While most organizations have strengthened their firewalls, endpoints, and email protection, one critical part of the security stack is often overlooked: the Domain Name System (DNS).
Every connection to the internet starts with a DNS query—and attackers know it. According to anIDC study reported by SecurityInfoWatch, 88% of organizations experienced one or more DNS attacks in 2023, with each successful incident costing an average of $942,000. DNS remains one of the most targeted and costly attack surfaces today.
As organizations look to strengthen this layer, it’s important to understand the difference between DNS security and DNS protection. DNS security is the foundation and prevents phishing, ransomware, and data loss. Protective DNS (PDNS), the operational layer that enforces DNS security at scale, stops these threats before they ever reach users or systems.
Here are the benefits of DNS protection and how strengthening your DNS layer helps protect users, boost visibility, and improve control across your network.
DNS Protection: Stopping Threats Where They Start
Every internet request begins with DNS. When a user clicks a link or an app connects to a service, a DNS lookup translates the domain name into an IP address. That makes the DNS layer one of the most strategic control points for blocking threats early, before they can reach endpoints or firewalls.
DNS protection intercepts these lookups, preventing connections to domains known or suspected to host malware, phishing sites, or command-and-control infrastructure. This early interception lightens the load on perimeter tools and stops attacks before they spread.
It also aligns with Zero Trust principles: “Never trust, always verify.” In a Zero Trust model, every request must be validated before it’s allowed to connect. DNS filtering enforces this verification automatically, providing real-time protection that scales across users and devices.
As highlighted in our 2025 Cybersecurity Predictions, nearly nine in ten cyberattacks involve DNS at some stage of the kill chain. Strengthening this layer offers the biggest return for the smallest operational lift.
Phishing Prevention: The Most Overlooked DNS Benefit
Phishing campaigns have evolved far beyond generic emails. Attackers now use AI-generated messages, lookalike domains, QR-code phishing, and MFA fatigue tactics to bypass traditional filters.
A strong DNS protection solution stops these attacks at the source. If a user clicks a malicious link, no matter where it comes from, the DNS request simply fails. The page never loads, and the threat never reaches the user.
Modern DNS protection platforms (like DNSFilter) use AI-driven domain classification to detect and block new phishing sites within minutes of their registration. That proactive approach outpaces email filters or endpoint systems that depend on known threat signatures.
Stopping Ransomware Before It Executes
Ransomware remains one of the most damaging and costly threats for organizations worldwide. The Microsoft Digital Defense Report 2025 notes that ransomware continues to drive a large portion of global incidents.
DNS protection neutralizes ransomware early by blocking command-and-control callbacks which are the communication channels malware uses to download encryption keys or transmit stolen data. By cutting off these connections, DNS protection stops an infection from spreading or exfiltrating information. This early-stage blocking can save businesses millions in downtime, recovery, and data loss.
Smarter Access Controls and Productivity Management
DNS protection also helps organizations enforce acceptable-use policies and maintain compliance with frameworks like HIPAA, PCI DSS, and ISO 27001.
By controlling access at the DNS layer, IT teams can block high-risk or time-wasting domains such as gambling, adult content, or streaming platforms. This keeps employees safer online and reduces distractions during working hours.
Visibility and Insight: The Hidden DNS Advantage
DNS protection provides deep visibility into how users, devices, and applications connect to the internet. Every DNS query generates telemetry that can reveal shadow IT tools, risky SaaS usage, or potential data exfiltration.
With DNSFilter, that telemetry becomes actionable. You can analyze lookup patterns, feed DNS data into your SIEM, and detect anomalies long before they become incidents. This enhanced visibility bridges the gap between network and endpoint security, giving teams the insights they need to act faster.
How Protective DNS Strengthens Zero Trust
As organizations move toward Zero Trust architectures, DNS protection has become a key control point.
Zero Trust requires continuous verification of every user, device, and application. No assumptions of safety, no implicit trust. Protective DNS enforces that rule at scale by automatically inspecting every query and blocking unauthorized or malicious requests.
And the best protection does it all while being lightweight, fast to deploy, and working across on-prem, hybrid, and remote environments.
DNSFilter in Action
DNSFilter’s DNS protection is powerful and it’s easy to use.
In the 90s and early 2000s, having a cell phone was a big deal. Text messages were a luxury. Phone calls to your friends without being tethered to the wall was an indulgence. Free nights and weekends were top tier. Handing a kid one of those indestructible bricks with the ringback tones was like giving them a key to the world at large.
While most organizations have strengthened their firewalls, endpoints, and email protection, one critical part of the security stack is often overlooked: the Domain Name System (DNS).
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