Better way to block cloud storage uploading by app-id

[TravisFleming]

Hello, we would like to block cloud storage uploading by app-ID. So you can go to dropbox and download files, but security wants us to block our users ability to upload files.

Our solution is go create a custom application group, like the attached photo, and go in and manually add known cloud storage app-id's for uploading. Then create a security policy that would block said custom application group.

My question is, is there a better way to do this? Fear being a new dropbox software company comes out, we will have to continuously update the custom application group with new services that come out to continue to be able to block uploading. Is there a way to block cloud storage app-id's as a whole, for uploading?

[JayGolf]

Hi @TravisFleming ,

Another way that comes to mind is creating a custom URL category with type being "Category Match". you can then add "Online-Storage-and-Backup" or any other category you find that matches the URLs you're hoping to block. Once created, you can specify this custom url category in your active url filtering profile as a block or alert. 

[reaper · Accepted solution]

there's multiple ways to address this

continuing on the recommendation of @JayGolf  I'd actually create a security rule that has online storage as a destination category (in addition to or instead of the url filtering)

you can also create an application filter that will automatically update itself whenever a new app-id comes up that matches your criteria. the below example matches filesharing, but only the uploading bits (if you take away the 'uploading' tag, it matches all filesharing):

[TravisFleming]

This is perfect thank you!