DNSFilter Wins Market Leader Placement for Internet Filtering, Protective DNS, SMB Cybersecurity in 14th Annual Global InfoSec Awards at #RSAC 2026
SAN FRANCISCO, CA –  MARCH 23, 2026 – DNSFilter is proud to announce we have won the following award(s) from Cyber Defense Magazine (CDM), the industry’s leading electronic information security magazine:
“We are thrilled to be named a market leader in three distinct categories by Cyber Defense Magazine during their 14th anniversary. On the heels of launching our DNS PreCheck and CyberSight capabilities, we have shown that we are committed to innovation and supporting enterprises, SMBs, and MSPs,” said Ken Carnesi, CEO of DNSFilter.
“DNSFilter embodies three major features we judges look for to become winners: understanding tomorrow’s threats, today, providing a cost-effective solution and innovating in unexpected ways that can help mitigate cyber risk and get one step ahead of the next breach,” said Gary S. Miliefsky, Publisher of Cyber Defense Magazine.
We’re thrilled to be a member on this coveted group of winners, located here:  http://www.cyberdefenseawards.com/
Please join us at the #RSAC RSAC Conference 2026, https://www.rsaconference.com/usa today, as we share our red-carpet experience and proudly display our trophy online at our website, our blog and our social media channels.
About DNSFilter
DNSFilter is a cybersecurity company that protects every click, leveraging AI-driven content filtering and threat protection to block threats up to 10 days earlier than competitors. DNSFilter’s solution secures workers wherever they are, helping organizations boost productivity, minimize compliance risk, and protect corporate brands on public Wi-Fi networks. Trusted by more than 45,000 organizations worldwide, DNSFilter enables organizations to deploy powerful protection in minutes while gaining deep visibility into their security posture. Learn more at dnsfilter.com.
About the Global InfoSec Awards
This is Cyber Defense Magazine’s thirteenth year of honoring InfoSec innovators from around the Globe. Our submission requirements are for any startup, early stage, later stage, or public companies in the INFORMATION SECURITY (INFOSEC) space who believe they have a unique and compelling value proposition for their product or service. Learn more at www.cyberdefenseawards.com
WASHINGTON, D.C. March 17, 2026: Today DNSFilter announced the launch of CyberSight, a new behavioral analytics and intelligence capability within the DNSFilter platform designed to move beyond DNS filtering and deliver full visibility into user activity across devices, applications, and web traffic.
With organizations now using an average of more than 100 SaaS applications, security teams lack visibility into who is using what applications and what threats are impacting their networks. Security teams and managed service providers (MSPs) face a growing challenge: traditional DNS filtering only reveals what was blocked, leaving critical blind spots around what users actually do online. Without visibility into real user behavior, organizations struggle to investigate incidents, identify risky SaaS usage, and detect emerging threats.
“DNS filtering has always been excellent at stopping threats, but security teams also need visibility into the activity that never gets blocked,” said Ken Carnesi, Chief Executive Officer at DNSFilter. “CyberSight delivers that missing context, giving organizations the ability to understand user behavior across the web, uncover shadow IT, and respond to incidents significantly faster. It’s a powerful new layer of intelligence within the DNSFilter platform.”
Architecturally integrated within the platform’s Pro and Enterprise tiers, CyberSight is a purpose-built user behavior analytics solution. By delivering clear, digestible insights into full user activity including what happened, when it occurred, and how long interactions lasted CyberSight enables organizations to move beyond reactive blocking and proactively reduce SaaS risk.
“CyberSight provides us with a much-needed lens into user data and behavioral patterns throughout the workday,” said Thomas Connolly, IT Manager at Crescent Crown. “By pairing these insights with DNSFilter’s Protective DNS, we’ve created a layered defense that makes it easy to spot and mitigate risky behaviors. This combination has fundamentally shifted our security posture, allowing us to understand the context behind user actions and respond significantly faster.”
