A very easy and effective way to block phishing, porn, and other unwanted content is to use a DNS service that blocks address resolution for these sites.
Sorry, I probably lost most of you with that last statement. Let me explain.
DNS, or Domain Name System, is the Internet’s address book. DNS translates web addresses (also e-mail destinations and addresses for other purposes) like http://www.cnn.com into cryptic IP addresses like 64.236.91.22. These IP addresses are what our browsers and e-mail programs actually use to send and receive information. But since names like cnn.com are easier to remember, we use those instead, and DNS does the translation for us without our even having to think of it.
Instead of using your ISP’s DNS, consider using ScrubIT, a reliable DNS provider that “filters” unwanted sites like porn and phishing, so that any wayward clicks in spam or phishing e-mails takes you to a page that says your access has been blocked.
ScrubIT is free, and it takes only a couple of minutes to set up. If you have several computers and a home router, you can configure your home router to use ScrubIT, which will automatically protect all computers in the home. Similarly enterprises can use ScrubIT as one means for blocking access to porn and phishing.
Simply configure these two addresses as your DNS servers and you’re set: 67.138.54.100 and 207.225.209.66 .
Visit ScrubIT here: http://www.scrubit.com/
You should not rely upon ScrubIT alone to protect yourself from unwanted events. Practice a defense-in-depth strategy to protect your systems and your information from unauthorized access, disclosure, and harm.
Also see my post on OpenDNS.
Peter H. Gregory 