Saasyan Unveils Advanced Web Filter For K-12 Schools

Supporting On-Premises, Off-Premises, BYOD and School Provided 1:1 Programs

SYDNEY, June 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Saasyan, a leader in AI-powered online student safety, has today announced the launch of Assure Web Filter, available as an optional module to their cloud-based, online student safety solution, Saasyan Assure.

Developed specifically for K12 schools, the Assure Web Filter empowers schools with advanced web filtering, deep inspection and flexible controls, enabling them to support their students' learning journey and to protect their students from harmful online content.

Enhancing Digital Safety in Schools with Advanced Web Filtering Solutions

The Saasyan Assure Web Filter is a comprehensive solution comprising two key modules:

1. A Cloud-Managed Virtual Appliance, for supporting On-Premises and BYOD; and
2. A Cloud-Managed On-Device Filter, for supporting Off-Premises and 1:1 Programs.

Featuring best-in class functionalities, including:

• Granular Controls: Set and manage policies with precision, tailored by year, class, or individual student.
• Time-Based Policies: Flexibly adjust access privileges based on time constraints.
• Selective SSL Decryption: Ensure security while maintaining privacy with selective decryption capabilities.
• AI-Prompt Inspections: Detect concerning language or prompts entered by users.
• Video Controls: Manage and monitor video content access with ease.
• Wellbeing and Safety Alerts: Receive timely alerts to address potential risks to student safety and wellbeing.
• Comprehensive Reporting: Gain insights into usage patterns and potential risks with detailed reports categorised by year, class, student, and activity type.
• Configurable Dashboards: Customise dashboards to align with your specific monitoring and reporting needs.
• 12-Month Rolling Data Retention: Keep historical data accessible for informed investigation, decision-making and compliance purposes.

"As a principal committed to both educational excellence and the safety of our students, I have found the Assure Web Filter to be an invaluable asset in our school's digital ecosystem." said Mr Edward Demirdjian, Principal at Galstaun College, a Saasyan Assure Web Filter customer. "It seamlessly integrates with our existing infrastructure, ensuring that every student benefits from a safe and focused learning environment. The flexibility to tailor web access according to specific educational needs and safety standards, without compromising on ease of use or functionality, makes the Assure Web Filter an essential tool in modern educational settings. It's reassuring to know that we are not only compliant with digital safety standards but are also at the forefront of preventative measures against online risks."

Saasyan's launch of the Assure Web Filter reflects a strategic response to two fundamental challenges shaping today's educational landscape.

1.  Meeting the Challenges of School-Issued 1:1 Device Programs

As government and non-government schools increasingly adopt 1:1 device initiatives, they're not just embracing a new educational paradigm but also grappling with amplified responsibilities beyond campus boundaries. The Assure Web Filter steps in as a proactive solution, ensuring that students' off-premises digital interactions remain safe and conducive to learning.

"We're excited to offer a powerful web filter that is quick to deploy, is simple to configure and which supports on-premises, off-premises, BYOD and 1:1 programs", said Greg Margossian, Founder & CTO of Saasyan. "This is a significant step towards Saasyan's vision of ensuring every student is safe online".

2.  Commitment to Equitable Student Safety

As online learning proliferates, students from underprivileged and economically disadvantaged schools face heightened exposure to online risks. The Assure Web Filter provides a scalable and adaptable solution tailored to meet the unique safety requirements of any school, irrespective of its size or demographic. This approach not only enhances student protection but also ensures that every school can feasibly implement robust safety measures.

"All students of all socioeconomic status deserve to be safe and supported" said Sidney Minassian, CEO of Saasyan. "We're thrilled to launch the Assure Web Filter, a feature rich, best-in-class solution, designed to be affordable and accessible by all schools."

Unwavering Support for Integrations with Third-Party Firewalls and SASE Solutions

Saasyan remains dedicated to Assure's existing integrations and interoperability with third-party next-generation firewalls and Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) solutions.

Offering the Assure Web Filter as an optional module, Saasyan provides schools with the flexibility and choice to opt for various supported third-party firewalls or SASE solutions that work seamlessly with the Assure Alerting and Reporting module.

By capturing real-time logs from supported third party firewalls and SASE solutions, Assure provides schools with sophisticated safety and wellbeing risk alerts, comprehensive reports and customisable dashboards.

The addition of Assure's 3rd Party Firewall Controls module further augments the functionalities of supported firewalls, enabling granular web filter controls tailored for K-12 environments.

This module empowers teachers with delegated permissions and IT teams to implement on-the-fly, scheduled, or recurring rules. These rules can specifically allow or block access to particular web pages, categories, or applications for individual students, a class, or selected groups, enhancing focused learning and internet safety.

Today, Saasyan's integration with third-party firewalls and SASE solutions protects over 400,000 students across 700 schools with an expanding footprint each year.

Intelligent Application of Cloud, Data and AI – powered by Amazon Web Service (AWS)

Saasyan leverages AWS's secure and scalable services to meticulously analyse vast volumes of student online activity, encompassing web searches, website visits, videos, chat transcripts, emails, images, and documents. This robust infrastructure empowers schools to proactively address a spectrum of online safety and well-being concerns, from cyberbullying and self-harm to threats of violence, online grooming, and image-based abuse.

Saasyan is an AWS ISV Accelerate and AWS Public Sector Partner and was recognised for its innovation in K-12 Education at the AWS Australia and New Zealand Partner Summit 2023.

About Saasyan

At Saasyan, student safety is at the heart of our mission. 

Developed specifically for K-12 schools, our comprehensive suite of AI-Powered Online Student Safety software equips schools with advanced web filtering, real-time safety and well-being risk alerts, and detailed online activity reports. 

Supporting a versatile range of educational setups, including On-Premises, Off-Premises, BYOD, and School-Provided 1:1 Programs, Saasyan empowers schools to enhance their students' learning experience while ensuring robust protection against harmful online content. 

Seamlessly integrating with the world's leading identity, cybersecurity, and collaboration platforms already used by schools, our all-cloud solution is quick to set up, delivers immediate value, and significantly reduces workloads for school staff. 

Today, we serve over 400,000 students across 700 government and non-government schools. 

Our mission has just begun. 

Learn more at Saasyan.com

Media Enquires
Meg Hockey
[email protected]
+61 2 8001 6632