Unlike traditional DNS filtering solutions that only log blocked requests, CyberSight captures activity across clicks, applications and full URLs, including IP addresses typed directly into browsers. The solution separates meaningful user actions from background system noise, providing security teams with clear behavioral timelines and actionable insights.
With CyberSight, organizations can:
Accelerate incident response
Detailed event timelines and granular logs help security teams quickly investigate suspicious activity and understand user behavior leading up to an incident.
Detect shadow IT and risky SaaS usage
CyberSight reveals previously hidden application usage, helping organizations identify unauthorized services and enforce security policies.
Optimize SaaS spending
Visibility into application activity helps IT teams identify redundant tools, eliminate unused licenses and better manage software investments.
Early adopters are already seeing the value of this additional visibility. CyberSight is currently available for Windows devices, with macOS support planned for the second half of 2026. Learn more about DNSFilter’s CyberSight offering here.
DNSFilter will be exhibiting at this year’s RSA Conference in San Francisco. Visit https://explore.dnsfilter.com/rsac to book a meeting.
Public Wi-Fi has become a standard part of modern air travel. Whether streaming content or coordinating travel plans in real time, passengers expect to be connected at the gate, onboard the plane, and throughout their journey.
But for airlines, connectivity has grown into something far bigger than passenger convenience.
Airline networks now support a complex ecosystem that includes crew communications, terminal operations, distributed staff workflows, and an expanding digital infrastructure across global hubs. Public Wi-Fi, in many cases, sits directly adjacent to operational environments that cannot tolerate disruption.
That reality has changed what public Wi-Fi means in aviation.
For airline IT and security leaders, Wi-Fi is no longer simply a service layer. It is part of the operational fabric of aviation, and it represents one of the most visible, high-traffic, and exposed security perimeters airlines manage.
In an industry where downtime is unacceptable and disruption has immediate consequences, the goal isn’t simply to respond to cyber threats quickly. It’s to stop them before they land.
Public Wi-Fi is inherently challenging to secure. By design, it supports large numbers of users, many of whom are unknown, unmanaged, and connecting from personal devices.
Aviation adds additional layers of complexity that few other industries face.
Unlike traditional enterprise public networks, airline Wi-Fi environments:
This creates a perimeter that is always shifting, always high-volume, and difficult to segment cleanly.
To put it simply: airline public Wi-Fi never stabilizes.
A coffee shop hotspot may serve a predictable neighborhood. A hotel network may have steady guest turnover. Airline networks, by contrast, operate in motion, across geographies, under tight performance constraints, and with a user population that changes completely multiple times a day.
That is exactly what makes them attractive to attackers.
Public networks offer opportunities for phishing delivery, malicious domain access, and compromise pathways that don’t require deep penetration into airline systems on the first move. Often, the earliest step is simply getting a device to connect to unsafe infrastructure.
For additional context on why shared networks remain a persistent security risk, see why public Wi-Fi environments remain high-risk.
In aviation, the challenge is not simply that public Wi-Fi is exposed. It’s that the stakes of exposure are operational.
Aviation is a high-target industry for cybercriminals because disruption creates leverage.
Airports and airlines operate in an environment where:
Threat actors understand that even minor interruptions can scale quickly into reputational damage, regulatory scrutiny, or cascading operational impact.
Ransomware, phishing campaigns, and malicious domains don’t need direct access to baggage handling systems or crew applications to create harm. In many cases, the first step is much smaller:
From there, threats can escalate quickly, especially in environments where connectivity is distributed and always in motion.
In most industries, security teams rely heavily on downstream detection and response. Alerts trigger investigations. Incidents are remediated. Systems are restored.
In aviation, the margin for disruption is far narrower because operations depend on continuous availability across terminals, hubs, and staff networks. Reacting after malicious traffic has already entered the environment becomes an operational risk, not just a technical one.
That is why resilience in aviation requires upstream protection: blocking threats before they ever reach airline networks.
Every online interaction begins with a DNS request.
Before a passenger loads a webpage, before an onboard application connects, before malware can communicate with an external command-and-control server, a domain must resolve.
