What is my subscription level and what happens if it’s exceeded?

Forcepoint Web Security and Forcepoint URL Filtering are offered on a subscription basis.

  • The subscription type (Forcepoint Web Security or Forcepoint URL Filtering) determines what features are available to configure and use.
  • Subscriptions are issued on a per-client (IP address) basis.

After installation, the first time you log on to the Forcepoint Security Manager, you are prompted to enter your subscription key. This prompts your web protection solution to verify the key, confirm your subscription type, and start downloading the Forcepoint URL Database. This verification and download process enables policy enforcement.

Your software maintains a subscription table that keeps track of the number of clients managed each day. The subscription table is cleared each night. The first time a client makes an Internet request after the table has been cleared, its IP address is entered in the table.

The client count includes:
  • Any client who makes an Internet (HTTP/HTTPS/FTP) request that is passed to your web protection software by Content Gateway, Network Agent, or a third- party integration product
  • If Network Agent is used for protocol management, any client who makes a non- browser-based Internet request (for example, an IM connection)
  • Any client machine running software that connects to the Internet

To help ensure that each computer is counted only once per day, use static IP addresses.

  • If you have a DHCP environment, consider setting your IP address leases to last more than 1 day. An increase to the user count may occur if your current configuration assigns multiple IP addresses to a machine in a given day.
  • Laptop computers using wireless connections may be counted multiple times.

When the number of clients listed in the table reaches the subscribed maximum, any previously-unlisted client that requests Internet access exceeds the subscription.

  • In Forcepoint Web Security deployments, there is no change in policy enforcement. Full security protection capabilities are maintained even after the licensed IP levels are exceeded.
  • In Forcepoint URL Filtering deployments, when the number of subscribed users is exceeded, requests from users who exceed the subscription count are permitted or blocked based on the setting Block users when subscription expires, found on the Settings > General > Account page in the Web module of the Forcepoint Security Manager.

In all deployments, if your subscription were to expire, all requests are permitted or blocked, depending on the same configurable setting. Whether requests are permitted or blocked depends on the Block users when subscription expires selection, configured on the Settings > General > Account page in the Forcepoint Security Manager. Note that expiration notices are provided in advance of a possible subscription expiration.

Occasionally, the subscription count may be set to zero. If that happens, try one of the following:
  • Initiate a manual database update.
    1. Navigate to the Settings > Dashboard page and click the Database Download button in the toolbar.
    2. Click Update for the appropriate Filtering Service IP address.
  • Remove and re-add your subscription key on the Settings > General > Account page. This also initiates a database download.

For subscription-related troubleshooting information, see “Installation and Subscription Issues” in the Administrator Help.