Implementing a "Low Budget" proxy

Implementing a Poor Mans Proxy

The ability of Desktop Authority to control proxy settings can even be beneficial even if you don't have a proxy server on your network. With a little creativity, you can create a "Low Budget" proxy which prevents users belonging to a specific group from browsing the Internet.

Implementing this is a simple process. Follow these steps:

1. Create two domain groups. Call them InternetAccess and NoInternetAccess.
2. Select the Internet Explorer Settings object. Insert a new configuration element and configure the proxy settings for the NoInternetAccess domain group. Enable the use of a proxy server by selecting the Use a proxy server check box. Enter an invalid TCP/IP address (or the address of your Intranet server) as the Proxy Server address.
     
   By selecting the Bypass proxy server for local addresses check box, you could allow access to a small list of company/business related sites.
     
   Set the Validation Logic Type to Group Membership with a Value of the NoInternetAccess domain group.
3. From the Internet Explorer Settings object, highlight the newly created element and copy it (CTRL+C). This will create a new Internet configuration element and select it for edits. Clear the Use a proxy server check box.

   Set the validation logic type to Group Membership with a value of the InternetAccess domain group.

4. The final step is to define a security policy that will disallow a user from changing the proxy server configuration.

   Select the Security Policy object. Insert a new configuration element and configure the Internet Explorer: Disable changing proxy settings policy.

   Select Enable from the Enable/Disable list.

   Select Internet Explorer from the Category list.

   Select the Internet Explorer: Disable changing proxy settings from the Policy list.

   Modify the default Validation Logic to apply this policy for Group Membership, NoInternetAccess.