Why DNS Based Filtering is Important for Cybersecurity
DNS based web filtering is a method of securing the DNS against attack and ensuring a safe browsing environment. DNS based filtering is used to block attempts by users to visit malicious websites, such as those used for malware distribution or phishing. Instead of an organization using their own DNS infrastructure to find websites, which can be vulnerable to attack, the DNS infrastructure is changed to a third-party service provider. That service provider maintains a database of categorized websites and webpages and the DNS lookup is conducted through the service provider. There is no impact on the speed of lookups, so end users will not notice any change. The difference is, in the most part, they will only be allowed to access safe websites. If they attempt to visit a website and it is not malicious, they will be connected to the appropriate IP address. If the website they are attempting to visit is determined to be malicious or highly suspect, they will instead be directed to a local IP address that hosts a DNS block page advising them they have been prevented from connecting. They could be prevented from connecting to a website or webpage for three reasons:
- The website they are trying to reach does not exist
- The website was found to host malicious content
- The website violates their organization’s internet usage policy
Benefits of DNS Based Web Filtering
DNS based web filtering has a huge benefit over other forms of internet control. Since it uses DNS, it is exceptionally quick. There is no latency and internet speed is unaffected. A cloud-based DNS filtering service requires no appliance purchases nor software downloads. You simply use the service provider’s DNS infrastructure, which is as simple as using a DNS redirect to the service provider’s DNS servers. DNS based web filtering facilitates scale. You are not confined by the limited capacity of appliances. To all intents and purposes, you can scale up cloud-based DNS filtering protection for any number of users.
In summary, using a DNS based web filtering service will allow you to:
- Block access to malicious and risky websites
- Block malware downloads
- Create a safe and secure browsing environment for network users, Wi-Fi users, and guests
- Enforce internet usage policies
- Prevent users from accessing inappropriate and NSFW content
- Improve productivity by blocking access to internet productivity sinks
