Blocking the Puffin browser

Summary

How to block the Puffin browser app with Guardian?

Problem

Puffin browser is an app which allows private browsing. This would allow a user to circumvent filtering, and so it may be desirable to block this.

Solution

Note: The Puffin Web Browser described is NOT Puffin Academy.

There are two main methods of blocking Puffin Browser:

Blocking Through IP Address

You need to block the IP addresses (CIDR) used by Puffin Web Browser.

1. Create or edit a custom block category. See our help topic, Creating custom categories.
2. Add the following IP addresses to the category:
• http://107.178.33.0/24
• http://107.178.34.0/24
• http://107.178.35.0/24
• http://107.178.37.0/24
• http://107.178.38.0/24
• http://107.178.39.0/24
• http://107.178.41.0/24
• http://107.178.42.0/24
• http://107.178.43.0/24
• http://107.178.45.0/24
• http://107.178.46.0/24
• http://107.178.47.0/24
• http://206.173.221.0/24
• http://216.218.220.0/27
• http://107.178.36.0/24
• http://54.241.21.123/32
• http://107.178.44.0/24
• http://45.33.128.0/24
3. Either create a block policy, or add the above category to an existing block policy see our help topic, Creating web filter policies.

Checking the SSL certificate

Blocking by the SSL certificate is more effective and reliable as it will hold, even if the IP addresses above are changed.

Puffin Web Browser uses HTTPS in network communication; using http://cloudmosa.net as the common name in their SSL certificate.

In this case, add http://cloudmosa.net to a custom category and block policy instead of the IP addresses detailed above.