• Government
  Sites sponsored by branches, bureaus, or agencies of any level of government, except for the armed forces.
  • Military -- Sites sponsored by branches or agencies of the armed services.
  • Political Organizations -- Sites sponsored by or providing information about political parties and interest groups focused on elections or legislation.

• Health
  Sites that provide information or advice on personal health or medical services, procedures, or devices, but not drugs. Includes self-help groups.

• Illegal or Questionable
  Sites that provide instruction in or promote nonviolent crime or unethical or dishonest behavior or the avoidance of prosecution therefor.

• Information Technology
  Sites sponsored by or providing information about computers, software, the Internet, and related business firms, including sites supporting the sale of hardware, software, peripherals, and services.
  • Computer Security -- Sites that provide information about or free downloadable tools for computer security.
  • Hacking -- Sites that provide information about or promote illegal or questionable access to or use of computer or communication equipment, software, or databases.
  • Proxy Avoidance -- Sites that provide information about how to bypass proxy server features or to gain access to URLs in any way that bypasses the proxy server.
  • Search Engines and Portals -- Sites that support searching the Web, news groups, or indices or directories thereof.
  • URL Translation Sites -- Sites that offer online translation of URLs. These sites access the URL to be translated in a way that bypasses the proxy server, potentially allowing unauthorized access.
  • Web Hosting -- Sites of organizations that provide hosting services, or top-level domain pages of Web communities.

• Internet Communication
  Parent category that contains the categories: Email, Web Chat
  • Web Chat -- Sites that host Web chat services or that support or provide information about chat via HTTP or IRC.
  • Web-based Email -- Sites that host Web-based email.

• Job Search
  Sites that offer information about or support the seeking of employment or employees.

• Militancy and Extremist
  Sites that offer information about or promote or are sponsored by groups advocating antigovernment beliefs or action.

• Miscellaneous
  Parent category that contains the categories:
  • Content Delivery Networks -- Commercial hosts that deliver content to subscribing Web sites.
  • Dynamic Content -- URLs that are generated dynamically by a Web server.
  • File Download Servers -- Web servers whose primary function is to deliver files for download.
  • Image Servers -- Web servers whose primary function is to deliver images.
  • Images (Media) -- URLs ending with image filenames.
  • Network Errors -- URLs with hosts that do not resolve to IP addresses.
  • Private IP Addresses -- IP addresses defined in RFC 1918, 'Address Allocation for Private Intranets.'
  • Uncategorized -- Sites not categorized in the EIM Database.

• News and Media
  Sites that offer current news and opinion, including those sponsored by newspapers, general-circulation magazines, or other media.
  • Alternative Journals -- Online equivalents to supermarket tabloids and other fringe publications.

• Racism and Hate
  Sites that promote the identification of racial groups, the denigration or subjection of groups, or the superiority of any group.

• Religion
  Parent category that contains the categories: Traditional Religions, Non-Traditional Religions
  • Non-Traditional Religions and Occult and Folklore -- Sites that provide information about or promote religions not specified in Traditional Religions or other unconventional, cultic, or folkloric beliefs and practices.
  • Traditional Religions -- Sites that provide information about or promote Buddhism, Bahai, Christianity, Christian Science, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Mormonism, Shinto, and Sikhism, as well as atheism.

• Shopping
  Sites that support the online purchase of consumer goods and services except: sexual materials, lingerie, swimwear, investments, medications, educational materials, computer software or hardware, alcohol, tobacco, travel, vehicles and parts, weapons.
  • Internet Auctions -- Sites that support the offering and purchasing of goods between individuals.
  • Real Estate -- Sites that provide information about renting, buying, selling, or financing residential real estate.

• Social Organizations
  Parent category that contains the categories: Professional and Worker Organizations, Service and Philanthropic Organizations, Social and Affiliation Organizations
  • Professional and Worker Organizations -- Sites sponsored by or that support or offer information about organizations devoted to professional advancement or workers interests.
  • Service and Philanthropic Organizations -- Sites sponsored by or that support or offer information about organizations devoted to doing good as their primary activity.
  • Social and Affiliation Organizations -- Sites sponsored by or that support or offer information about organizations devoted chiefly to socializing or common interests other than philanthropy or professional advancement.