DNS is the first step in the connection chain, and that makes it one of the earliest points where risk can be reduced.
Protective DNS focuses on controlling this moment by blocking known malicious domains, suspicious newly registered infrastructure, and high-risk destinations before a connection is ever established.
For airline environments, this matters because public Wi-Fi is often the widest perimeter.
When threats are stopped at this early stage, airlines can reduce exposure across multiple layers of the aviation ecosystem, including:
Blocking malicious domains at the resolution level helps prevent:
When securing airline public Wi-Fi across distributed hubs and fleets, domain-level protection provides an early control point that complements broader security measures.
Airline networks are rarely centralized.
They span:
Security solutions that require heavy infrastructure changes or long rollout timelines often introduce operational friction. Aviation security teams cannot afford months of deployment cycles or tools that demand constant manual tuning.
This is one reason DNS-based protection has become appealing in large, distributed environments: it can often be implemented quickly and without extensive architectural disruption.
Because DNS is already part of the underlying connectivity layer, adding protective controls can be significantly lighter than deploying new hardware at every edge location.
Large enterprises have demonstrated how quickly DNS security can scale by deploying DNS security across thousands of locations quickly.
That kind of speed supports a key requirement: resilience without operational drag.
In addition to the massive span airline networks have, they also intersect with third-party connectivity providers and distributed operational environments.
Traditional approaches that rely heavily on VPN architecture or fragmented perimeter tooling often introduce latency, complexity, and administrative overhead, especially in environments already constrained by satellite performance and high traffic volume.
Security leaders need a way to maintain consistent control without adding friction to connectivity.
Protective controls at the DNS layer provide centralized visibility into domain-level activity across environments, allowing teams to enforce policy and monitor risk without creating unnecessary network sprawl.
Aviation is widely recognized as critical infrastructure, and expectations around cybersecurity reflect that designation. Airlines face increasing pressure to demonstrate resilience, auditability, and proactive risk reduction across their networks, including passenger-facing environments.
Protective DNS has also been recognized by federal agencies as a foundational control for reducing exposure to malicious domains early in the connection process. In the advisory NSA and CISA Release Cybersecurity Information on Protective DNS, the agencies outline what organizations should look for in a Protective DNS provider, reinforcing domain-level controls as a best practice for high-availability sectors.
For airline security leaders, the broader takeaway is that upstream protections can support both resilience and compliance readiness, particularly in environments where disruption carries immediate operational consequences.
Operational continuity is the priority in aviation, but passenger experience is never far behind.
Airline public Wi-Fi is one of the most visible digital touchpoints in the travel journey. When passengers connect onboard or in the terminal, they aren’t just accessing the internet, they’re interacting with the airline’s brand in real time. A network that feels unsafe, unreliable, or poorly managed can create reputational risk just as quickly as it creates technical exposure.
That visibility is part of what makes public Wi-Fi different from other security perimeters. It sits in front of customers, regulators, and staff all at once. Airlines have to account for safe browsing expectations, content controls, and the risk of passengers inadvertently accessing malicious or inappropriate destinations on shared networks.
When airline public Wi-Fi is secured effectively, the benefits extend beyond threat prevention. It also supports a safer, more consistent passenger environment, strengthens trust, and reduces the likelihood of brand-damaging incidents tied to unmanaged connectivity.
Airline public Wi-Fi is mission-critical infrastructure, connecting passengers, crew, terminals, and operational systems across a distributed environment that depends on continuous uptime.
Protecting that surface means stopping threats early in the connection process, maintaining performance across fleets and hubs, and keeping operations moving without introducing unnecessary complexity.
DNS-layer protection gives airlines the ability to reduce exposure at the earliest checkpoint, helping prevent disruption before it begins.
Learn how DNSFilter can strengthen airline public Wi-Fi across passenger and operational networks; schedule a personalized demo.
by DNSFilter Team on Feb 3, 2026 8:03:00 AM
Users are encountering as many as 66 threats daily—and new domains are a top culprit
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Feb. 3, 2026 – DNSFilter announced today the release of its 2026 Annual Security Report, which reveals the massive surge in new malicious domains, child sex abuse material (CSAM) and other threats. Threat volume is rising, and that is becoming a daily, user-level problem. The report is available for download here.
