Configuring protocol usage alerts

Web protection software can notify you when Internet activity for a particular protocol reaches a defined threshold. You can define alerts for permitted or blocked requests for the selected protocol.

For example, you might want to be alerted each time 50 requests for a particular instant messaging protocol are permitted to help decide whether to place restrictions on that protocol. Or, you might want to receive an alert each time 100 requests for a particular peer-to-peer file sharing protocol have been blocked, to see whether users are adapting to a new Internet use policy.

Use the Settings > Alerts > Protocol Usage page to view the alerts that have already been established, and to add or delete protocols for usage alerts.

Steps

  1. View the Permitted Protocol Usage Alerts and Blocked Protocol Usage Alerts lists to learn which protocols are configured for alerts, the threshold for each, and the selected alert methods.
  2. Click Add below the appropriate list to open the Add Protocol Usage Alerts page (see Adding or editing protocol usage alerts) and configure additional protocols for alerting.
  3. Update the Threshold by changing the number of requests that cause an alert to be generated.
  4. Mark the check boxes in the appropriate column for each desired alert method (Email, SNMP) for these protocols.

    Only the alert methods that have been enabled on the Alerts page (see Configuring general alert option) are available for selection.

  5. Select the check box for any protocols you want to delete, and then click Delete under the appropriate list.
  6. When you are finished, click OK to cache your changes and return to the Protocol Usage page. Changes are not implemented until you click Save and Deploy.