Restrict websites in schools with time-based policies using Veltar

Modern educational institutions face a unique digital dilemma. On one hand, school-issued technology initiatives and digital integration offer unprecedented learning opportunities. On the other hand, a world of distracting social media, gaming, and potentially harmful content is just a click away.

Finding the balance between productive research and distraction requires more than a simple, static blocklist. By applying granular time-based website policies to student and school devices through Scalefusion Veltar web filtering software for schools, educational institutions can create a dynamic, safe, and highly focused learning environment.

Digital balancing act in modern education

While the internet is a massive educational library, it is also highly unpredictable. Unsupervised browsing can expose young minds to cyberbullying, online predators, or inappropriate content. Consequently, blocking websites in schools, often referred to as web content filtering, is heavily utilized by school districts.

Furthermore, public schools receiving discounted internet rates through federal programs like E-rate are legally required by the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) to block obscene or harmful material on computers accessible to minors.

However, traditional network-based school web filters often fall short. They generally stop working the moment a student takes their school-issued laptop or tablet home, connects to a mobile hotspot, or flips on a VPN. Additionally, a one-size-fits-all, 24/7 blanket block can inadvertently restrict valuable research materials or frustrate educators who need access to sites like YouTube for lesson plans.

This is where time-based policies step in. Rather than permanently restricting access to websites, time-based policies grant and restrict access based on the schedule of the school day. This ensures strict focus during instruction while allowing supervised browsing during designated recreational periods.

Why time-based policies matter

Schools implement time-based website blocking for two primary resources: student attention and network bandwidth.

1. Maximizing student focus & productivity

The classroom requires a conducive learning environment. When students have unrestricted access to social media feeds, e-commerce stores, and online gaming hubs, their attention is quickly diverted from their coursework. By blocking these domains strictly during school hours, educators can naturally minimize digital distractions and keep students focused on tasks.

2. Bandwidth conservation

Video streaming and online gaming sites consume massive amounts of a school’s internet bandwidth. When entire classrooms are streaming high-definition video simultaneously, the school network can experience latency, disrupting critical educational activities like examinations. Restricting access to streaming media sites helps ensure the network runs smoothly and reliably.

3. Encouraging responsible device use

Education is not just about academics. It also involves teaching digital citizenship. Restricting websites based on time-of-day policies teaches students about boundaries, prioritizing tasks, and understanding when it is appropriate to indulge in recreational online activities.

Scalefusion Veltar for device-level web filtering & time-based web restrictions

To combat the limitations of legacy network filters, educational institutions can leverage Scalefusion Veltar advanced endpoint security capabilities such as Secure Web Gateway (SWG) and Web Content Filtering (WCF), along with its UEM integration, automated compliance, and always-on protection.

Unlike traditional network-level filters, Veltar enforces web policies directly on the device itself. This endpoint-centric approach ensures that your school’s web security policies stay active wherever the device goes, whether at school, home, library, or school bus and whether it connects to the school’s internet, cellular data, or public Wi-Fi.

Veltar provides the granular controls that school IT admins need to implement robust web filtering and time-based web restriction policies:

• Category-based blocking: Easily block large swaths of non-educational content, such as online gaming, social networks, and adult content, by simply ticking a few boxes.

• Domain allowlists & blocklists: Build specialized, custom blocklists or create explicit safe allowlists so students can access specific materials required for particular assignments.

• SafeSearch: Enforce SafeSearch across Google, YouTube, and Bing. Automatically apply each service’s built-in content-filtering mode, ensuring that search results and video recommendations exclude explicit, inappropriate, violent, or adult content.

• Exception list: Create a list of specific domains that can bypass specific network controls or security features. Alternatively, build a custom list of apps that are allowed to bypass web traffic restrictions. This helps avoid disruptions in learning or school operations and ensures critical school systems function as expected.

• Cloud app access control: Manage login and access behavior for cloud apps. Restrict student and teacher login to only the domains your school specifies. Alternatively, disallow login from personal Google accounts or Microsoft consumer apps and accounts.

• App access control: Configure specific conditions which determine the ability of students and teachers to access software apps on macOS devices. These conditions include restricting access based on day and time.

• VPN alive time: Set the idle time for a VPN connection to stay alive, if not actively used. By default it is set to 60 sec. This preserves school network bandwidth, prevents unauthorized access to internal school portals or student records, enhances student/school device safety, avoids unnecessary background data usage, and extends device battery life.

• Compliance monitoring frequency: Set the frequency (15 min - 2 hrs) for running compliance checks and performing remediation actions on managed student, teacher, and school devices. Set compliance rules such as verifying network type, DNS over TLS (DoT), disable sharing enterprise Wi-Fi, latest Google Chrome version, latest system webview version, disable internet sharing, and disable Wake for network access.

• Cross-platform support: Apply various web filtering policies on Android, Windows, iOS, macOS, and Linux endpoints, ensuring consistent, school-wide policy enforcement across all student and faculty devices.

Striking the right balance

A great web filtering solution shouldn’t just be about heavy-handed blocking. Schools must strike a delicate balance between rigorous student safety and seamless access to educational tools. Overly restrictive filters that block valuable research materials can be just as detrimental as having no filters at all.

With Scalefusion Veltar, school IT admins have the flexibility to adjust web restrictions based on different parameters. Younger students may require strict, persistent filtering, while high schoolers conducting independent research might need access to broader internet categories.

Furthermore, Veltar’s precise scheduling capability ensures that your filtering policies align perfectly with your school’s daily bell schedule and curriculum needs. Not to mention, its time-based web policies can complement your school’s website restriction strategy.

Start building safer digital classrooms with Veltar

Creating a safe, distraction-free, and compliant digital learning environment is a top priority for modern educational institutions. By moving beyond rigid, network-based filters, schools can equip students with the technology they need to succeed while ensuring they remain protected.

With Scalefusion Veltar’s endpoint-centric security solutions, school IT admins can effortlessly implement and manage time-based website policies that foster focus, conserve network bandwidth, and travel with the student wherever they learn. It’s time to protect your students and critical school resources, maintain focus and productivity, and simplify your school IT workflows with advanced WCF, SWG, and automated compliance solutions.