DNSFilter processes over 200 billion DNS queries daily and blocks about 7% of all traffic. That includes hundreds of millions of threats each day. Every request that’s blocked means phishing attempts fail, and malware isn’t executed.
Key findings from the report include:
Ken Carnesi, CEO and co-founder, DNSFilter, said: “Our research continues to show that DNS filtering is one of the most effective ways to stop attacks before they ever reach users. Every blocked request isn’t just a data point; it’s a real attack prevented in real time. This report puts hard numbers behind the scale of that threat and the real-world harm organizations face every day.”
About the company:
DNSFilter is a cybersecurity company that protects every click, leveraging AI-driven content filtering and threat protection to block threats 10 days earlier than competitors. DNSFilter’s solution secures workers anywhere they are, helping to boost productivity, minimize compliance risk, and protect corporate brands on public Wi-Fi networks. Unlike traditional filtering solutions, DNSFilter deploys in minutes instead of days and is trusted by more than 43,000 organizations worldwide. Learn more about how DNSFilter is the first and last line of defense for corporate and hybrid networks at dnsfilter.com.
Students’ attempts to access restricted content using unsafe proxy services expose them and their schools to cyber risks
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Nov. 25, 2025 – New research from DNSFilter finds that school networks are becoming high-volume targets for proxy-borne threats, credential theft, malicious extensions and phishing ecosystems. Data from the company’s networks reveals the growing risks posed by misused web proxies and filter-avoidance tools in schools.
Due to cell phone bans in multiple states, students are more likely to use their school-issued devices for activities they’d normally attempt on their personal phones. As students increasingly try to bypass school security controls – often to access social media, gaming sites or blocked content – they’re unwittingly exposing themselves and school networks to risks like account compromise, malware, credential theft, blackmail scams, and broader system vulnerabilities.
Analysis of traffic on DNSFilter’s network found:
These findings underscore how schools are facing rapidly escalating cybersecurity risks, largely driven by students’ attempts to access restricted content using unsafe proxy services. These attempts are not harmless workarounds; they are now a major threat vector.
Traditional content filtering alone is no longer sufficient. Students are increasingly aware of circumvention methods, and attackers exploit this behavior to gain access to accounts and potentially entire school IT systems. Children and teens are uniquely vulnerable, making them prime targets for social engineering, scams, identity theft or harassment.
Awareness of the risks helps schools strengthen cybersecurity policies, improve filtering and reduce successful student circumvention attempts. Using the threat insights, schools can proactively block proxy/avoidance domains, detect suspicious patterns (e.g., unsafe gaming extensions), and protect student data and campus systems. Concrete data empowers IT teams to anticipate threat spikes, allocate resources and justify budgets for improved filtering and monitoring tools. Read more in our blog here.
Gregg Jones, intelligence analyst, DNSFilter, said: “Proxy misuse is emerging as a serious and growing attack vector inside school environments, and the industry must treat it like the frontline threat it has become. Cybersecurity strategies in K–12 and higher education must expand to focus on DNS filtering, proactive detection of proxy use, better student education, and more compassionate in-class device policies that reduce the incentive to circumvent controls.”
About the company:
DNSFilter is a cybersecurity company that protects every click, leveraging AI-driven content filtering and threat protection to block threats 10 days earlier than competitors. DNSFilter’s solution secures workers anywhere they are, helping to boost productivity, minimize compliance risk, and protect corporate brands on public Wi-Fi networks. Unlike traditional filtering solutions, DNSFilter deploys in minutes instead of days and is trusted by more than 43,000 organizations worldwide. Learn more about how DNSFilter is the first and last line of defense for corporate and hybrid networks at dnsfilter.com.
