Authors:  @Madhusudana Rao Karanam, @Nishant Chhattani and @Gokarna Jaiswal

Introduction

In today’s mobile-driven workplace, employees rely heavily on their iOS devices to access corporate data and cloud resources. However, this mobility also exposes organizations to phishing threats is one of the most common and effective attack vectors today. To address this, MaaS360 introduces the MTD Web Content Filter(WCF), a new capability that not only blocks access to phishing and other malicious websites but also enables Zero Touch Activation for the MTD app on iOS supervised devices without requiring a VPN configuration. This enhancement helps IT teams strengthen their security posture and streamline deployment while maintaining compatibility with existing infrastructure.

💡 Note: This feature is available only on iOS supervised devices. If your devices aren’t supervised yet, you can easily learn how to convert them by following this quick video guide - https://youtu.be/kaBs4FSGWGg?si=SjARDCaaHkxz8zkZ

The Challenge: Existing VPN Configurations

Many enterprises already rely on trusted VPN solutions to protect their networks and devices. While MaaS360’s MTD VPN provides powerful security, deploying it in environments with preexisting VPNs can create challenges:

• • VPN Conflicts: Setting up the MaaS360 MTD VPN may override existing VPN configurations, disrupting security policies and user connectivity.
  • Administrative Overhead: Managing multiple VPN profiles increases complexity and the risk of misconfigurations slowing down device provisioning and support.

We listened to customer feedback and designed a solution that integrates smoothly with your existing systems while still delivering all the benefits of Zero Touch Activation.

The Solution: MTD Web Content Filter (WCF)

To address these challenges, MaaS360 now offers the MTD Web Content Filter(WCF)  - a flexible, alternative option within iOS MDM policies that enables Zero Touch Activation without the need to deploy the MTD VPN, if your organization already uses another VPN.
With this enhancement, you can now choose between:
 - MaaS360 MTD VPN
 - MTD Web Content Filter
 - Or both, for maximum flexibility

Zero Touch Activation will function seamlessly as long as at least one of these configurations is enabled  allowing for greater compatibility and fewer VPN conflicts.

Key Benefits:

The MTD Web Content Filter delivers several important advantages:

✅ Supports Existing VPN Setups: Integrate Zero Touch Activation smoothly, even with third-party VPNs already in place.

✅ Enhanced Flexibility: Choose the setup that best fits your infrastructure — MTD VPN, Web Content Filter(WCF), or both.

✅ Simplified Activation: Ensure Zero Touch enrollment works reliably without altering existing VPN settings.

✅ Reduced Complexity: Avoid configuration overlaps and minimize administrative overhead.

Configuration Steps: Getting Started with MTD Web Content Filter(WCF)

Setting up the MTD Web Content Filter is quick and straightforward. Follow these steps to enable it in your MaaS360 iOS MDM policy

1. 1. Log in to your MaaS360 Portal
   2. Go to Security > Policies >  any iOS MDM Policy.
   3. Under Supervised Settings, select Web Content
   4. Enable Configure Web Content Settings
   5. In the Automatic Filtering drop down, select MTD Web Content Filter
   6. Ensure the Enable Web Content Filter checkbox remains checked — this step is mandatory
   7. Click Save and Publish to apply your changes.
      
      

Validation Reminder:

If you uncheck the “Enable Web Content Filter” option, you’ll see a validation error during publish.

Once the policy is applied to the device, the MaaS360 Web Content Filter will appear under Restrictions and Proxies in the VPN & Device Management section  confirming successful configuration.

Verification:

To verify the MTD Web Content Filter:

1. 1. Open a known phishing URL in the Safari browser.
   2. The URL will be blocked automatically.
   3. A restriction message will appear, confirming that the WCF is active.(Please find the screenshot below)
      

 4. On our MaaS360 Portal, go to Security > Security Dashboard, where you can view the detected threats

Conclusion:

The MTD Web Content Filter marks an important enhancement for MaaS360 users — giving IT teams the freedom to manage devices without disrupting existing VPN infrastructures.By providing an alternative to the MTD VPN, organizations can maintain their established security setups while still achieving a friction less Zero Touch Activation experience for iOS devices.Upgrade your iOS MDM policies today and experience greater flexibility, smoother activation, and simplified management with MaaS360’s MTD Web Content Filter.

Quick Summary (for readers)

• Introduces a new MTD Web Content Filter option for iOS Zero Touch Activation
• Works without requiring MTD VPN, reducing configuration conflicts
• Ensures Zero Touch works smoothly with existing VPNs
• Simple setup and mandatory checkbox validation ensures policy accuracy
• Enhances device deployment efficiency and reduces admin overhead