On corporate networks, employee Internet abuse is responsible for massive losses in productivity and is one of the leading threats to enterprise security. Home networks are not immune to the hazards of an open network. Children may introduce malware through P2P applications, gain access to inappropriate content, and possibly expose their parents to legal liability.

Although many companies and some home users attempt to control access through firewall filtering rules and proxy servers, these solutions may require considerable knowledge and effort. However, an additional layer of protection is now easier than ever to implement on networks of all sizes.

Domain name service, or DNS, is the means by which a user-friendly URL is translated into an Internet protocol, or IP, address. Every request for a domain name must be resolved to the IP address of the appropriate server so that routing and communication can take place. By default, these requests are made to the DNS servers at the user's ISP; however, the DNS settings may be changed in either the operating system or the gateway appliance (such as a home broadband router).

OpenDNS is an alternative DNS provider that offers many advantages over those offered by the ISP. With this service, users can view and manage usage statistics, block various categories of inappropriate content, white- and blacklist specific domains, and avoid known phishing sites. Users also are given the option of blocking proxy sites that could be used to bypass the filtering rules.

The service is provided without cost to the consumer. OpenDNS derives its income from sponsored ads that appear in the search pages, to which users are redirected if an invalid URL is requested. Although blocked sites may still be reached by server IP addresses, for most users this is not an issue. Visit www.opendns.com to find out more.