Media Contact
Shannon Van Every
Force4 Technology Communications
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Nov. 4, 2025  — DNSFilter, a global leader in protective DNS and content filtering, announced today a strategic partnership with Midis Group to provide enhanced cybersecurity solutions to customers across Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa. This partnership will empower organizations in these regions to safeguard their networks against evolving online threats through a cutting-edge, cloud-based platform known for its real-time threat detection and intuitive management.
DNSFilter’s unique approach leverages artificial intelligence to identify and block malicious domains, reducing cybersecurity risks. By integrating DNSFilter’s robust solution with Midis Groups’ expansive network of value-added distribution, service providers and in-territory experts, customers will now benefit from more reliable, proactive protection against threats such as phishing, malware and ransomware.
Midis Group is a trusted go-to-market partner for leading global technology vendors, including Apple, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), IBM, Google, Cloud Software Group (Citrix), Broadcom and Dell Technologies. These partners leverage the company’s deep local expertise in technology and business to accelerate their regional growth.
The partnership aims to provide organizations of all sizes with advanced DNS-layer security, enhancing their ability to prevent and respond to potential attacks. Through DNSFilter’s innovative technology, customers in these regions can better integrate a seamless, protective experience that doesn’t compromise speed or performance. As cybersecurity becomes more complex, DNS-layer security is crucial for organizations aiming to prevent cyberattacks before they infiltrate the network.
Ernest Sales, President Local Office, Midis Group, said: “Partnering with DNSFilter enhances our security portfolio and enables us to better meet our customers’ needs for faster and more accurate threat protection. Together, Midis Group and DNSFilter are committed to ensuring a safer digital experience and helping organizations strengthen their defenses against cybercrime.”
Ken Carnesi, CEO and co-founder, DNSFilter, said: “Our partnership with Midis Group and the opening of our new Dubai office mark a significant milestone in DNSFilter’s commitment to the EMEA region. The Middle East and broader EMEA is a key market for secure DNS protection, and establishing a permanent presence here allows us to better serve our partners and customers. This partnership reflects our long-term investment in the region and our goal to build deep, lasting relationships with local enterprises and service providers.”
About Midis Group
With more than 6700 professionals, some 100 of the world’s leading technology vendors, and a solid 50-year track record of performance and reliability, the Midis Group is a multinational organization comprised of over 175 companies across Europe, Middle East and Africa. The group is known for its advanced offering of managed IT services and consultancy, system integration, cloud and data center capabilities and infrastructure, software, and hardware solutions, as well as technology distribution and retail. The Midis Group was named in 2006 as one of the World Economic Forum’s initial 100 Global Growth Companies. For more information, visit www.midisgroup.com.
About DNSFilter
DNSFilter is a cybersecurity company that protects every click, leveraging AI-driven content filtering and threat protection to block threats 10 days earlier than competitors. DNSFilter’s solution secures workers anywhere they are, helping to boost productivity, minimize compliance risk, and protect corporate brands on public Wi-Fi networks. Unlike traditional filtering solutions, DNSFilter deploys in minutes instead of days and is trusted by more than 43,000 organizations worldwide. Learn more about how DNSFilter is the first and last line of defense for corporate and hybrid networks at dnsfilter.com.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oct. 23, 2025 – Amid the near four-year high unemployment rate, new research from DNSFilter finds that scams related to hiring are proliferating. New data from the company’s networks shows an alarming trend in domain activity related to domains that include terms like “careers,” “hiring,” “jobs,” and “talent,” which have seen a significant uptick since the start of 2025.
These new insights from DNSFilter underscore the need for job seekers, who average 180 job applications to land a single offer, to remain vigilant when navigating job boards and receiving messages from so-called recruiters.
Over the last 6 months:
Researchers also discovered that a number of suspicious domain practices are being used to lure victims into clicking malicious links, including:
.top, .tk, .ml, .xyz, .af).Attackers are increasingly registering new domains in short bursts to evade detection, following them up with phishing campaigns containing those links to target job seekers, human resources teams and recruitment platforms.
