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Sunbelt Software unveils ClearCloud, an anti-malware DNS
There's one thing pretty much all of my retail customers could use: a little extra help avoiding malicious websites and links while browsing the internet. Sunbelt Software -- who develop a handful of very capable antivirus and firewall apps -- think so too, and are offering a new service called ClearCloud to provide that help.
ClearCloud operates just like OpenDNS and Google Public DNS. Simply change the default DNS server settings on your computer or router to point at the ClearCloud servers and you're all set. The difference here is that Sunbelt is in the security business and they're actively scanning the Web 24/7 for threats. Switch to ClearCloud, and you tap into their defense network without the need to install any additional software.
Any DNS requests your computer sends (and in case you don't know, it sends tons of them... ) are automatically checked to ensure they're not putting you in harm's way. Since this is a DNS service, it'll work on any operating system and pretty much any Internet-connected device. Here's how Sunbelt breaks it down:
ClearCloud operates just like OpenDNS and Google Public DNS. Simply change the default DNS server settings on your computer or router to point at the ClearCloud servers and you're all set. The difference here is that Sunbelt is in the security business and they're actively scanning the Web 24/7 for threats. Switch to ClearCloud, and you tap into their defense network without the need to install any additional software.
Any DNS requests your computer sends (and in case you don't know, it sends tons of them... ) are automatically checked to ensure they're not putting you in harm's way. Since this is a DNS service, it'll work on any operating system and pretty much any Internet-connected device. Here's how Sunbelt breaks it down:
ClearCloud is part of the DNS network, and has access to every URL in the world. When you type in the URL in your browser and click "Go" or "Enter," your browser sends the URL to ClearCloud. ClearCloud looks it up in a table, checks it against the list of bad websites, and if it passes, sends back the numeric IP address so your browser knows where to go to get the web page. All in milliseconds.
If ClearCloud discovers that it's a bad URL, it sends back the IP address of our webpage that informs you about the malicious site.
It's that simple.
Best of all, it looks like ClearCloud will be totally free to use. If you're looking for an added light-weight layer of protection for your computers, ClearCloud is well worth checking out. Instructions on how to get it working are provided in the Sunbelt forums, but here's the info you technical types are after: 74.118.212.1 and 74.118.212.2.
Comments
11
Subscribe to commentsTimoJul 14th 2010 11:40AM
Interesting, I thought Google and OpenDNS offered this sort of blocking? I could be wrong.
It would be interesting to see how fast the service is compared to Google and OpenDNS
Nakul SharmaJul 14th 2010 12:02PM
I thought that too OpenDNS and Google provided protection but I was wrong when my father opened some junk email(not filtered by hotmail) and it was blocked by malwarebytes.
theampJul 14th 2010 11:46AM
And I thought the Sunbelt buyout by GFI was gonna suck. Oh well, guess I'll try this out.
fiendsanJul 14th 2010 11:59AM
opendns has some protections as in phishtank still not completely malware, its free cause probably they are going for the same business as opendns, to reedirect your dns queries to pages that have search when dns is down or pages that tell you why they blocked, both with ads, i see the point, but i like my dns to give errors when it hits a block, or a server is down, but i do see the plus side for newbies...
besides i like my malware protection to be automated (like in google malware protection) or managed by non-profit groups (like hphosts), not by companies.
jfjbJul 15th 2010 9:52AM
I second your opinion, dude, about 'companies' doing a good deed.
In business, there are NO good deeds, unless they affect the business itself.
jbJul 14th 2010 1:23PM
opendns does this if you create an account and setup the filters by placing a check in the appropriate category. opendns also just came out with family shield that blocks inappropriate content as well as malware without creating an account.
216Jul 14th 2010 2:25PM
OpenDNS blocks against phishing, adware, spyware, and any other kind of malware as long as you have an account and you have the proper filters selected
jfjbJul 15th 2010 10:35AM
Not the first time my comments don't show. Any clue?
Here is what I punched in:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Steve Gibson's DNS Benchmark refers to these as having "no official Internet DNS name", maybe because they are in the cloud.
It ranks their access speed --South Florida testing -- way down the chart.
Am I reading some infomercial blah-blah-blah as we all have seen Comodo do a while ago with its own private personal DNS?
Or is it a fact that cloud filtering slooows down connections?
The ClearCloud site speaks of milliseconds but the above-mentioned test results read differently.
My two-cents, I may be wrong.
Surf' up, dudes and dudettes.
jfjbJul 15th 2010 10:40AM
I meant to say: their access speed is at the very bottom of the chart.
powerhouselb2Jul 15th 2010 1:40PM
Sounds pretty useful. I get a lot of co-workers with teen-aged kids asking me to tune up their machine. I think I'll give this a try. Hopefully, there won't be too much of a slowdown.
Doug AJul 16th 2010 10:08AM
I like Sunbelt, especially the VIPRE anti-virus, but I'll have to stick with OpenDNS that lets me filter on inappropriate content as well, also for free.