Websense, has launched Defensio 2.0, a new security suite for the Web. Defensio’s killer feature is its ability to protect Facebook users from malware being posted onto their facebook profiles. The software has a host of security various features like URL category blocking, profanity filtering, exe file blocking, and script blocking. Facebook users can now finally decide what content should appear on their profiles and fan pages.
Defensio works as a Facebook application and asks you to give the software access to your profile in order to block malicious content from appearing on your profile and spreading onwards. Once you are signed up, you can customize your settings by going to the Account Management page. The URL blocking is categorized into several sections, such as Security (allows you to block hacking, phishing and spyware links), Legal Liabilities (allows you to block adult material, and gambling links etc), and so on. Similar to blog comment spam filters you could specify additional keywords to be filtered out. Additionally, you can use the exe file blocker and the script blocker to prevent exe files and scripts from appearing on your wall.
Although the service is the first of its kind, and is really well executed, the pricing is a real bummer for me. The very basic package starts at $5/month for less than 100,000 comments (or wall posts). Clearly, this is their offering for the personal user class. For 100,000 to 300,000 comments the company is charging $15/month which goes on to $50/month for more than 300,000 comments.
ReadWriteWeb thinks that the company could practically charge anything they want since no one else is offering something similar. However, I am only willing to use the service if it would be offered for free for personal use. Websense can always charge people for using Defensio on fan pages, which is where the real money lies as businesses from mom-and-pop stores to multi-national companies use fan pages for marketing and promotions. By offering a profile version free of charge Defensio has a real chance of acquiring millions of users in a short span of time.
Sign up for a free trial here, if you are interested in testing the nuts and bolts of the service.
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Hi Bilal,
Thanks for the write up. It is free for personal use:
http://defensio.com/commercial-use
Cheers,
Jay
Comment by Jay Liew — January 21, 2010 @ 8:33 pm
@Bilal – I know that Jay has posted above and it is free for personal use, but I disagree with the last part of your post.
Why should it be free for personal use? They're providing a valuable service which has a real positive impact on your experience of Facebook. If you don't want that, you don't have to pay, but if you do want it, why shouldn't you pay?
You provide no reason for demanding a free tool other than it giving them the chance to acquire millions of users in a short time… but then what? Plaster ads all over the place?
People have got to get over the freemium model. Stuff doesn't *have* to be free because it's on the Internet, or just because you're not a company.
Comment by Will — January 22, 2010 @ 3:15 am
@Will – It would be a matter of choice for the company. I mean if you look at the dating sites from the web 1.0 era, most of them are now gone and no where to be found. Why ? its because social networks like Facebook are essentially doing the same thing. Ok, its not upfront – but you need to have friendships, connections and so on for having a relationship with someone and that is something that is out there thanks to the social networks.
The debate could be done in another way as well. We have been used to of consuming news for free, whether it be blogs like allfacebook.com or larger counter parts like HuffPo or NY Times. Now imagine if NY Times shifts to a paid/subscription model. Would that increase their viewership – OK this one is a no-brainer. But would it actually increase their revenues – well on this issue, both of us could have our own opinions. But from my writing, you might know by now that I am strongly in the freemium camp.
Now for the revenue part, I haven't suggested to plaster ads over their offering. Contextual Advertising became the mainstay of Google, but is not really suitable for Social sites like Twitter, Facebook et al. The fact of the matter is that social sites are still trying to figure out a way to make money, but once thats done it would be something as big as AdSense. Virtual Goods could be one way .. but we'll have to wait for things to shape up.
YOu have a valid point that stuff doesnt have to be free, the success of 37 Signals proves that you could succeed even by offering a paid service. But again, these are two separate schools.
Comment by Bilal Hameed — January 22, 2010 @ 7:07 am
[...] up a win for Facebook and Websense in the war against malware and spam: The two companies extinguished further repostings of bogus $50 gift cards for [...]
Pingback by Facebook And Websense Quickly Halt Gift Card Spam — October 18, 2011 @ 5:15 pm
This is good news for Facebook users. Most of Facebook hackers are involving to phishing. phishing is one of the famous method they are using. Another important thing is we NOT need to save our login data in the web browser when we are using other computers.
Comment by redsn0w — February 2, 2012 @ 7:17 pm