6 Reasons Cloud Based DNS Security is Faster & Better at Killing Attacks

Posted by Geraldine Hunt on Mon, Feb 11th, 2019

A primary weakness of utilizing on-premise content filtering appliances or endpoint software protection is that the enterprise must wait until the malware reaches the perimeter or endpoint device before it can be detected and dealt with properly.  Even if the threat is eliminated, a connection to a malicious site is created, however brief that connection may be.  What if you could eradicate malicious threats before a connection was even made?

That is the beauty of cloud-based DNS security.  Not only does it provide far-reaching protection for your devices and users, it also does it faster than traditional methods.  Below are six reasons why cloud-based DNS security solutions eliminate threats so quickly and why you should consider it to proactively extend the protection shield of your enterprise.

It uses the DNS Layer

In the same manner that DNS provides the ability to resolve domain names to IP addresses, a DNS-layer security solution identifies potentially malicious websites by IP address.  The DNS resolving process takes place before a web connection is even engaged.  By placing your web content filtering process within the DNS layer, malicious web threats are eliminated sooner so that mischievous or damaging code never arrives at your perimeter.  Because it is blocking IP addresses, it can protect against command and control callbacks or data exfiltration attempts.  And just because it occurs within the DNS Layer, it doesn’t just protect port 53.  It protects all ports and protocols. 

The dirty work takes place in the cloud

It isn’t your DNS server that is involved in the process; it is a DNS service in the cloud.  This means that everything is taking place outside of your enterprise so that threats found amongst your web traffic are terminated before they ever reach your network or endpoint devices.  This is especially beneficial when inspecting SSL enabled sites.  Decrypting and encrypting web traffic is very CPU intensive, which can negatively impact the web experiences of your users.  With a cloud-based solution, the CPU processing burden is placed on the service provider resulting in a predictable experience regardless of traffic volume.

Deployment is quick and easy

There is nothing “quick” nor “easy” about implementing a new content filtering appliance or scaled endpoint application.  This isn’t the case with a cloud based DNS solution.  You don’t install a DNS –layer solution.  You simply redirect your DNS traffic towards the service provider’s server.  You do not have to wait for hardware to arrive on premise or worry about UAC prompts on end devices.  Simply redirect your DNS request to the designated IP address and the web protection process begins within minutes for all of your devices, regardless of operating system or form factor.

Instant Scalability and Coverage

All hardware appliances are built to accommodate a maximum amount of traffic.  Often times scaling your traffic entails scaling your device, which means purchasing an additional unit or a more robust replacement.  Scaling a cloud-based DNS content filtering solution is ridiculously easy.  Simply add more devices.  A cloud based service provider scales to their customer demands behind the scenes.  It also means that all of your devices are protected regardless of location.  This means that mobile devices experience the same level of protection whether on or off premise because the filtering process takes place in the cloud.  

Consolidated management is fast and efficient

Virtualization and other software defining datacenter solutions are constantly talking about the benefits of a single pane of glass management.  By managing the web sessions of all of your users regardless of location and device type through a unified portal, management is easy and comprehensive.  The ability to asses a potential threat through a single pane of glass allows for faster reaction times.

A perfect turnkey solution for Managed Service Providers

As a managed service provider, you do not have the manpower nor time to monitor content filtering devices for all of your customers.  Most likely, your customers do not want another appliance taking up space either.  Because of its ease of implementation and management, a cloud-based DNS-layer security solution is an ideal complementary service that can provide added income sources to your business model with very little time investment. 

A cloud-hosted DNS web-filtering solution offers complete protection against all types of threats including destructive viruses, malware, ransomware and of course phishing attack.   While on-premise solutions can offer comprehensive coverage as well, it cannot match the speed and efficiency of combatting threats “over there” before they have a chance of approaching your devices. 

These six reasons highlight the beauty, simplicity and unbeatable efficiency of cloud-based DNS security. By securing at the DNS layer, malicious threats are eliminated before damaging code reaches your network perimeter.