Introduction

PolicyControl is an application that allows the creation of policies to configure permissions and restrictions to access Internet sites or applications in a computer where a policy is applied.

PolicyControl can also be used to save information of actions executed in a computer, such as: Internet sites access, files access, applications access, and others. You can use PolicyControl to manage and better target the usage of the computer.

Usability

PolicyControl can be used in different situations, such as:


A company can use PolicyControl to manage the usage of the computers by its employees.

A school can use PolicyControl to manage what the students can use in their computers.

A parent can use PolicyControl to manage what his children can do in their computers.

A computer's owner can use PolicyControl to manage which applications can be used in his computer and which Internet sites can be accessed.

PolicyControl can be used in different environments. It can be used to manage a computer individually or it can be used to manage computers connected in a network, through the use of a central server that will be responsible to save the created policies and to apply them to the computers, when they connect to the network.

If PolicyControl is used isolated in a computer, the policies will be created, modified, and applied locally, through the PolicyControl installed in that computer.

If PolicyControl is used in a computer network, it's necessary to use the PolicyServer, that is a version of PolicyControl to be installed in a server. PolicyServer is basically a server, that saves and manages the policies that can be applied to the computers of a network. If the complete solution of PolicyControl is used in a computer network, where the PolicyServer is installed in the server and the PolicyControl is installed in the computers that will be managed, the management will occur as follows:


If the user using the computer that will be managed by PolicyControl is connected to the network, the network policy, created and saved in the policies server, will be applied.

If the user is not connected to the network, the local policy defined in his computer, will be applied.

If the user is not connected to the network and there is no local policy defined in his computer, the local policy defined in the policies server, will be applied.

PolicyControl Functions

The main functions of PolicyControl are:


Create a policy to allow or prohibit the use of Internet sites, through the information of contents or domains (URLs, Internet addresses). The concepts of Black List and White List are used to define an Internet Policy. The Black List indicates that the informed Internet sites will be blocked in the computer and the unlisted sites won't be blocked. The White List option indicates that only the informed sites can be accessed in the computer. In a policy, you can only use one type of list: the Black List, or the White List.


Create a policy to block applications usage. For example, you can establish that the user will not be able to use the “Firefox” application. In this case, when the user of the computer tries to open this application, a message will be displayed indicating that the application is blocked by PolicyControl.


Schedule, through a week calendar, the days and the time slots that the Internet Policy will be activated. For example, you can establish that the Internet Policy, that blocks the use of the “www.google.com” site, will be active during all week but the policy will be inactive on Sunday. During the week the user of the computer will not be able to use this site, but on Sunday the access will be allowed.


Schedule, through a week calendar, the days and the time slots that the Application Policy will be activated. For example, you can establish that the Application Policy, that blocks the use of the “Firefox” application will be active during all week but the policy will be inactive on Sunday. During the week the user of the computer will not be able to use the “Firefox” application, but on Sunday he will be able to use it.


Allow the configuration of information that must be collected in the computer managed by PolicyControl. The following information can be collected and saved: date and time of Internet sites access; date and time of usage of applications installed in the computer; date and time of access of files in the computer and also snapshots of the computer's screen in a defined time interval.


Allow you to view the snapshots of the computer's screen and also the saved information, such as: Internet sites access, applications access and file access.