Block Threats Before They Reach Your Devices
DNS filtering that stops malicious connections at the network level — before anything is downloaded, clicked, or compromised.
How Most Threats Actually Get In
The majority of cyberattacks don’t start with a sophisticated exploit. They start with a click. A user visits a website that looks legitimate, or follows a link in an email, and that single connection is enough to download malware, hand over credentials, or give an attacker a foothold in your network.
Traditional security tools catch threats after they land. DNS filtering stops them before the connection is even made.
What DNS Filtering Does
Every time a device on your network tries to visit a website, it first performs a DNS lookup — translating the web address into an IP address. DNS filtering intercepts that lookup and checks the destination against a continuously updated database of known malicious, suspicious, and inappropriate domains.
If the destination is flagged, the connection is blocked. The device never reaches the site. The threat never gets a chance to execute.
This happens in milliseconds, invisibly, across every device on your network — laptops, desktops, servers, and mobile devices when connected via your network or VPN.
What We Deploy
Host-It uses DNSFilter — a cloud-based DNS security platform purpose-built for businesses. We deploy it across your environment, configure policies to match your requirements, and manage it as part of your overall IT service.
What’s Included
- Deployment and configuration across all managed devices and network locations
- Blocking of malware, phishing, ransomware, and botnet domains
- Content filtering policies — restrict access to categories that don’t belong in a business environment
- Roaming protection — DNS filtering applies even when users are off your network
- Reporting and visibility — see what’s being blocked, by whom, and when
- Continuous database updates — new threats added in real time without manual intervention
Why This Matters for Your Business
DNS filtering is one of the highest-impact, lowest-friction security controls you can implement. It requires no agent installation on most devices, has no noticeable impact on performance, and stops a significant percentage of threats before they ever interact with your systems.
It’s also a control specifically recommended by the Cyber Essentials framework, and referenced in both CIS and NIST guidance as a foundational network security measure.
For businesses handling client data, financial records, or operating in regulated industries, DNS filtering also contributes to demonstrable security controls — useful for insurance assessments, client due diligence, and audit purposes.
How It Fits With the Rest of Your Security
DNS filtering works best as part of a layered security approach. At Host-It, it sits alongside:
- Endpoint detection and response via Huntress — catching threats that do reach devices
- MFA and identity controls — preventing credential-based attacks
- Backup and recovery — ensuring you can recover even if something gets through
- Patch management — closing vulnerabilities before they can be exploited
No single tool stops everything. The goal is layers — each one catching what the others miss.
Start With a Free Security Review
We’ll assess your current network security posture, identify where DNS filtering would have the most impact, and give you a plain-English picture of your exposure.
Book Your Free Security Review
Or read our free guide: Secured: The Cybersecurity Survival Guide for Irish Business Owners — the practical framework behind everything we do.