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Inspect visual content in real time

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Problem statement

Visual content can bypass text-based controls. Risky material, explicit imagery, and sensitive visual data can move through allowed websites unless the proxy evaluates the image itself.

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Client scenario

Use Image Analyzer when you need to:

• restrict inappropriate image content
• apply stricter controls to selected user groups
• create exceptions for teams with legitimate media-review duties
• test visual-content controls before moving to full enforcement

Image Analyzer should be treated as a content-risk control, not as a standalone compliance guarantee.

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Key benefits

Image Analyzer gives SafeSquid a way to inspect pictures directly instead of relying only on domain categories. That helps when risky images appear on otherwise allowed sites, user-generated platforms, or uncategorized pages.

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Prerequisites

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Client-side preparations

• Ensure client traffic is routed through SafeSquid.
• If images are delivered over HTTPS, deploy the Root CA and enable HTTPS inspection first.

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SafeSquid-side setup

• Confirm the image-analysis section is available in Configure → Real Time Content Security → Image Analyzer.
• Decide which user groups need stricter enforcement and which need exceptions.
• Plan a tuning phase before broad rollout because aggressive thresholds can block legitimate business content.

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Setup instructions

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Enable the global section

In Configure → Real Time Content Security → Image Analyzer, set Enabled to TRUE. If the global section stays disabled, policy entries will not enforce image scanning.

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Select the default response behavior

Set Default template to control how blocked images are replaced. This matters because operators and users need a visible distinction between image-policy enforcement and an image that simply failed to load.

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Configure filtering policies

Under Filtering Policies, create or update policy entries. For each policy:

• set Enabled to TRUE
• use Comment to describe the business purpose
• use Profiles to scope the rule to the right traffic
• set Threshold based on how strict the image review should be
• set Template when a rule needs a specific replacement behavior
• use Debug carefully when you need testing without full blocking

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Use bypass rules carefully

If a team must access high-volume image platforms for legitimate business reasons, scope exceptions with Profiles instead of weakening the global threshold for everyone. That keeps the risk decision explicit and auditable.

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Verification and validation

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Positive test

Use a controlled test set of images that should trigger the configured rule. Expected result:

• SafeSquid blocks or alters the image presentation according to policy
• the event is visible in logs or reports tied to the test request
• the affected user profile matches the intended rule scope

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Negative test

Use benign business images and traffic from a profile that should be exempt. Expected result:

• allowed users can view permitted images normally
• exempt profiles do not inherit stricter image rules by mistake
• the debug or bypass logic behaves exactly as configured

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What to watch during rollout

Verify:

• false positives on marketing, design, and e-commerce workflows
• whether HTTPS inspection is actually exposing image traffic to the proxy
• whether debug mode is still enabled after testing

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Troubleshooting guide

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Images are not being inspected

Likely causes:

• HTTPS inspection is not active
• the global section is disabled
• the request does not match the intended profile

Isolation steps:

• confirm the site is being decrypted
• confirm Enabled is TRUE globally and in the rule
• inspect the request profile assignment

Remediation:

• enable HTTPS inspection where appropriate
• enable the correct policy objects
• correct the profile mapping and retest

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Legitimate business images are being blocked

Likely causes:

• the threshold is too aggressive
• a broad policy applies to everyone
• testing rules remained enabled in production

Isolation steps:

• identify the rule that triggered
• compare the affected user group against intended scope
• review whether Debug or special test profiles are still active

Remediation:

• raise the threshold
• narrow the policy to the intended profiles
• create explicit exceptions for approved teams
• retest with both business and high-risk image samples

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Users report blurred or replaced images unexpectedly

Likely causes:

• a debug or enforcement template is active
• the wrong template is assigned to the rule

Isolation steps:

• inspect the rule template setting
• compare observed behavior with the configured replacement mode

Remediation:

• assign the correct template
• disable debug mode when testing is complete

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Related controls / next steps

• Use Content Moderation to combine image, text, and categorization controls.
• Use Text Analyzer for body-content scoring that complements visual inspection.
• Use Security Logs and Reporting Module to validate image-policy behavior and investigate false positives.