Christian DNS filters, filters that respect religions

Christian DNS filters are browsing filters geared toward blocking contents that are contrary to Christian beliefs or religious beliefs in general. We know that DNS filters are services designed to protect internet browsing in general, but not all of them include a categorization of sites to be blocked which is specifically designed to protect morals. In the best filtering services, however, Christian DNS filters are a component that can make a difference in choice. Consider, for example, a church facility or religious educational institution. Its IT facilities will certainly prefer filtering services that include a “Christian DNS filter.” Let’s see how to build a DNS filter that provides for a “Christian DNS filter” and why it is useful.

1. What a Christian DNS filter is

A Christian DNS filter is a specific filter that aims at blocking sites and contents that are contrary to Christian beliefs. This means blacklisting different categories of sites, for example, those which deal with pornographic contents, sites that glorify violence, sites that buy and sell weapons, pedophile sites and communities, and even sites of sects or those sites which profess alternative doctrines which are not universally recognized.

Moreover, a Christian filter could also be useful in protecting the browsing of followers of other religions. For example, a Muslim school might feel the need to block access to sites selling alcohol. Or, similarly, a Jewish educational facility might want to prevent access to online shellfish retailers. In short, a DNS filter which provides blocks that are respectful of religious cultures is not only appropriate but, in certain circles, necessary.

2. Why a Christian DNS filter is always important

A Christian DNS filter is useful not only in a school or a particular religious context. Because of its characteristics, it is certainly useful in the protection of private browsing, as well. Today, teenagers surf the internet from a variety devices and for several hours a day. Their browsing is constantly undermined by the dangers lurking on the internet. At any time, they can risk finding themselves browsing dangerous sites, resulting in disastrous repercussions for their mental well-being.

It is important, therefore, that one use an up-to-date, DNS filtering service that provides a comprehensive black list and takes into account the religious beliefs of families and those on the personal devices that are found in the hands of the most defenseless.

At the same time, a DNS filter should not be too restrictive. For example, it may be counterproductive to activate a total block of YouTube. Those managing the IT infrastructure of an educational institution, in fact, too often solve the problem with a total block. Consequently, students and teachers are not granted access to useful, educational contents found on YouTube.

It is now possible to avoid complete blocking. DNS filtering services are becoming increasingly sophisticated and provide point-in-time blocking of content, preventing the need to completely block access to the web service.

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3. What a good “Christian” filter should be like

“FreeFiltering is a web filtering system designed to make the internet a ‘Safer Place for Souls.’ That means we will help you block websites dedicated to promoting evil.” This is the official description of an American start-up company that was founded in 2021 and has developed a Christian DNS filter. The “daddy who doesn’t like the devil,” as founder Michael Lee Mason refers to himself, has made a tool that is guaranteed to block 99.9 percent of “evil contents.”

Among these, in addition to pornographic contents, FreeFiltering guarantees the blocking of LGBT+ contents and sites where the word “abortion” appears. The service is free, and the model is based upon a “multilevel marketing” type of plan. In fact, the site advertises the “FreeFiltering Independent Evangelist Program,” by which members profit if they recommend the service to others and it is then activated.

Setting the business model aside, the filter runs the risk of being too orthodox. If, in fact, a blanket block is activated on sites that contain the word “abortion,” it is very easy for the number of false negatives – that is, content that is blocked but not dangerous – to be greatly overstated. For example, sites for medical establishments, on whose pages the word appears, might be blocked, even though the establishments themselves do not offer the service.

Additionally, technically speaking, blocking is done by modifying the home router. This means routing all traffic to and from the web to a private server, about which nothing is known. The blacklist that is in charge of controlling access requests is on that server, predictably slowing down browsing.

Ultimately, a good Christian filter must be of a higher quality. While it must provide for the blocking of sites that are contrary to religious beliefs, it must also be very careful in the handling of false negatives. For this reason, it is essential to work directly on the specific page and on the context, while using tools for semantic understanding of the text, as well. Furthermore, it must be updated constantly and be able to detect dangerous sites that are hiding behind seemingly clean DNSs.

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4. Why it is better to rely on a DNS filtering service

If one expects quality, even when protecting oneself from contents contrary to religious beliefs, one should choose a sound, fee-based DNS filtering service. Let’s see why it is more cost-effective for a religious institution or family setting to activate a fee-based DNS filter like FlashStart.

First of all, running DNS filtering of sites is definitely more effective. Without getting into too many of the technicalities, suffice it to say that if one based filtering on the domain name, it would be easy for cyber criminals to bypass the protections because they could completely clone the site of a religious institution while posting sectarian or supremacist contents, for example.

Another distinguishing feature of a quality DNS filter, like FlashStart, is Anycast network monitoring. This is a global service for monitoring sites and the paths to reach them. In technical terms, using Anycast network minimizes latency while monitoring the site requested by the user.

Artificial intelligence algorithms contained within the FlashStart service also enable it to inspect up to 200 thousand sites per day, support twenty-four different languages, and recognize ninety categories based upon their contents. This improves the quality of the service and prevents access to sites that might prove harmless.

Another feature that sets FlashStart apart from the competition is its native integration with Microsoft’s Active Directory service, that is, within Microsoft networks. For technicians dealing with the IT infrastructure, this is a great advantage in terms of time, and it allows the entire network to be better protected. Finally, another unique feature of the FlashStart solution is geoblocking: the blocking of access to sites that are geographically located in countries that are considered to be dangerous.

The cloud-based FlashStart service is available in several models. FlashStart PRO is designed to protect SMEs and families. PRO Plus expands functionality in order to protect businesses, schools, and government agencies. The hybrid firewall is a complete protection solution that also includes the hardware appliance, and, finally, FlashStart has a specific solution for internet service providers and carriers.

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You can activate the FlashStart® Cloud protection on any sort of Router and Firewall to secure desktop and mobile devices and IoT devices on local networks.