The firewall uses file blocking profiles to block specified file types over specified applications and in the specified session flow direction (inbound/outbound/both).

The profile can be set to warn or block when uploading and/or downloading. You can also specify which applications the profile should apply to. A custom web page that just complains to users about the types of files to download can also be configured. This way, there is a chance that the user will take a moment to consider whether they really want to download the file.

The file blocking profile is configured with the following steps:

  • Warn - When the specified file type is detected. In addition, a log is created in the data filtering log.
  • Block - When the specified file type is detected, the file is blocked and a customisable web page is displayed to the user. Again, a log is also created in the data filtering log.
  • Continue - If the specified file type is detected, a customisable web page is displayed for the user to respond. The user can click through the page to download the file. A log is also created in the data filtering log in this case. Since this type of forwarding requires user interaction, it is only suitable for web traffic.