Government Domain Classification Rules | Federal Web Filtering & FISMA Compliance

Federal Cybersecurity Demands the Highest Standards

Federal networks demand the highest security standards. Our domain classification database delivers FISMA-compliant URL filtering with 100 million classified domains across 59 categories, purpose-built for government cybersecurity requirements.

FISMA Compliant

Meet Federal Information Security requirements with auditable domain classification and policy enforcement.

Zero Trust Architecture

Domain-level verification for every access request supports Executive Order 14028 Zero Trust mandates.

Air-Gap Deployable

On-premises deployment options for classified and air-gapped networks with approved media transfer update processes.

100M+

Domains Classified

59

Content Categories

<10ms

API Response Time

99.99%

Uptime SLA

FISMA Compliance & Federal Security Frameworks

Meet federal cybersecurity mandates with auditable, category-based web access controls

FISMA & NIST 800-53

The Federal Information Security Modernization Act requires agencies to implement comprehensive information security programs. NIST Special Publication 800-53 provides the control catalog that agencies must follow. Our URL classification database supports multiple NIST 800-53 controls including AC-4 (Information Flow Enforcement), SC-7 (Boundary Protection), and SI-3 (Malicious Code Protection) by providing the domain intelligence needed for policy enforcement. Federal mandates extend beyond agencies: federally funded schools and libraries must deploy web filtering that meets Children's Internet Protection Act requirements, which our category database supports with the same auditable classification data.

FedRAMP Considerations

Federal agencies increasingly adopt cloud services that must meet FedRAMP security baselines. URL classification helps agencies control which cloud services federal users can access, blocking unauthorized SaaS platforms that have not achieved FedRAMP authorization. Ensure that government data only flows to approved, authorized cloud environments by restricting access at the URL and domain level.

CDM Program Integration

The Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) program provides federal agencies with tools and services to strengthen cybersecurity. URL classification data feeds into CDM dashboards, providing visibility into web traffic patterns, policy violations, and content risk indicators across agency networks. Integrate our API with your CDM sensor infrastructure for real-time domain intelligence.

Zero Trust Architecture

Executive Order 14028 mandates that federal agencies adopt zero trust architectures. URL classification is a key data source for zero trust policy decisions. Every web request is evaluated against our category database as part of the continuous verification process. No domain is trusted by default. Access decisions are made in real time based on domain classification, user role, device posture, and network context.

Classified Network Boundary Protection

Federal agencies operate at multiple classification levels, from unclassified public-facing networks to Secret and Top Secret enclaves. The boundaries between these classification levels require the most rigorous access controls. While classified networks may have limited or no internet connectivity, the unclassified networks that connect to the public internet are the primary attack surface that adversaries exploit to gain initial access to agency infrastructure.

URL filtering on unclassified networks serves as a critical boundary protection mechanism. By blocking connections to domains associated with foreign intelligence services, known APT infrastructure, and categories used for data leakage, agencies reduce the likelihood of an initial compromise on the unclassified network that could eventually be leveraged to pivot toward more sensitive systems. Our database tracks domains associated with specific content risk actor groups identified in government content classification reports.

Defending Against Nation-State content risk Actors

Federal agencies are targeted by the most sophisticated adversaries in the world. Nation-state APT groups from Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea conduct sustained campaigns against government networks using techniques that include spear-restricted content with convincing lure documents, strategic web compromises of sites frequented by government employees, and exploitation of zero-day vulnerabilities in government-used software.

These adversaries routinely register fresh domains for each campaign, use bulletproof hosting providers in jurisdictions beyond U.S. legal reach, and rotate their infrastructure rapidly to evade detection. Traditional static blocklists cannot keep pace with this rate of change. Our classification engine combines automated analysis, machine learning, and human content classification to identify and categorize new content risk domains within hours of their activation.

The database includes specific categories for domains associated with command-and-control infrastructure, credential harvesting, unsafe content distribution, and data leakage. These categories map directly to the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, enabling agencies to implement detection and prevention capabilities aligned with the specific content risk actors that target the federal government.

Multi-Agency Deployment & Compliance Reporting

Large federal departments such as the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Justice operate hundreds of networks across thousands of locations worldwide. Each component agency may have different mission requirements, different content risk profiles, and different acceptable use policies. A centralized URL classification database enables consistent policy enforcement across the entire department while allowing component-level customization.

Federal cybersecurity compliance requires detailed reporting to oversight bodies including the Office of Management and Budget, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and agency-specific inspectors general. Our API generates structured classification data that feeds directly into compliance reporting systems, documenting exactly which domain categories are blocked, which are allowed, and how access policies are enforced. This data supports FISMA annual reporting, CDM dashboard metrics, and Inspector General audit preparation.

For agencies with air-gapped or disconnected network segments, we offer on-premises deployment options where the classification database is hosted within the agency's secure environment. Updates are delivered through approved media transfer processes, ensuring that even isolated networks benefit from current domain intelligence without requiring an internet connection.

Federal Government Use Cases

How federal agencies use URL classification to protect national security and citizen data

1

Agency-Wide Secure Web Gateway

Federal agencies deploy secure web gateways as part of their Trusted Internet Connections (TIC) architecture. Our URL classification database enriches the gateway's policy engine with 59 content categories across 100 million domains. Every outbound web request from agency workstations is classified and evaluated against the agency's security policy before the connection is permitted. unsafe content, and unauthorized cloud service categories are blocked by default.

