What DNS Filtering Means for Your Business

As cyber threats continue, DNS filtering is no longer just an optional layer of security. Many businesses are falling prey to phishing websites and sit vulnerable to attacks. Companies must continue to use all security measures available at their disposal.

Instead of settling for a single layer of protection, IT teams should now integrate a multi-layer approach. This way, hackers and phishing websites stand no chance of infiltrating your system.

What is DNS filtering?

Domain Name System (DNS) filtering is the process of blocking domains and IP addresses that are likely to be malicious. When we talk about malicious sites, these are the pages that contain malware, phishing content, and other things that will try to meddle with your system.

DNS filtering controls can be placed in the ISP router level or by using a third-party filtering service like Cisco Umbrella, DNSFilter, WebTitan Cloud, and more.

Whenever the filters detect that the site is malicious, the website will be added to the blacklist. Whenever you or your employee tries to visit the blacklisted site, you will be redirected to a blocked page screen.

For businesses, DNS filtering can process high volumes of data with a minimal delay. With this, you will have a 24/7 guard for your business’ system.

Why is DNS filtering important for businesses?

Thousands of phishing web pages are being created every day. You’ll never know when your company will be the target of these malicious pages.

Malware and phishing kits are stealthy. The moment you visit the malicious site, it will download, install, and operate in the background. In no time, your customer data will be stolen, your bank account has been depleted , and other catastrophic scenarios have happened to your business.

Aside from preventing a massive data breach, DNS filtering also helps businesses enforce responsible internet usage. You can set filters to block pages with content unsuitable for the work environment. Also, it blocks websites that will directly impact your employees’ productivity – social media sites, for one.

A business’ IT department can set up the DNS filters on their internal networks. Take note that the DNS filters apply in multiple locations including Wi-Fi hotspots, wired networks, internal Wi-Fi networks, and more.

Reasons why your business needs DNS filtering

It will help reduce HR policy violations

All companies prohibit the access of websites that has unsuitable content for the workplace. One good example is pornography. According to statistics, about 70% of all pornographic internet traffic takes place during business hours. With such numbers, you’ll never know when one of your employees is sneaking in.

It’s added security 

DNS filtering is a proactive approach against network threats. Instead of waiting for malicious domains to access your system, you can set up a line of defense early on. It’s one less headache for your day to day operations.

It will restore your bandwidth

By setting up DNS filters, you can now stop your employees from accessing unnecessary and high-bandwidth pages. Aside from boosting productivity, you’re also freeing up a large chunk of your network’s bandwidth.