[ALERT] 2023 Symantec Intelligence Services and WebFilter Category and Application Update

Products

• Security Analytics
• Security Analytics - VA
• SSL Visibility Appliance Software
• ProxySG Software - SGOS
• Cloud Secure Web Gateway - Cloud SWG
• Reporter
• Reporter-VA
• Advanced Secure Gateway Software - ASG
• Intelligence Services
• WebFilter
• Web Isolation Cloud
• Web Isolation
• PacketShaper S-Series
• PacketShaper
• WebPulse
• WebPulse Automation Toolkit
• Threat Explorer
• Threat Explorer
• Malware Analysis

Issue/Introduction

Severity

Warning

Description

Updates and enhancements to Symantec Intelligence Services and WebFilter (formerly BlueCoat Intelligence Services and BlueCoat WebFilter) Categories and Application Classification are scheduled to become effective in late 2023.

Why are we doing this?

To better support URL categories and web applications, it's vital that updates occur from time to time to ensure that the technology remains relevant and that naming conventions remain consistent with market trends. Additionally, many applications are misnamed, and some category names do not adequately relay the intent of the category.

What is the risk?

Any changes to categories or applications could potentially affect customer policy. If the customer has a policy in place where the category name will change, the customer will have to adjust their policy, or it could break.

Who is affected?

Any product that uses Symantec Intelligence Services or Symantec WebFilter could be affected, specifically:

• Analytics & Reporting
• Advanced Secure Gateway
• CacheFlow
• Hybrid Edge SWG and Cloud SWG
• Malware Analysis
• Management Center
• PacketShaper
• Edge SWG
• Reporter
• Security Analytics
• SSL Visibility
• Symantec WebFilter Automation Tool
• Threat Explorer
• Web Isolation
• Cloud Secure Web Gateway

Schedule

The category and application classification updates will be implemented in three stages:

• Stage 1 - September 6, 2023 — The following changes will go into effect automatically:
  • New category 'Generative AI' became visible for testing, but will not be populated with URLs until Stage 2; therefore, any test policies written against the new category will not match until Stage 2 is implemented.
• Stage 2 - October 2, 2023 — The following changes will go into effect automatically:
  • Intelligence Services and WebFilter customers will see website ratings populated into the new category, although the URLs will also have the categories ‘Office/Business Applications’ + ’Technology/Internet’
• Stage 3 - February 20, 2024 — The following changes will go into effect automatically:
  • Intelligence Services and WebFilter customers will see that URLs in the category 'Generative AI' are no longer in in the categories ‘Office/Business Applications’ + ’Technology/Internet’

Resolution

Change Details

For a list of applications and categories to be changed refer to WebPulse_Category_Update_2023-10-02.pdf, attached to this alert.

How To Test Generative AI Categories.