Abstract: A network appliance for controlling hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) messages between a local area network and a global communications network includes a housing; a receiving and forwarding module installed within the housing and coupled to the local area network and the global communications network, the receiving and forwarding module for communicating HTTP messages between the local area network and the global communications network; and an interception module installed within the housing and coupled to the receiving and forwarding module, the interception module having hardware that filters HTTP messages originating from the local area network and bound for the global communications network according to a predetermined condition residing in firmware of the interception module.