Safer Internet Day 2020: Make Your Wi-Fi Network Safer with a DNS Filter

Today, February 11, is Safer Internet Day 2020 – A day where safe and positive use of digital technology is promoted around the world. Safer Internet Day started out as part of the EU SafeBorders project in 2004 but has grown into a global event with more than 150 countries participating and promoting safe use of the internet. The aim of Safer Internet Day is to help create a better and safer internet by empowering everyone to use technology responsibly, respectfully, critically, and creatively. This year’s theme is “A better internet: How to look after yourself and others.”

Everyone has a role to play in making the internet a more positive and safer environment, from seeking positive opportunities to create and connect with others, being kind and respectful to others online, and reporting illegal and inappropriate content.

Businesses that provide Wi-Fi access to their customers also have a responsibility to ensure their Wi-Fi hotspot is not abused and cannot be used to access harmful content, especially by minors. The easiest way to do that is by implementing a web filtering solution and today is the perfect day to get started.

The easiest-to-implement and most cost-effective web filtering solution is a DNS filter. A DNS filter allows content to be controlled at the DNS lookup stage of internet access, when the human-friendly domain name of a website is converted to an IP address that a computer uses to find the server hosting the website. This method of web filtering requires no hardware purchases or software downloads. You simply change your DNS record to point to your DNS filtering service provider. You then access a web-based interface and stipulate the categories of content your customers are not permitted to access. Getting started takes just a few minutes. Since all filtering takes place at the DNS level before any content is downloaded, this form of web filtering has almost zero latency, which means internet speeds are unaffected.

With WebTitan Cloud for Wi-Fi you can decide on the content that you don’t want people to access and can use the checkboxes in your user interface to block categories of web content with the click of a mouse. To make the internet family friendly, you can check the adult content checkbox to ensure pornographic material cannot be accessed through your Wi-Fi network. You can also block access to illegal websites to protect your business, such as torrents sites where copyright-infringing downloads of music, software, and films take place. Controls can also be applied to limit access to streaming websites to conserve bandwidth and make sure everyone can enjoy fast internet speeds.

WebTitan has categorized more than 500 million websites into 53 categories, including all of Alexa’s top million websites and web content in 200 languages. You can set internet content controls for different locations, different user groups, and you can manage multiple locations through a single portal.

Blacklists are a useful way to ensure unsuitable or illegal content cannot be accessed. One of the main blacklists is maintained by the Internet Watch Foundation and includes webpages and websites known to host child pornography and child abuse-related content.

Blacklists also protect Wi-Fi users from malicious content, such as phishing websites and sites hosting malware and ransomware, which can help you to protect your users and your company’s reputation.

WebTitan Cloud for Wi-Fi is ideally suited to all businesses that provide Wi-Fi access, such as:

Wireless Wi-Fi ISPs, MSPs and other Wi-Fi service providers

Cafes, coffee shops & restaurants

Retail outlets & shopping malls

Schools & universities

Health systems & hospitals

Hotels

Offices

Libraries

Airports

Rail & bus networks

This Safer Internet Day is the perfect time to implement a DNS filtering solution to make your Wi-Fi (or wired) network much safer for all users.

To find out more about WebTitan Cloud for Wi-Fi, WebTitan Cloud for wired networks, for a product demonstration, or to register for a free trial, contact TitanHQ today.