Using & Implementing OpenDNS

Before we dive into why you should use OpenDNS, we’ll need to explain what “DNS” is and how it affects your internet safety. Basically, when you go to a website like www.google.com your computer doesn’t know where it points to and will then ask the DNS server for the IP address (97.125.91.104). Most likely, you’re using your Internet Service Provider’s (ISP) DNS server. Unfortunately, this can be the weakest part of your network/computer security. Your ISP’s DNS server has no security controls and could possibly even affect your internet speed.Fortunately, to solve this problem is completely free by using OpenDNS. OpenDNS can speed up your internet connection and offer additional security features. While I recommend that your signup for OpenDNS, you can start utilizing it right away by simply opening up your Network Connections or Router’s setting page and update the default DNS server to point to OpenDNS’s nameserver: 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220.

I highly recommend that you signup for OpenDNS as you can access the following features:

• Web Content Filtering
• Block any website or category
• Malware/Botnet Protection
• Phishing Protection

Web Content Filtering

OpenDNS offers various levels of protection: high, moderate, low or custom. You can block themes like Alcohol, Hate/Discrimination, Tasteless, Adult Themes, Nudity, Pornography, Adware, Drugs, Gambling, and P2P/File Sharing.

In addition, you can block individual websites or allow specific websites. For example, let’s say you block “Social Networking” but it’s alright for you & your users to access “facebook.com”. Simply scroll down to “Manage individual domains” and  select “Never Block” and enter “facebook.com”. Note, it’s better to enter “facebook.com” rather than “www.facebook.com” and the prior will allow facebook.com and any subdomain.

The other great content filtering feature is malware/botnet protection. Here’s the description provided by OpenDNS: “When certain Internet-scale botnets are discovered or particularly malicious malware hits, we offer protection to all our users so that as many people as possible can be protected from the threat. At this time, this feature blocks the Conficker virus and the Internet Explorer Zero Day Exploit, and is continually expanded to include other types of malicious sites.”

Other Protection Features

• SmartCache
  OpenDNS’s proprietary DNS caching technology finds and locates the last known good IP address for Web sites that are experiencing difficulty, making Web sites that are down for the rest of the Internet load for OpenDNS users.
• OpenDNS Guide
  Provides responsible and helpful search results for people on your network when they make typos in the address bar, freeing them of the annoying error page experience.
• Shortcuts
  Browser shortcuts let your users map a short term to a long URL via the address bar.
• Typo Correction
  Automatic typo correction auto-corrects the most common typos in top-level domains like .com, .edu and .net.

In conclusion, OpenDNS is a great way to protect your computers from undesirable Internet content but that’s not all.  Businesses can definitely use it in the workplace.  I personally use it to improve my Internet experience. To get an idea of how popular, effective, and trusted OpenDNS is you can check out a list of their business customers.