DNS Filtering

DNS filtering is defensive software that prevents cybersecurity threats by following simple logic: if a website has something potentially dangerous within it, DNS filtering blocks a user from visiting it in the first place.

DNS filtering gives you the ability to filter bad or unwanted content at the DNS level. DNS filtering works by categorizing every single domain you attempt to access and cross-referencing those categorizations and domain names with policies you've determined you want to block.

If DNS is the phonebook, think of DNS filtering as a caller ID system that can enable call blocking.

With DNS filtering, when you type in a website’s domain, a filtering process takes place between the IP address being retrieved and the page being displayed. This filtering process categorizes the site into a variety of groupings that include news and media, social networking, malicious, illegal content, and much more.

Businesses put DNS filters in place to block employees or guest Wi-Fi users from specific sites. A business might choose to block social media sites during work hours for their employees or illegal content for both employees and public Wi-Fi guests. A DNS filtering system will always block users from malicious content.

Once a website has been categorized, the filter will either display the page or block it depending on the parameters set up ahead of time by the business. So if you’re trying to access Facebook during work hours at a company that has blocked the site, you’ll see something like this:

 

DNS filtering is not just about employers blocking sites they don’t want their employees to access. It’s also a very important cybersecurity measure that prevents you from accessing malicious sites that can administer phishing, ransomware, or cryptojacking attacks.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who compromise websites in order to trick people into handing over their login credentials, scamming them out of money, and causing businesses to be shut down.

And if you remember, there are almost 2 billion domains out there. And roughly 200,000 new domains every day. Those are a lot of opportunities to run into a malicious site without realizing it.

Even previously “safe” websites aren’t always safe, as they may become compromised. That’s why going with a DNS protection solution with an advanced AI is a must. It keeps employees and guest Wi-Fi users safer because it doesn’t just check a list of safe domains, it actually scans the page.

Omitting DNS filtering from your cybersecurity is a huge business risk. It puts pressure on employees to assess risks on their own, when they might not have the skills or training to do so.

DNSFilter uses the proprietary AI tool, Webshrinker, to continuously scan more than 180,000,000 websites and determine their purpose and content type. It flags sites that potentially contain malware, ransomware, malvertising, or scams, and then allow our customers to block them. This creates a first-line-of-defense by between a click from a user, and serving the harmful page. Additionally, we allow for one-click blocking of domains less than 30 days old.

Given its versatility, DNS filtering offers users advanced customization features. Depending upon the needs of your organization, you can choose which types of content are permissible and which to block, specific to your company’s needs. In addition, by enabling DNS-based web filtering, you safeguard your users against malicious content. Let’s take a look at the four main benefits of filtering DNS.