• Society and Lifestyles
  Sites that provide information about matters of daily life, excluding entertainment, health, hobbies, jobs, sex, and sports.
  • Alcohol and Tobacco -- Sites that provide information about, promote, or support the sale of alcoholic beverages or tobacco products or associated paraphernalia.
  • Gay or Lesbian or Bisexual Interest -- Sites that provide information about or cater to gay, lesbian, or bisexual lifestyles, including those that support online shopping, but excluding those that are sexually or issue-oriented.
  • Hobbies -- Sites that provide information about or promote private and largely sedentary pastimes, but not electronic, video, or online games.
  • Personal Websites -- Sites published and maintained by individuals for their personal self-expression and ends.
  • Personals and Dating -- Sites that assist users in establishing interpersonal relationships, excluding those intended to arrange for sexual encounters and excluding those of exclusively gay or lesbian or bisexual interest.
  • Restaurants and Dining -- Sites that list, review, advertise, or promote food, dining, or catering services.

• Special Events
  Sites devoted to a current event that requires separate categorization.

• Sports
  Sites that provide information about or promote sports, active games, and recreation.
  • Sport Hunting and Gun Clubs -- Sites that provide information about or directories of gun clubs and similar groups, including war-game and paintball facilities.

• Tasteless
  Sites with content that is gratuitously offensive or shocking, but not violent or frightening. Includes sites devoted in part or whole to scatology and similar topics or to improper language, humor, or behavior.

• Travel
  Sites that provide information about or promote travel-related services and destinations.

• User-Defined
  User-defined category

• Vehicles
  Sites that provide information about or promote vehicles, including those that support online purchase of vehicles or parts.

• Violence
  Sites that feature or promote violence or bodily harm, including self-inflicted harm; or that gratuitously display images of death, gore, or injury; or that feature images or descriptions that are grotesque or frightening and of no redeeming value.

• Weapons
  Sites that provide information about, promote, or support the sale of weapons and related items.

Websense Enterprise^® Premium Groups^™

• Websense Enterprise^® Bandwidth PG™
  Parent category that contains the categories: Internet Radio and TV, Internet Telephony, Peer-to-Peer File Sharing, Personal Network Storage and Backup, Streaming Media
  • Internet Radio and TV -- Sites whose primary purpose is to provide radio or TV programming on the Internet.
  • Internet Telephony -- Sites that enable users to make telephone calls via the Internet or to obtain information or software for that purpose.
  • Peer-to-Peer File Sharing -- Sites that provide client software to enable peer-to-peer file sharing and transfer.
  • Personal Network Storage and Backup -- Sites that store personal files on Internet servers for backup or exchange.
  • Streaming Media -- Sites that primarily provide streaming media content, such as movie trailers.

• Websense Enterprise^® Productivity PG™
  Parent category that contains the categories: Advertisements, Freeware and Software Download, Instant Messaging, Message Boards and Clubs, Online Brokerage and Trading, Pay-to-Surf
  • Advertisements -- Sites that provide advertising graphics or other ad content files.
  • Freeware and Software Download -- Sites whose primary function is to provide freeware and software downloads.
  • Instant Messaging -- Sites that enable instant messaging.
  • Message Boards and Clubs -- Sites for online personal and business clubs, discussion groups, message boards, and list servers; includes 'blogs' and 'mail magazines.'
  • Online Brokerage and Trading -- Sites that support active trading of securities and management of investments.
  • Pay-to-Surf -- Sites that pay users to view Web sites, advertisements, or email.

• Websense Enterprise^® Security PG™
  Parent category that contains the categories: Malicious Websites, Spyware, Phishing and Keyloggers
  • Malicious Web Sites -- Sites that contain code that may intentionally modify end-user systems without their consent and cause harm.
  • Spyware -- Sites or pages that download software that, without the user's knowledge, generates http traffic (other than simple user identification and validation).
  • Phishing and Other Frauds -- Sites that counterfeit legitimate business sites for the purpose of eliciting financial or other private information from users.
  • Keyloggers -- Sites or pages that download programs that run in the background recording all keystrokes, and which may also send those keystrokes (potentially including passwords or confidential information) to an external party.