DNS Protection: An Overlooked Layer Of Cybersecurity

How MSPs Can Protect Clients at the Network’s Edge

Uncontrolled internet access is a high-risk activity for any business, regardless of size, but it is particularly dangerous for the small to medium- sized businesses (SMB) that make up a managed service providers’ client base. Unfortunately, endpoint security alone is no longer enough to keep clients safe from modern cyberattacks. And, as MSPs well know, remediating threats that have successfully infiltrated the network is challenging and extremely time-consuming. That’s why today’s MSPs are increasingly turning to services that can stop threats before they hit the network.

The domain name system, or DNS, is a hierarchical naming convention for services, computers, and any other resources connected to the internet or a private network. DNS servers take text-based browser inputs and translate them into the unique internet protocol (IP) addresses that direct devices and services to the desired site. By redirecting end user web traffic through a cloud-based, domain-layer security solution, MSPs can finely tune and enforce web access policies, ensure regulatory compliance, and stop nearly 90% of threats at the network’s edge.

When MSPs layer DNS protection with endpoint protection, they give clients comprehensive security that can handle modern threats, without imposing huge cost or bandwidth burdens. Unlike internet proxy servers and web security appliances, which can be expensive to configure and manage, DNS protection solutions are lightweight and easy to deploy and maintain. That makes them an ideal fit for MSPs, who must not only consider the initial purchase cost, but also the time required to install, configure, and maintain a new security solution.