Have you ever tried to access a website and been unable to because it was blocked? Well, you have a firewall to thank for that.
To use Wi-Fi on campus, you must connect to Williston’s own Wi-Fi. With this system comes restrictions intended to protect students from websites that could cause distractions or harm the user’s safety.
The school’s Wi-Fi is to provide connectivity to its students for academic resources, and to also protect students from possible threats and dangerous websites. The Wi-Fi uses firewall to help students.
“We rely on a piece of hardware called a firewall to filter websites for us,” explained Andrew Shelffo, Chief Technology Officer. “In addition to filtering websites, the firewall protects our network from cyber threats.”
The firewall filters through the websites, flagging those that might have content deemed inappropriate for a multitude of reasons, such as “hate, gambling, drugs, hacking, peer-to-peer file sharing, and adult content,” he said.
While the firewall is meant to protect students, it does have its flaws, resulting in blocked websites that do not, according to many, violate these restrictions. One of these websites is Speedo swimwear. Speedo is a common brand used by students on the swim team for practice suits and gear. This website is blocked due to a violation under the lingerie and swimsuit category.
According to the firewall, Speedo “utilizes images of semi-nude models in lingerie, undergarments, and swimwear for the purpose of selling or promoting such items.”
Shelffo, who has the ability to unblock sites, reported that he took Speedo off the blocked websites list. As of Jan. 31, the firewall was not blocking access to Victoria’s Secret.
Students who have difficulty accessing sites on Wi-Fi will often then transition to their personal cell phones without a connection to reach the sites.
Boarding student Caroline Aufiero “does not use her computer when she needs to purchase some things because it is annoying that some websites are blocked when they cause no harm,” she said.
This violation affects boarding students because the school Wi-Fi is the only option, except cellular, when it is necessary to shop online for basic needs.
Junior Keirstyn Camiolo, a boarder, feels that the blocked websites are unnecessary to some extent.
“I was trying to access Pink [a Victoria’s Secret online store] to shop for basic needs but was unable to,” she said. While Pink is blocked, the male equivalent for undergarments, Calvin Klein, is not. The front page of the Calvin Klein website features a male model in underwear.
While there is a need for some websites to be blocked, the algorithm also does not flag the right websites, causing confusion among the student body. If a website is blocked, students can request it to be removed from the blocked website.
“If a user who isn’t me gets a message about a blocked website, they should see a link that will allow for a re-evaluation of that website. If that re-evaluation doesn’t remove the block, a user can come to tech and let us know,” Shelffo said. “I will review the site and unblock it if it’s been miscategorized.”
The whole process, Shelffo said, takes about 15 minutes.