Cisco Cisco Web Security Appliance S690 User Guide

Facebook.com (Facebook) is a social networking 

website that allows users to interact with other users 

in a multimedia environment on the Web. Facebook 

users can install and use applications to enhance 

their experience. Many organizations want to allow 

Facebook access to maintain morale, increase 

retention, and boost hiring, but they also want to 

control access to it.

You can use the AVC engine to block part or all of Facebook to enable granular 
control of every element. You might want to configure Facebook controls to 
accomplish any of the following goals:

•  Enforce compliance. You can make Facebook read-only to enable compliance 

with regulators and regulations, such as the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority 
(FINRA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

•  Maintain productivity. You can allow use of the main website while stopping 

access to third party applications which can consume significant time for users.

•  Enforce acceptable use policies. You can allow complete access to Facebook 

after work hours or during the lunch hour, but make it read-only during work 
hours.

Facebook related applications are classified into one of the following groups:

•  Native Facebook applications. These applications are developed by Facebook 

and are usually hosted on the facebook.com domain. Native Facebook 
applications use the “Facebook Application_Name” naming convention, such as 
Facebook Photos.

•  External Facebook applications. These are created and managed by third 

party developers and are hosted outside of the facebook.com domain. External 
Facebook applications use the “Facebook Applications: Category” naming 
convention, such as Facebook Applications: Games.

1   © 2010 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.

Controlling Facebook Activity

A Solution Guide