Exploring the SafeSquid filter proxy
Safety Filter
If you are looking for a secure option for home surfing and want to protect your children against questionable web content, you need a filtering proxy. SafeSquid is a commercial proxy tool, but it comes with a free version for private users.
SafeSquid acts as a proxy for home users and small to medium-sized networks. The software sits between the browser and the Internet and provides a number of content filters (including for Flash) to make surfing more secure by defining domain blacklists and scanning for malware. Additionally, SafeSquid provides access control in the form of website categories and profiles, as well as an image recognition feature for blocking pornographic material.
Thanks to a cache for web pages and images, in combination with intelligent prefetching for web pages, the SafeSquid also accelerates the surfing experience. A convenient web interface lets users evaluate logs and generate reports. Although the name might make you think otherwise, SafeSquid does not actually use the open source Squid proxy under the hood; instead, it uses a C/C++ in-house alternative developed by the vendor Office Efficiencies. SafeSquid also relies on Bash and Perl scripts for various application cases.
The vendor provides a free version and several commercial alternatives. The free Composite edition is likely more interesting for home users. One difference between the free and commercial variants is that the free version is limited to a maximum of three users. If more than three users access the network filter suite that is centrally installed on your home network, you need the commercial version [1].
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Digital Autonomy
• The Answer Was Already on the Shelf
• Changing the Chip Industry: How Public Investment Has Grown Open Silicon
• United Nations Open Source Portal Goes Live
• EU Open Source Strategy Plays Key Role in Tech Sovereignty Package
• France Says “Au Revoir” to Microsoft
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
The Bullet-Proof KDE Software Initiative Is Coming
KDE, Techpaladin, and Kubuntu Focus have announced a new initiative that will provide at least three years of support for KDE Plasma 6.6 LTS and related software.
-
Linux Mint Shares a Possible Kernel Cleanup Solution
For those on Linux Mint who like to keep multiple kernels around but don't want them to take up too much space, you might be getting a new automated tool.
-
CachyOS Gets an Update
CachyOS August 2026 release is now available with the latest version of KDE, some new features, and plenty of improvements.
-
The Linux Kernel Dev Staging Area Now Rejects AI-Generated Patches
Unless a kernel patch is a valid security fix, it will be rejected if it was created using AI.
-
Linux Surpasses Double-Digit Market Share
According to two sources, the Linux operating system has hit a major milestone in market share that naysayers thought would never happen.
-
AI Helped Develop a Linux Exploit
A use-after-free race exploit was discovered and exploited on CentOS Stream 9.
-
Yet Another Linux Kernel Vulnerability Discovered
Affecting millions of systems, a kernel flaw discovered by Qualys could allow users to gain root privileges.
-
Ubuntu 26.10 to Include Ubuntu Certified Hardware Check
If you've ever wondered if your laptop or PC is officially certified to run Ubuntu, that curiosity will soon be met.
-
Substantial Update to IPFire Now Available
The lastest version of IPFire features a fundamental change to how the system handles DNS.
-
Gnome Working on Test Center App to Make Testing Easier
It's now possible to test experimental features on the Gnome desktop without worrying that you'll break things.