Help — new website blocked

This is expected behavior as the URL is new. For now, can you create a static URL filter to allow the website. Ref:https://community.fortinet.com/t5/FortiGate/Technical-Tip-Using-a-static-URL-filter-feature-to-allow-block/ta-p/193086

More details on Newly Observed domain error:

https://community.fortinet.com/t5/FortiGate/Troubleshooting-Tip-Newly-Observed-Domain-Webfilter-category/ta-p/250697

Fortinet, like other cybersecurity solutions, flags and temporarily restricts access to recently registered domains because cybercriminals often create new domains for malicious activities. While this helps in enhancing security, it sometimes leads to false positives, such as your situation.

Here's what you can do to remedy the situation:

1. Wait it Out:

   • If your domain is new, after some time, it will no longer be considered a "Newly Observed Domain." As the domain ages, the NOD classification should automatically drop.

2. Request a Category Change:

   • Fortinet allows users to submit URLs for review to update/change their categorization. You can submit your domain for re-categorization through the Fortinet Web Filtering Service: Fortiguard Web Filtering Recategorization Request.
   • Make sure you provide an explanation that your domain is a legitimate business website, and request its removal from the NOD category.

You can change the category of the websites : https://community.fortinet.com/t5/FortiGate/Technical-Tip-How-to-configure-web-rating-override-for-specific/ta-p/193384

Thank you for answering, I appreciate it.

Hello @JohnKuhn 

Make sure the action is set to monitor, instead of allow in webfilter for the category. You can also create a new custom category and assign the website to that.
Technical Tip: Web rating override does not work a... - Fortinet Community

Regards,

Varun

Hi @Krzysiek23,
We can override the rating by referring to this document "https://community.fortinet.com/t5/FortiGate/Technical-Tip-How-to-configure-web-rating-override-for-specific/ta-p/193384"

Regards,
Minh

Hi there,

The "Newly Observed Domain" block is quite common for new websites, especially when hosted on platforms that may not have a long history or reputation with certain security filters like Fortinet. This block is typically in place to prevent access to potentially harmful sites that haven’t been categorized yet.

One solution is to contact your FortiGate administrator and request that they whitelist your domain. Additionally, you can submit a request to Fortinet for re-categorization through their website. This can help lift the block faster.

I’ve seen businesses like airport taxi services (such as https://jewelcars.co.uk) face similar issues with new domains, but once they followed these steps, the access issues were resolved quickly. It’s definitely worth a try to ensure your clients can access your website without problems.

Hope this helps!