Click here to receive your FREE subscription to Campus Technology
News
OpenDNS To Launch Free Web Filtering for Education
2/8/2008
Just what is "people-powered security?" It's how OpenDNS describes its forthcoming Web filtering solution targeted toward education. The service, set to launch later this month, taps into the expertise of IT professionals in schools (and in the private sector) to create a sort of reverse social tagging, blocking potentially dangerous sites based on users' experiences. Like all of OpenDNS' services, this new one is free, including support for deployment and integration in existing campus infrastructures.
OpenDNS provides a variety of Internet services and is widely used in K-12 and post-secondary institutions. (Its free DNS service, for example, is used in more than 10,000 schools.) These services also include adult site blocking, protection from phishing via PhishTank.com, Web proxy blocking, and domain whitelisting.
The new service, currently undergoing final beta testing, uses "domain tagging" to allow individuals to place sites into categories that might be seen as potentially dangerous, inflammatory, counter-productive, or otherwise undesirable to schools, colleges, and universities. Other users then vote on the appropriateness of the tagging. With enough votes from OpenDNS users, a site will pass the threshold of acceptability and be pushed into an active (blocked) status in a given category.
"Communities are better at doing these things than companies," said OpenDNS CEO David Ulevitch, who spoke to us Wednesday. "This will become the most comprehensive database around."
Campus administrators can select from any of a variety of site types to block, and each category will continually expand as more and more sites are voted into oblivion. For example, if a school's policy is to block social networking sites from the WiFi network, the admin can subscribe to the social networking list. And as more and more sites are added to that list, they will become blocked. (There's also whitelisting functionality for those who want to allow certain sites in a category but block others.)
It should be noted that, over time, individual IT professionals will gain status in the system based on the accuracy of their submissions. Those with higher status will have greater weight in voting on sites. Eventually, some users will also reach "moderator" status.
Ulevitch said the company plans to keep its service free. "We're not going to charge for our filtering, especially when it's being generated by our professional IT users."
The new Web filtering service is expected to launch Feb. 20. It is presently undergoing beta testing. Those interested in participating in the beta can contact OpenDNS through the company's site. OpenDNS will also be releasing an API for open source developers who want to tap into the service.
More Information:
About the author: Dave Nagel is the executive editor for 1105 Media's educational technology online publications and electronic newsletters. He can be reached at dnagel@1105media.com.
Have any additional questions? Want to share your story? Want to pass along a news tip? Contact Dave Nagel, executive editor, at dnagel@1105media.com.
Cite this Site
copy text (above) for proper citation
Recommended Reading
- Moodle Gets SCORM Improvements, Security Fixes
New versions of Moodle have been released, bringing the most recent stable build to 1.9.3. The latest round of updates includes a number of bug fixes and security enhancements, as well as improvements to the SCORM module.
- Free 'Morro' Antivirus To Replace Microsoft OneCare
Microsoft is rolling out a free antivirus software program for consumers that will compete with products made by Symantec and McAfee. Code-named "Morro," the AV app is expected to be available by the end of 2009.
- Microsoft Demos New SQL Server Features at PASS
Microsoft Wednesday previewed the ability to centrally manage applications and resources in the planned upgrade of SQL Server, code-named "Kilimanjaro."
- Microsoft Unveils Exchange and SharePoint as Services
Microsoft exec Stephen Elop on Monday announced two hosted solutions from Microsoft--Exchange Online and SharePoint Online--which are now available to organizations of all sizes in the United States. The software, paid for by annual subscriptions, is hosted on Microsoft's servers and supported by Microsoft's channel partners.
- 6 Ways Not To Become Rote Using Instructional Technology
There are, in my experience, six strategies to consider with any use of technology that will guard against rote use of technology and facilitate critical analysis of teaching and learning effectiveness. In this article, I'll share with you the checklist I work with and encourage others to work with in learning about and using new technology.
- Bringing Student Web "Stuff" to Campus Enterprise Systems
How can an institution incorporate Web 2.0 learning opportunities for students, and evidence of learning from those opportunities, into existing campus technologies and processes? PlugJam is providing part of the answer.
