How to Block Websites to Protect Company Data?

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How to Block Websites to Protect Company Data?

22 June 2018 Amanda J. Brook Senior Product Manager

Summary
One of the good way to avoid data leak is to block access to some certain sites in staff computer. Here we provide 3 different methods for you to make it! Try and find a suitable one.

Hundreds of companies suffers from economic lost due to data leak. Being a manager of a company, you can not ignore the importance of data security in company. Parts of staffs visit social
medias like Twitter and Facebook everyday and share things they experience or heard. However, if the things they shared on their social medias contain the sensitive information of the company, it may lead to the company’s share price drop down and even business data leak. Besides social media, online games and some entertainment sites could be phishing sites. Surfing these sites could not only affect the work efficiency, but also affect the data
security of a company. It is time to take step to avoid data leak. Blocking such kinds of websites could be a good choice. Do not know how to make it? Find the three excellent methods below!

Catalog

Method 1: Block Websites with Extensions
Method 2: Block Websites by Editing the Host File
Method 3: Block Website with Renee USB Block

Method 1: How to Block Website with Extension

Extension can do a favor for company manger and control the Internet surfing or even block website. Here we will take IE, Chrome and Firefox as examples.

Block Websites in IE Settings

Generally, all IE and Edge browsers and some other browsers which are designed on the basis of IE can block website with the following method. Here, we will make it in Windows 10.

Step 1: Open “Internet options”

Press the Windows and I keys at the same time. Then please type “Internet Options”. (Related item could be found in Control Panels as well.)

Step 2: Block Websites

1. Go to “Security” and then select “Restricted sites”.

2 Click “Sites” and then enter the URL of the target sites. Click “Add” to save the settings.

Step 3: Delete the blocked websites.

Similar to step 2, users can select the target websites and click “Remove” button.

Advantages
It is easy to make and compatible with all IE browsers. It is the best solution if you are using IE in Windows computer and all other browsers are disable.

Disadvantages
Anyone can remove the restriction without administrator permission.

Recommendation
If you want to find an effective solution to block website, please click here for more.

Chrome – Block Websites with Extension

We recommend you to try the following extensions: Block Site, Web Nanny, StayFocusd, TinyFilter and Website Blocker. Differences among these extension can be ignored. Here we take Block Site as an example.

Step 1: Install Block Site

Find Block Site in Google Play via the following link:

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/block-site/eiimnmioipafcokbfikbljfdeojpcgbh?hl=en

Step 2: Block Websites

Right-click the Block Site icon and choose “Options”.

Enter the URL of the target website in the “Blocked sites” list.

Step 3: Delete the blocked websites

Users can delete the blocked website directly in the list without permission. Honestly, the restriction of such extension are not so strong.
Users can uninstall the extension without permission. Also, they can login Chrome with other Google account and even use other browsers like IE and then visit the blocked site directly.

Firefox users can get the extension from the following link:
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/block-site-2/

Advantages
Easy-to-go interface help users to get familiar with the extension quickly. Besides, this kind of extension allows users to create password.

Disadvantages
Any users can delete the block sites directly without permission.

Recommendation
If you want to find an effective solution to block website, please click here for more.

Method 2: How to Block Websites via Editing Host File

Block website in Windows

Step 1: Go to etc folder in the following path: C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc

(Disk C is the system partition. If your system disk is not Disk C, please change it accordingly.)

Step 2: Copy and paste the “hosts” file to the desktop because you can not change its contents in the “etc” folder. And then, open it with the “Notepad”.

After opening the “hosts” file, please go to the bottom of the file and add the URL of the target site. And then, please save the file and replace the original “hosts” file with the modified one.

Block Website in Mac OS

Step 1: Go to folder：/private/etc/hosts

Step 2: Copy and paste the “hosts” file to desktop because you can not change its contents in the “etc” folder. And then, open it with “Notepad”.

After opening the “hosts” file, go to the bottom of the file and add the URL of the target site. Then, please save the file and replace the original “hosts” file with the modified one.

Advantages
Comparing with method 1, method 2 can lock the target website in any browsers that users use. Also, piles of target websites could be added at a time.

Disadvantages
Other users can delete the blocked websites in Host files without permission.

Recommendation
As we can see, users can visit the block websites by modifying the host files without permission. If you want to find an effective solution to block websites, please click here for more.

Method 3: How to Block Websites with Renee USB Block

The methods above can not provide a perfect solution to block websites. Manager may want to find a better solution which can block websites in a better way and prevent from data leak. Here, we recommend you to try professional third party software like Renee USB Block.
Renee USB Block is specially designed for providing computer with a better date security. Blocking website is one of its main function. Once the this function is applied, computer users can not make changes to the blocked websites without permission. If anyone want to unlock the websites, he or she will be required to enter the password of Renee USB Block which set by the manager. In other words, Renee USB Block is password protected. Anyone who do not have the correct password can not make changes to the blocked websites.

Step 1: Download and install Renee USB Block

Set the password for Renee USB Block at the first launch.

If you have set the password, please enter the correct password to run Renee USB Block.

enter the password to get access Renee USB Block

Step 2: Block websites.

1. Click “Website Lock” in “Control Center”. Then please click “Add” to add target website.

2. Follow the examples and add the target link in the blank place. And then click “Lock”.

3.If you want to block more than one websites at a time, please follow the steps below:

Add a URL of the target website at first.

Click “Export” to export the list of blocked websites. Please note that Renee USB Block only supports files in WL format. So we recommend you to export this file with Renee USB Block.

Please open the WL file in Notepad++. And then add the URL of target websites.

Restart Renee USB Block and click “Import” to add the new WL file.

Step 3: Check the blocked websites

Open anyone browser like Chrome and enter the URL of blocked website. Then you will find that the website is not available anymore. If you still can visit the blocked website, please shutdown all the browsers (restart the computer would be better). After restart the browser, the blocked website will not be available anymore.
Besides, users can also check it with CMD commond. Please follow steps here: press Windows + R button and type CMD -> In the CMD command, type “ping url” (for example “ping www.reneelab.net”). If the site is blocked by Renee USB Block, you receive the message “The Ping request could not find the www.reneelab.net host. Check the name and try again. “www.reneelab.net “). If the site is blocked by Renee USB Block, you will receive the message “The Ping Query could not find the www host . reneelab.net. Check the name and try again.”

Step 4: Delete the blocked websites

Run Renee USB Block and enter the correct password
Select “Website Lock” in “Control Center”
Select the target website and click “Delete”. If you want to free all blocked website, please click “Clear” button.