How Does DNS Blocking Work?

At its essence DNS blocking stops Internet browsers from accessing web pages that have been categorized as being ‘malicious’.

This happens thanks to a process where sources of web-borne hacking attacks have their IP addresses recorded and then these are compared against all registered requests to visit a website. If a match is identified that the website in question is not permitted to be viewed. This is a swift process as it simply searches for an exact IP address match. This is convenient as it allows IT staff to work quickly to identify any members of staff that are constantly requesting to view disallowed sites and advise them to change their viewing habits immediately.

There is an added bonus to employing DNS blocking in that, similar to the IP address check, a review to ensure that Acceptable Use Policies are being adhered to take place just as quickly. This means that as soon as a network manager makes an amendment it will be in place and operational, leading to any delays. This allows organizations to install an Internet filter with DNS blocking and maintain a high level of control over what permissions can be given to each individual and department.

Both the primary and secondary advantages of DNS blocking create a better user experience. As well as organizations being protected against malware and ransomware, individual users are protected against phishing and spyware. Productivity is improved; and company employees, hotel guests, and school children are protected against being exposed to inappropriate content.

Implementing an Internet Filter with DNS Blocking

If you have decided to go ahead with this then the most straightforward way of doing so would be to register and subscribe for a cloud-based service. If you are doing this you will be redirecting your Domain Name Server to the service provider´s IP address. This is so simple that there are no hardware or software installations to worry about or take up your valuable time. Also, automated updates take the responsibility for checking this away from you and your IT staff. It is completed in real time and there is little chance that a vulnerability will be in existence.

As your company continues to grow you can increase the amount of filtering options you are using in this solution. At the same time, if you opt to downscale or change the way that you do business, you can reduce the amount of protections and permissions that you have in place. You should never be in a position where you are paying for an account that you are not using.

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DNS blocking Cloud-based Internet filters are simple to manage and do not require specialised IT knowledge. A lay person can set them and manage them from any internet connected computing or mobile device.