We intend to introduce a new category called “File-Converter” under Advanced URL Filtering.
ACTION: An action may be required. The “file-converter” category action is currently set to ALERT only for the default profile. If you have multiple URL Filtering Security profiles, you may need to update the default action to the recommended ALERT action based on your organization's policy.
How is the "file-converter" category defined?
Palo Alto Networks defines “file-converter” as sites that allow users to convert, compress, or otherwise modify files, including documents (such as PDF files), images, audio, and video.
What are the use cases of this new file-converter category?
The file-converter category enables organizations to safely manage access to websites that convert, compress, or modify files, such as PDF-to-Word converters or image compressors. While convenient, these services can pose data leakage and compliance risks if employees upload sensitive documents to unmonitored third-party sites. With this dedicated category, you can:
What are the security risks associated with “file-converter” sites?
While some “file-converter” sites are legitimate, many pose security risks. These risks include the potential for data leakage of sensitive corporate documents.
What is the recommended action for the "file-converter" category?
The recommended default action for the file-converter category is ALERT to ensure visibility and subsequent control as needed.
When will the “file-converter” category appear in Content Updates?
The “file-converter” category will be introduced in the content version released on September 16, 2025. This new category will be visible on the administrator management console after you install the content version released on this date or later.
When will the “file-converter” category be functional?
Although the new category appears in firewalls with content released on September 16, 2025, or later, we will not activate it until November 14, 2025. On that date, we plan to start publishing URLs that will be categorized as file-converter. Please ensure that your security policy rules are properly configured for this new category before this date if you plan to alert or block file-converter related website traffic on your network.
What happens if the content version used is older than the update released on September 16, 2025?
If the content version is older than the update released on September 16, 2025, URLs published in this new category will not be categorized under “file-converter” and will instead be classified as “online-storage-and-backup” and “unknown”.
Will the "file-converter" category be visible across all PAN-OS versions?
Yes, the file-converter category will be visible on all supported PAN-OS software versions.
Will this category work without SSL decryption?
For the most accurate categorization, SSL decryption is recommended. Without decryption, if the URL is not available in the SNI of the TLS handshake, the URL may be categorized as "unknown".
What is the test URL for the "file-converter" category?
To test your security policy rules for this new category, you can use the following test URL:
http://urlfiltering.paloaltonetworks.com/test-file-converter
Additional Information
For more information on best practices when managing URL Filtering categories, check out these resources:
Complete List of PAN-DB URL Filtering Categories
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