A one-box
system and process for controlling Internet usage by users on a network. The
system controls usage by combining two or more of the following functions into a single operating unit: 1) monitoring and
logging internet access on a user and / or work
station basis; 2) preventing or authorizing access on a user and / or work
station basis to ULR's (or groups of URL's) that have been previously designated an inappropriate or appropriate, respectively, for that user or work
station; 3) preventing or authorizing the downloading of files with any pre-designated file extension to any user or
workstation; 4) blocking of peer-to-peer access of any pre-designated Internet file-sharing or other service (such as Kazaa, RealPlayer, AOL
Instant Messaging, etc); 5) periodically or immediately alerting a designated representative of the attempt by any user or work station to access of pre-determined inappropriate site or file; 6) allowing remote review of
the Internet activity log for any user by anyone (such as a student's parents) with knowledge of that user's log-in information (i.e., name and
password); and 7) caching downloaded Internet objects for subsequent in-network retrieval. The
system and process of this invention can also be configured to perform the traditional firewall function as well.