2

SOC content classification Enrichment

Federal Security Operations Centers process millions of security events daily. When analysts investigate alerts involving external domain connections, our API provides instant domain classification that accelerates triage. Determine within milliseconds whether a contacted domain is categorized as malicious infrastructure, legitimate government services, or policy-violating personal use. Reduce alert fatigue by filtering out known-good categories.

3

Insider content filtering

Insider content risks remain one of the most challenging security problems in the federal sector. URL classification data provides behavioral intelligence that supports insider content risk programs. When an employee begins accessing categories associated with data leakage, encrypted communication platforms, or foreign-hosted services that deviate from their normal pattern, the classification data enables automated alerts that prompt further investigation by insider content risk analysts.

4

Remote & Telework Security

Federal telework expanded dramatically and shows no signs of returning to pre-pandemic levels. Government employees accessing agency resources from home networks need the same URL-level protection they receive behind the TIC. Our cloud-based API integrates with VPN concentrators and endpoint agents to classify every web request from federal teleworkers, enforcing agency policies regardless of the employee's physical location or network connection.

100M

Domains Classified

58

Content Categories

<10ms

API Response Time

24/7

content classification

API Integration for Federal Networks

Classify domains against government security policies with a simple API call

Government Network Domain Classification

Enforce federal acceptable use policies and block nation-state threat infrastructure in real time.

import requests

API_URL = "https://webfilteringdatabase.com/api/moderate.php"
API_KEY = "YOUR_API_KEY"

# Federal policy: block foreign intelligence, malware, unauthorized cloud
BLOCKED_CATEGORIES = {
    "Malware", "Phishing", "Botnets",
    "Gambling", "Adult Content", "Weapons"
}

def classify_for_gov(domain):
    result = requests.post(API_URL, json={
        "api_key": API_KEY,
        "query": domain
    }).json()

    categories = set(result.get("categories", []))
    risk_level = result.get("risk_level", "low")

    if risk_level in ("high", "critical"):
        return "BLOCK", f"High risk: {risk_level}"

    violations = categories & BLOCKED_CATEGORIES
    if violations:
        return "BLOCK", f"Policy: {', '.join(violations)}"

    return "ALLOW", result.get("primary_category", "Uncategorized")

# Federal TIC gateway integration
domains = ["contractor-portal.gov", "social-media.com", "foreign-news.ru", "cloud-storage.net"]
for d in domains:
    action, reason = classify_for_gov(d)
    print(f"{action}: {d} — {reason}")

const API_URL = 'https://webfilteringdatabase.com/api/moderate.php';
const API_KEY = 'YOUR_API_KEY';

const BLOCKED = new Set([
    'Malware', 'Phishing', 'Botnets',
    'Gambling', 'Adult Content', 'Weapons'
]);

async function classifyForGov(domain) {
    const res = await fetch(API_URL, {
        method: 'POST',
        headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
        body: JSON.stringify({ api_key: API_KEY, query: domain })
    });
    const data = await res.json();

    if (['high', 'critical'].includes(data.risk_level))
        return { action: 'BLOCK', reason: `Risk: ${data.risk_level}` };

    const violations = (data.categories || []).filter(c => BLOCKED.has(c));
    if (violations.length)
        return { action: 'BLOCK', reason: violations.join(', ') };

    return { action: 'ALLOW', reason: data.primary_category };
}

// TIC gateway check
['contractor-portal.gov', 'social-media.com', 'foreign-news.ru', 'cloud-storage.net']
    .forEach(async d => {
        const r = await classifyForGov(d);
        console.log(`${r.action}: ${d} — ${r.reason}`);
    });

# Classify a domain for federal network policy
curl -X POST "https://webfilteringdatabase.com/api/moderate.php" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "api_key": "YOUR_API_KEY",
    "query": "foreign-news.ru"
  }'

# Check a government contractor portal
curl -X POST "https://webfilteringdatabase.com/api/moderate.php" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "api_key": "YOUR_API_KEY",
    "query": "contractor-portal.gov"
  }'

<?php
$apiUrl = 'https://webfilteringdatabase.com/api/moderate.php';
$apiKey = 'YOUR_API_KEY';
$blocked = ['Malware', 'Phishing', 'Botnets', 'Gambling', 'Adult Content'];

function classifyForGov($domain, $apiUrl, $apiKey, $blocked) {
    $ch = curl_init($apiUrl);
    curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POST, true);
    curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, json_encode([
        'api_key' => $apiKey, 'query' => $domain
    ]));
    curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, ['Content-Type: application/json']);
    curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);
    $r = json_decode(curl_exec($ch), true);
    curl_close($ch);

    if (in_array($r['risk_level'], ['high', 'critical']))
        return ['BLOCK', 'High risk'];

    $v = array_intersect($r['categories'] ?? [], $blocked);
    if (!empty($v))
        return ['BLOCK', implode(', ', $v)];

    return ['ALLOW', $r['primary_category'] ?? 'Uncategorized'];
}

$domains = ['contractor-portal.gov', 'social-media.com', 'foreign-news.ru', 'cloud-storage.net'];
foreach ($domains as $d) {
    [$action, $reason] = classifyForGov($d, $apiUrl, $apiKey, $blocked);
    echo "$action: $d — $reason\n";
}
?>

Ready to Secure Your Federal Network?

Deploy FISMA-compliant URL classification across your agency. Built for government security requirements with on-premises deployment options.

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