What is CSAM?

CSAM (Child Sexual Abuse Material) refers to any content that depicts the sexual exploitation of children, including images, videos, or digital files. It is a legal term that has replaced older terminology such as “child pornography,” which minimized the abusive and criminal nature of the content. CSAM is universally illegal to create, possess, or distribute, and laws worldwide impose strict penalties for involvement with such material.

In cybersecurity, CSAM is treated as a zero-tolerance category. Technology providers, Internet service providers (ISPs), and security platforms are required to detect, block, and report CSAM when it appears on their networks.

Why CSAM Matters in Cybersecurity

CSAM is not only a human rights issue but also a direct security and compliance concern. Because the Internet is the primary vehicle for distribution, companies and platforms that provide online services are at risk of being exploited as channels for this material. Failing to prevent CSAM circulation can bring severe legal penalties, erode public trust, and drain organizational resources.

The responsibility to fight CSAM is shared across the digital ecosystem. ISPs, DNS providers, cloud services, and security platforms all play essential roles in detection and prevention. Organizations such as the WeProtect Global Alliance, the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) coordinate global intelligence-sharing and reporting, ensuring that CSAM databases and detection technologies remain current.

Causes of CSAM Circulation

Understanding why CSAM continues to circulate online is critical to designing effective countermeasures. Offenders rely on both mainstream and hidden platforms to distribute abusive material, often leveraging new technologies to stay ahead of detection.

Key channels include:

• File-sharing and encrypted messaging apps that allow direct peer-to-peer exchanges without oversight.
• Dark web forums and hidden services that provide anonymity and persistence.
• Compromised cloud storage and hosting services where legitimate platforms are abused for illegal storage.
• AI-generated content and deepfakes that simulate abuse, creating new challenges for detection.

Effects of CSAM on Networks and Organizations

The presence of CSAM on any network or service has immediate and severe consequences. Beyond the obvious legal violations, the impact touches compliance, reputation, and human resources.

Organizations face:

• Legal and compliance risks, including liability and heavy government fines.
• Reputational damage if platforms are associated with hosting or enabling CSAM.
• Operational costs from incident response, moderation, and law enforcement coordination.
• Human impact, since moderators and analysts tasked with reviewing flagged content often suffer secondary trauma.

These effects make proactive CSAM blocking essential for any organization that provides digital services or public access networks.

How CSAM Detection and Blocking Works

CSAM detection requires specialized approaches because the material is both illegal and harmful. Unlike other categories of content, CSAM cannot be tolerated under any circumstances, which makes accurate detection and strong safeguards critical.

Detection and blocking methods include:

• Hash matching: Tools such as Microsoft’s PhotoDNA and Canada’s Project Arachnid compare files against known CSAM hashes.
  
  
• AI and image analysis: Machine learning models scan images and videos to flag suspected CSAM, including altered or newly generated content.
  
  
• DNS filtering and blocklists: DNS providers enforce mandatory protections by integrating feeds from watchdog organizations. For example, DNSFilter partners with the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) and Project Arachnid to ensure that abusive domains are 100% blocked for every customer by default. This category of filtering cannot be disabled, reflecting the zero-tolerance stance required by law and ethical responsibility.
  
  
• Manual review protocols: Human moderators handle edge cases using trauma-informed practices.
  
  
• Compliance reporting: Platforms must report flagged cases to authorities such as the NCMEC CyberTipline.

Comparing CSAM Filtering to Other Filtering Types

Filtering technologies share a common goal of controlling harmful or unwanted content, but CSAM filtering is unique because it is legally mandated and carries zero tolerance.

Unlike productivity or security filters, CSAM filtering cannot be disabled or adjusted by user preference.

By the Numbers: CSAM Threat Landscape

The scale of CSAM threats continues to grow, with alarming increases in reports and detections worldwide.

• 128% more CSAM was blocked by DNSFilter in Q4 2024 than in all of 2023, reflecting both rising circulation and stronger detection efforts. (Source: DNSFilter Newsroom)
  
• The NCMEC CyberTipline recorded a 1,325% increase in CSAM reports involving Generative AI in 2024, rising from 4,700 in 2023 to 67,000 reports. (Source: NCMEC CyberTipline Data)
  

Examples of CSAM Mitigation

Combating CSAM requires coordinated action across industries, from schools and ISPs to cloud providers and hospitality networks. No single organization can address the problem alone, but each has a responsibility to make exploitation harder by controlling access, monitoring platforms, and complying with reporting laws. Real-world examples of CSAM mitigation show how these responsibilities are carried out in practice and highlight the diverse strategies organizations adopt to protect users and prevent abuse.

• Schools and libraries enforce CSAM filtering as part of CIPA compliance, ensuring students cannot access or be exposed to exploitative material. DNSFilter simplifies CIPA compliance for K–12 districts and higher education, providing administrators peace of mind.
  
  
• DNS providers apply blocklists that automatically deny access to CSAM-related domains, often sourced from trusted global partners like IWF.
  
  
• Cloud platforms scan uploaded content with hash-matching tools such as PhotoDNA.
  
  
• ISPs implement blocking at the network level to comply with legal directives.
  
  
• Hotels and hospitality networks prevent access to CSAM through on-premises Wi-Fi, disrupting real-world exploitation attempts.

Who Uses CSAM Filtering

CSAM filtering is deployed by organizations across the digital ecosystem, not only for security but to fulfill legal obligations:

• DNS filtering providers embedding CSAM protections into resolution services.
• Cloud storage and file-sharing services ensuring uploads do not contain abusive content.
• K–12 and higher education institutions protecting students and meeting compliance requirements.
• Enterprise security teams in healthcare, finance, and government sectors.
• Retail and hospitality providers safeguarding public-access Wi-Fi from being abused.

Related Terms

• Web Filtering
• IP Filtering
• URL Filtering
• Content Filtering
• Application Blocking
  
  

Protect your network from illegal content exposure. Learn how DNSFilter enforces CSAM blocking as part of a comprehensive security and compliance strategy.