But it’s not only websites that require DNS to work properly. Your network has an IP address that shows the location you’re accessing the internet from. This is usually provided by your ISP, but it can be changed. In fact, before VPNs were a thing, smart DNS services were a popular way to access blocked content due to geo-restrictions. They change your DNS to one of its servers, allowing you to change your IP and, therefore, your virtual location. But playing with the DNS settings can offer more than that. It can also be used as a helpful tool for parents looking to keep their kids safe online.
How to set up DNS blocking
It’s important to know that DNS can only block websites in their entirety. This is fine for domains that you don’t want your kids to access at all, but DNS blocking doesn’t allow you to block specific content within a website. For instance, imagine that you don’t mind that your kid goes on Reddit, but you don’t want them to access subreddits with mature content. This is something that DNS blocking isn’t able to do, and we recommend using standard parental control software for this instead.
The easiest way to use a DNS to block specific categories is by using OpenDNS’s free service, Family Shield. It comes pre-configured and you just need to change your DNS address to the one provided by OpenDNS. For example, if you only want to use Family Shield on your kid’s computer, you can do so by opening your network settings and manually inserting the DNS provided by OpenDNS.
Still, this will only block websites displaying adult content. For more control, we recommend going for OpenDNS’s (also free) Home service. This provides basic protection and allows you to select which website categories you want to block and even prevent access to specific domains. Although this process requires a bit more work than Family Shield, you can find thorough and easy-to-follow guides on the OpenDNS website for all types of devices.
Risks of parental control DNS
DNS is a prime target for cybercriminals, and although OpenDNS is considered to be fairly secure, it’s still important to be aware of the risks and how to mitigate them – especially for kids, who might not understand how important online security is. Fortunately, most DNS attacks are directed at companies. Hackers will try to gain access to the backend of a company’s website, create similar domain names to get companies’ emails, or redirect traffic to their phishing web page.
Things get trickier when a hacker tries to hijack your DNS with a middle-man attack or cache poisoning. The former redirects you to a phishing website when you’re trying to access a safe domain, whereas the latter takes advantage of your cache to inject fraudulent addressing information. Then, the next time you or your child tries to access the infected website, you’ll instead be redirected to a domain controlled by the hacker.
Thankfully, there are solutions to protect you from both types of attacks. VPNs are an excellent choice to browse the internet safely, as they encrypt all data at a military-grade level. This way, no hacker will be able to exploit your DNS while information is in transit. On the other hand, the best way to protect your family from cache poisoning is by regularly clearing your browser’s cache – either manually or by using registry cleaner software.
Daniel C.
Inês P.
