How to Get to Facebook Through a Firewall Block

By Harvey Birdman

Most firewalls only see an address, not the datastream associated with it.
i www and internet image by mbs from <a href='http://www.fotolia.com'>Fotolia.com</a>

Corporate IT departments are increasingly blocking Facebook and other social networking sites on their firewalls in order to block employees from spending any time on them. However, this is usually done by blocking the web address, not by actually analyzing any data going to and from the computer to the Internet. This allows for an enterprising individual to get around the block by tricking the firewall into thinking you are on a permitted website while surfing on Facebook.

Step 1

Find a proxy website (see Resources). Some of these sites may be blocked by your company's firewall, however they will not all be blocked, so if one fails, try another.

Step 2

Enter the website you want to go to--Facebook.com. The proxy website will display "facebook" within the proxy website browser frame. There will be ads--usually a banner on the top or side--but you will be able to interact with your Facebook account like normal.

Step 3

Use different proxies during the day; some company firewalls will notice if a certain website address is constantly accessed and the IT department may correlate a new unknown website with proxy usage. Do not keep Facebook up while you are away from your work space; curious coworkers may ask how you can access Facebook while others cannot.

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