What is DNS?
The internet’s Domain Name System (DNS) is like the phone book for the web. It works by translating your favorite URL—your go-to news source or favorite blog—into a language computers can understand. That language, the language of IP addresses, is a strings of digits like 105.136.183.204. Since it’d be a pain to memorize these digits for each of the sites you visit, DNS translates them into the common names you know them by.
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What is DNS filtering?
DNS filtering is the practice of blocking access to certain sites for a specific purpose, often content-based filtering. If a site, or category of sites, has been deemed a threat, then its IP address is blocked with a DNS filter and access to it is prevented. Examples of sites that may be blocked include adult, gambling, productivity sinks, or those known to pose a significant malware risk.
DNS filtering is essential for businesses because it can severely limit the amount of threats a network is exposed to, helping to reduce significantly reduce the remediation workload for MSPs and IT pros. In fact, effective DNS filtering can stop up to 88 percent of internet-borne malware before it even reaches the network.
Another benefit of DNS filtering for businesses comes with increased staff productivity. Destinations like peer-to-peer streaming sites, in addition to being surefire sources of malware, can also sap bandwidth and distract workers. When policies for DNS filtering are set to avoid time-wasting sites like these and other potential sources of HR pain, business owners can take back control of their networks.
For more on DNS protection and solutions for DNS filtering, visit the Webroot® DNS Protection page.
