**Exhibit 31.1**

** **

**CERTIFICATION**

 

I, Gene Hodges, certify that:

 

1. I have reviewed thisquarterly report on Form 10-Q of Websense, Inc.;

 

2. Based on my knowledge,this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit tostate a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of thecircumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading withrespect to the period covered by this report;

 

3. Based on my knowledge, thefinancial statements, and other financial information included in this report,fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results ofoperations and cash flows of Websense as of, and for, the periods presented inthis report;

 

4. Websense’s othercertifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintainingdisclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined inExchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for Websense and have:

 

(a) Designed suchdisclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls andprocedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that materialinformation relating to Websense, including its consolidated subsidiaries, ismade known to us by others within those entities, particularly during theperiod in which this report is being prepared;

 

(b) Designed suchinternal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control overfinancial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonableassurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparationof financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generallyaccepted accounting principles;

 

(c) Evaluated theeffectiveness of Websense’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented inthis report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controlsand procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based onsuch evaluation; and

 

(d) Disclosed in thisreport any change in Websense’s internal control over financial reporting thatoccurred during Websense’s most recent fiscal quarter that has materiallyaffected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, Websense’s internalcontrol over financial reporting; and

 

5. Websense’s othercertifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation ofinternal control over financial reporting, to Websense’s auditors and the auditcommittee of Websense’s board of directors:

 

(a) All significantdeficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internalcontrol over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adverselyaffect Websense’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financialinformation; and

 

(b) Any fraud, whether or notmaterial, that involves management or other employees who have a significantrole in Websense’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

 
| Date: November 7, 2008 | By:    | /s/ GENE HODGES         |
|-----------------------------|--------|-------------------------|
|                        |   | Gene Hodges             |
|                        |   | Chief Executive Officer |

 

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