ITS will be implementing a Domain Name System (DNS) filtering product, Cisco Umbrella, to enhance protection against web-based threats.

DNS serves as a phonebook for Internet.  It translates human readable names to network addresses that your computer uses to retrieve content.  For example, https://uconn.edu is converted into 137.99.26.48.  Many attacks rely on DNS to trick a computer into installing malware.  Others leverage known domains for gathering credentials or ransomware encryption keys.  Cisco Umbrella is a flexible cloud-delivered security framework that provides protection against threats on the internet, such as malware, phishing, and ransomware.  Umbrella DNS filtering adds a layer of defense by managing and preventing access to names identified as dangerous.  This is transparent for most activities, but it presents a page with information and a link to report false positives when someone attempts to visit a website classified as a security threat.

ITS will incorporate Cisco Umbrella into the university DNS infrastructure on Monday, February 1, 2021.  No additional configuration will be necessary for machines that are already using central services for name resolution.

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