Indirectly. HTTPS filtering (SSL inspection) is separate. However, if categorization is disabled, you cannot block HTTPS sites based on category, even if SSL inspection is on.
If categorization is disabled , the appliance cannot query the cloud. Consequently, no website receives a category, and all content rules dependent on categories fail silently. Indirectly
By systematically working through the eight steps outlined above—license validation, enabling the engine, checking DNS and NTP, configuring an upstream proxy, and clearing corrupted caches—you can restore full web filtering in minutes. If categorization is disabled , the appliance cannot
Remember: Cloud categorization requires the firewall itself to act as a client. Treat it like any other workstation that needs DNS, NTP, and outbound HTTPS access. With proper monitoring and preventative maintenance, you can ensure that “categorization disabled” becomes a rare event rather than a recurring headache. Visit the official Kerio Control Knowledge Base or the GFI Community Forums. Always include your debug logs (Diagnostics → Generate Support Info) when seeking vendor support. Last updated: 2025 Revision: 4.0 When a user requests a website
No. The free version (limited to 5 users) does not include cloud categorization. Web filtering will always show as disabled. Conclusion The message “Kerio Control web filter is not activated – categorization is disabled” is not a minor glitch—it signals that category-based content filtering is completely offline. Most often, the culprit is an expired license, DNS failure, or an outbound firewall rule blocking the appliance’s own traffic.
Kerio Control does not rely solely on static blocklists. Instead, it uses . When a user requests a website, the Kerio appliance queries a remote categorization server (provided by Kerio’s parent company, GFI Software, or a third-party partner like McAfee). The server returns a category ID (e.g., 92 for “Gambling”). The appliance then applies your content rules.