Job seekers and organizations can help protect themselves from these types of hiring scams by remembering to:
Gregg Jones, intelligence analyst lead, DNSFilter, said: “All aspects of our lives are vulnerable to bad actors given the right mix of emotions, timing, and environmental factors. Being vulnerable to a scam can take many forms, often in ways we least expect. Taking stock of things that seem too good to be true and implementing security best practices are key to reducing unexpected angles of exploitation.”
About the company:
DNSFilter is a cybersecurity company that protects every click, leveraging AI-driven content filtering and threat protection to block threats 10 days earlier than competitors. DNSFilter’s solution secures workers anywhere they are, helping to boost productivity, minimize compliance risk, and protect corporate brands on public Wi-Fi networks. Unlike traditional filtering solutions, DNSFilter deploys in minutes instead of days and is trusted by more than 43,000 organizations worldwide. Learn more about how DNSFilter is the first and last line of defense for corporate and hybrid networks at dnsfilter.com.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Sept. 30 2025 – DNSFilter is celebrating its 10th anniversary, just in time for Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Trusted by over 43,000 organizations, the company has seen significant growth and industry recognition, underscoring the strength of its vision and the successful execution of its protective DNS platform.
DNSFilter was founded after its CEO and co-founder, Ken Carnesi, became frustrated with existing protective DNS solutions. He set out to build one he could trust for himself and his MSP clients. From just three employees and an idea, DNSFilter has grown to a leader in the protective DNS space, expanding its headcount by 4800% and maintaining consistent growth.
Over the past decade, DNSFilter has continued to build on the vision of Carnesi and co-founder Brian Gillis: to create the most effective threat-blocking solution that’s also easy to use and comes with world-class support. In a testament to those efforts, DNSFilter’s recent milestones and successes include:
DNSFilter protects every click, leveraging AI-driven content filtering and threat protection to stop threats quickly, even as bad actors develop more sophisticated threats at a faster rate. DNSFilter secures users everywhere they work and prevents threats before they reach end-users.
Ken Carnesi, CEO and co-founder, DNSFilter, said: “It’s been an amazing decade of providing the proactive first and last layer of protection to customers, preventing threats before connections are made. Our platform delivers a better, safer internet experience by protecting anyone, anywhere, across diverse environments, with the confidence of a trusted partner. I’m proud of all our team has achieved: Going from zero to over 35 million protected users. Here’s to the next 10 years of growth and innovation.”
About the company:
DNSFilter is a cybersecurity company that protects every click, leveraging AI-driven content filtering and threat protection to block threats 10 days earlier than competitors. DNSFilter’s solution secures workers anywhere they are, helping to boost productivity, minimize compliance risk, and protect corporate brands on public Wi-Fi networks. Unlike traditional filtering solutions, DNSFilter deploys in minutes instead of days and is trusted by more than 43,000 organizations worldwide. Learn more about how DNSFilter is the first and last line of defense for corporate and hybrid networks at dnsfilter.com.
Internet access is essential to the productivity of most organizations—but not everything on the Internet is work-appropriate or safe. From time-wasting sites to phishing domains, employees can unintentionally expose your company to productivity loss, legal risks, or cyber threats just by visiting the wrong webpage. And before you think it couldn’t happen to you or your team—even the most cybersecurity aware can be duped by emerging threats like fake CAPTCHAs or phony unsubscribe links.
That’s why blocking unwanted websites on your company network is a critical step in your cybersecurity strategy. But how can you do it without over-restricting employees or overloading your IT team?
Let’s explore the most effective and scalable ways to block unwanted websites—without the headaches.
Why Should You Block Websites on Your Company’s Network?
Blocking specific websites isn’t about micromanaging employees—it’s about managing risk. Here are just a few reasons to implement web filtering:
Steps to Block Unwanted Content on Your Network
1. Identify What You Want to Block
Not all “unwanted” sites are created equal. Whether you only want to block threats, or you want to have stricter restrictions on employee Internet access, it’s important to define which categories or URLs pose a risk to your organization. Commonly blocked content categories include:
The above is not a comprehensive list of content and threat categories to block, but a great place to start thinking about the types of content you’d like to limit access to. Find a more complete list of content category options on the DNSFilter Help Center.
