How to block Social Media Site in SonicWall Firewall

Social media has become an integral part of our lives, but it can be a major distraction at work, school, or even at home. SonicWall NS 2600 Firewall can help you block access to social media sites to increase productivity, reduce distractions, and protect your network from potential threats. In this blog post, we'll guide you through the process of blocking social media sites on SonicWall NS 2600 Firewall.

Step 1: Create a Match Object

The first thing is we need to create a Match Object.  

• Log in to your SonicWall NS 2600 Firewall. i.e 192.168.XXX.XXX
• Navigate to Firewall, then click on Match Object.
• Click on Add New and give the object a name such as "Block Social Media".
• Set the Match Object Type to Application List.
• Set the Application Category to Multimedia List.
• Click on Add and then Okay to save the Match Object.

Step 2: Create an App Rule

The next step is to create an App Rule. An App Rule allows you to control the behavior of traffic based on its characteristics. Here's how you can create an App Rule to block social media sites:

Navigate to App Rule and click on Add New Policy.

• Give the policy a name such as "Block Social Media".
• Set the Policy Type to App Control Content.
• Set the Source and Destination to any.
• Set the Exclusive Address to None.
• Set the Action Object to Reset/Drop.
• Click on Okay to save the App Rule.

Congratulations! You have successfully blocked social media sites on your SonicWall NS 2600 Firewall. This will help you increase productivity, reduce distractions, and protect your network from potential threats. If you need to allow access to social media sites in the future, you can simply modify the security policy to remove the Match Object and App Rule.