ThreatSTOP Blog

What is A DNS Firewall?

Written by ThreatSTOP Security Team | April 27, 2023

What is a DNS Firewall? It is a device that you need to filter out malicious websites when you are surfing the internet. Watch the video below as we explain more about protective DNS and why you should ensure your network is covered.

 

What is a DNS Firewall?

A DNS firewall is a must for cybersecurity needs. The firewall checks all DNS requests that go in and out of a network. The firewall blocks websites that will harm a computer or network. This might include sites that host phishing scams, malware and other harmful content.

An excellent security provider like ThreatSTOP ensures that DNS firewalls are regularly updated. Without consistent updates, the software will not be able to detect the most recent cyberthreats. A DNS firewall is only as good as its latest updates.

 

Is There a Difference Between a Standard Firewall and a DNS Firewall?


A typical firewall monitors network traffic. It may block certain websites or applications. A standard firewall will inspect incoming network traffic to prevent attacks. It may also inspect outgoing traffic to make sure the network is not being made vulnerable.

A DNS firewall monitors DNS traffic. Its purpose is to secure networks and devices against DNS-based attacks. These attacks come from specific IP addresses and malicious domains. It is a necessary addition to the standard firewall because it protects against threats that a regular firewall cannot.


Why You Need Protective DNS


Cybercriminals are hard at work, every day, to find the new vulnerabilities within computer networks. It is vital for companies and individuals to keep their networks secure. One of the easiest ways to do this is to install a protective DNS through ThreatSTOP. You will have the benefit of network safety without having to do any of the hard work of keeping the firewall properly configured and updated.

Are you still curious about DNS firewalls? Do you want to learn more about securing your network? Call ThreatSTOP today! We can answer all of your questions about network security and how we can help.

 

Learn More:

What DNS Security Does A Typical Enterprise Need?

DNS Defense Cloud 

DNS Defense 

 

Video Transcript
Timestamps
0:00 Intro
0:17 What Is A DNS Firewall?

A DNS firewall is a DNS server that's been configured to know which DNS query should be satisfied and which ones would send you to a bad place on the network.

0:17 What Is A DNS Firewall?

So a DNS firewall is just a device that implements DNS filtering, and it can be one of the standard servers, or it can be one of the ipam or DDI devices out there. The important thing is that that device has to be kept up to date because things are constantly changing.

And so what you need is a service that will keep those rules flowing and keep your DNS firewall up to date with the most current information because things move around, particularly in the cloud. So you can buy such a service or you can load your server with a one-time reference and that'll be better than nothing. 

1:03

But having a DNS firewall that will block known bad actors is an important part of your security. ThreatSTOP will do this, and you can choose how strict you want to be and you can choose a bunch of threat feeds for compliance or whatever other purpose you have.