Why Should Your Business Use DNS Filtering?

March 21, 2025

Most unprotected businesses are unaware that bad actors often coax employees to hand over access through the proverbial front door. It’s logical because it is easily swung wide open to make things easy to steal. This “open door” concept is easily created by bad actors in automated ways. They populate inboxes of millions of companies with traps in the form of phishing campaigns. These are designed to lure unsuspecting employees towards clicking on phony websites, exposing their credentials, and and one of the reasons so many deceptive social engineering campaigns succeed. You can lock the front door and keep your employees from opening it for them when DNS Filtering is used as a foundational layer of protection.

What is DNS Filtering, anyway?

DNS filtering is used to enhance security for your business, control content and even optimize bandwidth. These are all good things!

So what exactly is DNS?

DNS stands for Domain Name System (DNS), because it acts as the internet’s “phonebook.” It is hard at work translating human-readable domain names (like “tekrisq.com”) into the numerical IP addresses that our computers use to communicate with each other. When some business contact asks how they find your website, you’re not likely to read them a string of easily forgotten numbers. Instead, we pick clever word combinations that correspond with a strings of numbers that do the connecting for us.

Here’s a more detailed explanation:

What it does: DNS maps domain names (like “example.com”) to their corresponding IP addresses (like “192.0.2.1”).
Why it’s important: All of us humans find it easier to remember and use domain names than IP addresses, which are difficult to read & memorize.

So How Does DNS Filtering Work?

DNS Filtering tools enhance security, control content and optimize bandwidth by blocking employee access to malicious websites, phishing websites and other prohibited content. This protects users and networks from a number of online threats, and also improves productivity. Here’s a more detailed explanation of why DNS filtering is beneficial:

Security Enhancements

Blocking Malware and Phishing Sites: DNS filtering can prevent users from accessing websites known to host malware, ransomware, or phishing attempts, acting as a crucial first line of defense.

Protecting Against Cyberattacks: By blocking access to malicious domains at the DNS level, DNS filtering can help prevent users from being exposed to various cyberattacks, including botnets and command-and-control server connections.

Strengthening Network Security: DNS filtering can be a valuable component of a multi-layered security strategy, enhancing overall network security and protecting sensitive data.

Content Control and Productivity

Enforcing Acceptable Use Policies:

Businesses use DNS filtering to block access to websites that are considered unproductive. Controlling access to social media & entertainment sites helps with improving employee productivity.

Blocking Harmful Content:

DNS filtering blocks access to websites containing inappropriate or harmful content. It lets you control adult content, gambling sites, and illegal materials to ensure a safer online environment.

Compliance with Regulations:

In industries like education and healthcare DNS filtering is essential for complying with regulatory requirements. These include the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Bandwidth Optimization:

Reducing Unnecessary Traffic:

By blocking access to malicious or unproductive websites, filtering can help reduce unnecessary network traffic and improve bandwidth utilization.

Improving Network Performance:

DNS filtering can contribute to faster and more reliable network performance by preventing users from accessing slow or unstable websites.

Good cybersecurity provides many layers to build a goof defense. DNS filtering is a useful layer of cybersecurity that restricts the damage your team can do. It is a valuable tool for any organization. A good DNS filtering tool will enhance online security, control content access, and improve network performance. It blocks access to malicious websites and other unwanted content. It installs easily, is fully managed by TEKRiSQ and requires no effort from employees.

Let us know when you’re ready to filter DNS at your business.