a system and method for selectively controlling database access by providing a system and method that allows a network administrator or manager to restrict specific system users from accessing information from certain public or otherwise uncontrolled databases . the invention employs a relational database to determine access rights , and this database may be readily updated and modified by an administrator . within this relational database specific resource identifiers are classified as being in a particular access group . the relational database is arranged so that for each user of the system a request for a particular resource will only be passed on from the local network to a server providing a link to the public / uncontrolled database if the resource identifier is in an access group for which the user has been assigned specific permissions by an administrator . in one preferred embodiment , the invention is implemented as part of a proxy server within the user &# 39 ; s local network .