2. Choose the Right Website Blocking Method
There are multiple ways to block websites on a company network. Here are the most common approaches:
DNS Filtering (Recommended)
DNS filtering blocks access to unwanted websites at the DNS level—before the connection is even established.
Benefits:
Firewall Rules (Limited Use Case)
Traditional firewalls can block domains or IP addresses, but they often lack the context or categorization needed for nuanced filtering.
Browser Extensions or Proxy Servers
These can offer site blocking on specific devices but require extensive setup and maintenance. They’re also easier for savvy users to bypass.
3. Create Flexible Policies
Web content filtering isn’t one-size-fits-all. Different departments might have different needs. For example, your marketing team might need access to social media while the accounting department doesn’t.
With DNSFilter, you can create custom filtering policies to block employee access to content by:
Beyond just filtering by content or threat category, Allow and Block lists allow you to create granular policies down to the domain, subdomain, or TLD.
This customization allows you to strike the perfect balance between security and productivity.
4. Monitor and Adjust
Blocking sites isn’t a “set it and forget it” task. Threats evolve, and so do your employees’ needs.
Use your content filter’s analytics and reporting tools to monitor:
With this insight, you can fine-tune your policies and stay one step ahead of risks.
See how easy it is to create content filtering policies in a few minutes using DNSFilter. Try the interactive product tour →
5. Communicate the Policy
It’s important that employees understand why certain sites are blocked. Transparency builds trust and helps prevent accidental policy violations. Additionally, it’s important to give your users a way to submit requests to access content that has been unnecessarily or incorrectly blocked.
Ensure that feedback is a two-way street between your Security team and the rest of the company’s users. Provide a clear Acceptable Use Policy and include messaging in customizable block pages to let users know when and why a site is restricted, and also how to submit their requests for a site to be unblocked or recategorized.
DNS Filtering is Key for Blocking Unwanted Websites
Blocking unwanted websites doesn’t have to mean locking down your network or frustrating your users. With intelligent, AI-powered DNS filtering, you can protect your business from threats, enforce policies, and ensure a more productive digital environment.
Ready to take control of your network? Try DNSFilter free for 14 days and see how easy it is to block the bad without breaking your business.
Protective DNS firm uncovers spikes in malicious traffic leading up to the start of every school year
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Aug. 26, 2025 – Malicious actors are making the most of the new school year with scams aimed at students, institutions, faculty and staff. Data from DNSFilter reveals spikes in specific threat types as students return to class.
Key statistics and insights from DNSFilter’s research find that educational institutions should be prepared to see the following:
Targeted Textbook Scams
 Impersonating School Sites
Cell Phone Bans May Increase Filter Bypass Attempts
At the start of a new school year, students and staff are given new logins and devices, creating a new security risk for schools to consider. Protective DNS helps education institutions filter out malicious domains before connections are made, stopping threats like phishing, malware and and even filter bypass attempts at the source.
Ken Carnesi, CEO and co-founder, DNSFilter, said: “At a time that should be full of excitement, our data shows that schools and those they serve must be extra vigilant to avoid getting scammed by criminal opportunists. It’s our goal to make it as difficult as possible for scammers to succeed.”
About the company:
DNSFilter is a cybersecurity company that protects every click, leveraging AI-driven content filtering and threat protection to block threats 10 days earlier than competitors. DNSFilter’s solution secures workers anywhere they are, helping to boost productivity, minimize compliance risk, and protect corporate brands on public Wi-Fi networks. Unlike traditional filtering solutions, DNSFilter deploys in minutes instead of days and is trusted by more than 43,000 organizations worldwide. Learn more about how DNSFilter is the first and last line of defense for corporate and hybrid networks at dnsfilter.com.
Media Contact
Shannon Van Every
Force4 Technology Communications