HEADING TO RSAC 2026? See What We Have in Store for the Show Floor and Beyond!

CHECK US OUT

    Protective DNS (PDNS)

    Continuous security that never blinks.

    DNSFilter offers all the features required of a compliant Protective DNS service provider out of the box — including uninterrupted continuity for remote users, application blocking, and defense against zero-day attacks powered by our conflict-free DNS PreCheck.

    Start free trial

    Secure DNS is No Longer Optional

    The National Security Agency (NSA) and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have emphasized that a protected DNS layer is critical to combating cyber threats. However, for PDNS to be effective in a modern environment, it must be resilient.

    Traditional DNS protection can be bypassed or disabled when users connect to VPNs or restrictive public Wi-Fi. DNSFilter reimagines PDNS with DNS PreCheck, moving the filtering logic to the local device. This ensures your protective policies remain active 100% of the time, bridging the gap between the corporate network and the remote workforce.

    DNS Protection Shield Icon

    Protective DNS: Resilient. Secure. Continuous.

    DNSFilter provides the industry’s most resilient Protective DNS (PDNS) service. Powered by real-time machine learning and backed by the world's most performant Anycast network, we ensure your security follows your users — wherever they go.

    With the addition of DNS PreCheck, we’ve eliminated the gaps in traditional protection. By resolving filtering locally on the device, we provide uninterrupted continuity that bypasses VPN conflicts and network restrictions. It’s the flexibility to secure your entire infrastructure without the "connectivity vs. security" trade-off.

    Every single day, our Protective DNS services:

    • Block 235 million threats before they reach your network.
    • Scan and categorize 1 million+ domains using real-time AI.
    • Process 200 billion DNS requests across our global infrastructure.

    What are the Benefits of Protective DNS?

    Continuous SecurityContinuous Security:

    PDNS blocks malicious websites and prevents threats like malware, phishing, and ransomware at the source. With PreCheck, this protection stays active even on networks that traditionally break DNS security.

    Visibility Real-Time Visibility:

    Provides monitoring and logs of DNS queries across your entire fleet, allowing you to detect suspicious traffic and analyze behavior no matter where users connect.

    Better Control of Devices and NetworksUninterrupted Control:

    Maintain centralized management of DNS traffic. Enforce security policies and maintain compliance across all managed devices without the "connectivity vs. security" trade-off.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How does PDNS work?

    Most DNS security setups that validate DNS records (DNS Security Extensions, DNSSEC), or encrypt DNS traffic for protection against malicious eavesdropping (DNS-over-TLS/ DoT or DNS-over-HTTPS/DoH) do not address the trustworthiness of upstream DNS infrastructure that may be compromised or maliciously provisioned. PDNS addresses these concerns by using an external DNS resolver that implements standard protective DNS policies.


    One of the main functions of the resolver is to examine the domain name queries and the returned IP addresses against threat intelligence. This way, the resolver can help prevent connections to known and suspected malicious domains. Protective DNS (PDNS) operates as a service and is not itself a DNS protocol.

    What is PDNS and why is it important?

    DNS is at the heart of internet operations, but it is not built with security out of the box. Because of this, malicious actors find it attractive to design attacks around the protocol.
    ‍

    These attacks can lead to data exfiltration from compromised hosts, installation of malicious software, the spread of network worms, and ransomware.

    Cybersecurity teams, in looking to strengthen the safety of company networks, leverage PDNS to secure an ever-expanding collection of devices, access points, and users. Proper DNS protection offers a zero-trust security solution for any end-user accessing the internet on your network. These services create a secure environment requiring no action or training on your end.


    Read the full overview on What Protective DNS is and Why it is Important.

    PDNS Compliance with NSA & CISA

    Following the joint statement, the NSA and CISA also released a report listing the guidelines for selecting a Protective DNS provider. These criteria, though not exhaustive, are considered to be the most important attributes to look out for when choosing a Protective DNS provider.


    The list below shows how DNSFilter satisfies the requirements stated in the report:

    -Blocks Malware Domains

    -Blocks Phishing Domains

    -Malware Domain Generation Algorithm (DGA) Protection

    -Leverages machine learning or other heuristics to augment threat feeds

    -Content filtering

    -Supports API access for SIEM integration or custom analytics

    -Web Interface dashboard

    -Validates DNSSEC

    -DoH/DoT capable

    What is the difference between DNS and PDNS?

    Traditional DNS translates domain names into IP addresses but doesn’t filter harmful sites. PDNS adds an extra layer of security by filtering out malicious or suspicious domains, providing an additional barrier to threats.

    What types of businesses benefit the most from PDNS?

    Organizations of all sizes benefit from PDNS, but it’s particularly useful for:

     

    • Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs): Offers affordable, easy-to-implement security without the need for extensive IT infrastructure.

    • Managed Service Providers (MSPs): Provides an additional security layer to clients, improving overall service offerings.

    • Government and Public Sector: Enhances security and privacy for sensitive data by blocking access to harmful sites.

    Customers love us, threats hate us

    What's New