I've recently been asked for a solution to prevent access to inappropriate material in a business. An article that was recently aired on Category5.tv that discuses the use of OpenDNS for this exact use!
As I use Bind9 (DNS server) as a caching DNS on my home network, I had it set to use my ISP's DNS servers, but just recently altered this to use OpenDNS.
To use OpenDNS you will need to sign-up (registration is free) before you can use this service, all the details on how to use OpenDNS are of course on their website. So what do you get by using this? Well depending on the service you opt for this gives various options, but the default free plan will cover most home networks needs with the following options…
High
Protects against all adult-related sites, illegal activity, social networking sites, video sharing sites, and general time-wasters. 27 categories in this group – View – Customize
Sites that distribute applications which display advertisements without user's knowledge or choice. Does NOT include sites which serve advertising.
Sites about alcohol use, commercial and otherwise.
Sites where you can chat in real-time with groups of people. Includes IRC.
Sites for buying and selling (or bartering) goods and services.
Sites for meeting other people.
Sites about illegal or recreational drug use.
Sites that offer space for hosting, sharing and backup of digital files.
Sites that offer gambling or information about gambling.
Sites that offer game play and information about games (news, tips, cheat codes).
Sites that promote intolerance based on gender, age, race, nationality, religion, sexual orientation or other group identities.
Sites that offer access or software to communicate in real-time with other individuals.
Sites that facilitate the sharing of digital files between individuals, especially via peer-to-peer software, including torrent sites.
Sites that promote interaction and networking between people.
Sites for sharing video content.
Sites for searching for images based on keywords.
Sites about weapons, commercial and otherwise.
Sites that offer the ability to send or receive email.
Sites for sharing photographs, as individual images, galleries and albums.
Sites that are adult in nature and are not defined in other rating categories. Note: This category should only be turned on if you want to be very restrictive on your network.
Sites that contain information on such subjects as mutilation, torture, horror, or the grotesque.
Sites displaying or dedicated to lingerie/bikini that could be considered adult-only.
Sites providing proxy bypass information or services. Also, sites that allow the user to surf the net anonymously, including sites that allow the user to send anonymous emails.
Sites that provide information, images or implications of bondage, sadism, masochism, fetish, beating, body piercing or self-mutilation.
Sites that provide images or representations of nudity.
Anything relating to pornography, including mild depiction, soft pornography or hard-core pornography.
Sites with discussions, including bulletin boards, message boards and forums.
By enabling phishing protection, you'll protect everyone on your network from known phishing sites using the best data available.
Moderate
Protects against all adult-related sites and illegal activity.
14 categories in this group – View – Customize
Sites that distribute applications which display advertisements without user's knowledge or choice. Does NOT include sites which serve advertising.
Sites about alcohol use, commercial and otherwise.
Sites for meeting other people.
Sites about illegal or recreational drug use.
Sites that offer gambling or information about gambling.
Sites that promote intolerance based on gender, age, race, nationality, religion, sexual orientation or other group identities.
Sites about weapons, commercial and otherwise.
Sites that contain information on such subjects as mutilation, torture, horror, or the grotesque.
Sites displaying or dedicated to lingerie/bikini that could be considered adult-only.
Sites providing proxy bypass information or services. Also, sites that allow the user to surf the net anonymously, including sites that allow the user to send anonymous emails.
Sites that provide information, images or implications of bondage, sadism, masochism, fetish, beating, body piercing or self-mutilation.
Sites that provide images or representations of nudity.
Anything relating to pornography, including mild depiction, soft pornography or hard-core pornography.
By enabling phishing protection, you'll protect everyone on your network from known phishing sites using the best data available.
Low
Protects against pornography and phishing.
5 categories in this group – View – Customize
Sites that contain information on such subjects as mutilation, torture, horror, or the grotesque.
Sites providing proxy bypass information or services. Also, sites that allow the user to surf the net anonymously, including sites that allow the user to send anonymous emails.
Sites that provide information, images or implications of bondage, sadism, masochism, fetish, beating, body piercing or self-mutilation.
Anything relating to pornography, including mild depiction, soft pornography or hard-core pornography.
By enabling phishing protection, you'll protect everyone on your network from known phishing sites using the best data available.
Minimal
Protects against phishing attacks.
1 category in this group – View – Customize
By enabling phishing protection, you'll protect everyone on your network from known phishing sites using the best data available.
None
Nothing blocked.
Custom
Choose the categories you want to block.
So as you can see, there is plenty of scope to cover what you want or don't want on your network and you can also add domains for review from OpenDNS should you find a site that you feel offensive … 😀
