Content Web Filter database update frequency

Products

• ProxySG Software - SGOS
• Advanced Secure Gateway Software - ASG
• ISG Proxy

Issue/Introduction

How often is the Symantec Content Web Filter database updated?

 

Resolution

Security based categorization changes and updates occur every 5 minutes. All other category updates occur every 4 hours approximately.

Security based categories are defined below:

• Malicious Outbound Data/Botnets
• Malicious Sources/Malnets
• Phishing
• PUS (Potentially Unwanted Software)
• Spam
• Suspicious

When a file, domain, webpage etc. is updated or classified with any of the above security categories, they are flagged and propagated as part of a 5-minute update cycle. If a page rated with any of the security categories is updated or replaced with a non-security category, they are updated as part of the 4 hour cycle. 

Note:

It has been observed that SGOS 6.7 when doing the 5-minutes security update where after the 4-hour update, the 5-minute security update will stop for approximately 30 minutes before it continues to update every 5 minutes. The updates are expected to be low impact to the system and so the processing has been throttled so as not to adversely affect proxying traffic during database loads. Even if the security updates are not done in every 5 minutes, the proxy still has DRTR or WebPulse to cover this 30 minute interval in case there is a new URL that needs to be updated.”