Elevate PDNS with Threat Intelligence Across the Stack

Protective DNS (PDNS) is a powerful first line of defense — but its effectiveness is only as strong as the intelligence that powers it. Designed to enforce security at the DNS layer, PDNS solutions can block known malicious domains, but often fall short when threats are hidden beyond the domain level. To close this gap, leading vendors are enriching PDNS architectures with real-time, full-path threat intelligence — enabling more dynamic, context-aware enforcement decisions that extend protection deeper into the security stack.

In this post, we explore how comprehensive security intelligence enhances PDNS-based defenses, empowering vendors to deliver smarter, more adaptive protection across today’s hybrid environments.

The Limits of Static Blocking in PDNS

Traditional PDNS implementations typically rely on static threat feeds or deny lists of known malicious domains. While this provides a foundational layer of protection, it falls short in several critical areas. Adversaries rapidly evolve their infrastructure, often outpacing static lists and creating dangerous gaps in coverage. And because PDNS operates at the domain and subdomain level, not full-path URLs, it frequently misses threats embedded deeper within trusted platforms.

For example, consider a phishing kit hosted at dropbox[.]com/shared/malware123. A PDNS solution lacks the granularity to detect and block that specific malicious URL without blacklisting the entire domain — which could disrupt legitimate usage. Without contextual metadata and full-path visibility, PDNS enforcement can become a blunt instrument, increasing false positives and letting sophisticated threats slip through.

To address these limitations, PDNS must be enhanced with real-time, context-rich threat intelligence that empowers more precise and adaptive decision-making.

Intelligence: The Engine Behind Smarter DNS Security

To evolve PDNS into a truly effective security control, vendors must move beyond static domain deny lists and integrate dynamic, real-time threat intelligence. This shift transforms PDNS from a basic blocking mechanism into an intelligent enforcement layer that can adapt to fast-moving campaigns, track adversary infrastructure, and apply more granular, context-aware policies.

zvelo supports this evolution by delivering a portfolio of purpose-built intelligence feeds that enrich PDNS-layer enforcement. At the domain and subdomain levels, zveloDB enables category-based filtering and access control, aligning PDNS policies with organizational standards and compliance mandates.

Beyond basic domain categorization, zvelo’s advanced threat feeds empower PDNS architectures to detect phishing URLs, identify full-path malicious indicators of compromise (IOCs), and inform adjacent controls across the security stack. With this intelligence, PDNS becomes more than just a gatekeeper — it becomes a dynamic contributor to proactive, layered defenses.

Where PDNS Stops, Intelligence Extends

PDNS excels at enforcing policies at the domain level, but threats don’t stop there — and neither should protection. While PDNS resolves and blocks known phishing and malicious domains, it cannot natively detect threats hidden at the full URL path or payload level. To bridge this visibility gap, PDNS must be paired with real-time intelligence that extends protection beyond domain resolution and into broader detection and response workflows.

By integrating PDNS with threat feeds that detect full-path URLs associated with malicious IOCs, phishing kits, and malware links hosted on otherwise trusted platforms, vendors can strengthen enforcement without overblocking. For instance, if a malicious link is discovered within a shared drive or collaboration platform, PDNS can temporarily restrict access while downstream systems conduct deeper inspection or isolate the session.

READ: From Raw to Refined: 5 Reasons to Get Curated Threat Intel

This approach turns PDNS into a responsive, context-aware enforcement layer — one that initiates protective action while contributing to a cohesive, layered defense strategy across endpoints, networks, and cloud environments.

Best Practices for Optimizing PDNS with Threat Intelligence

Maximizing the effectiveness of PDNS requires more than just ingesting threat data. To build a truly intelligent enforcement layer, vendors should align PDNS with deeper, real-time insights that extend its detection and response capabilities.

Key strategies include:

Incorporate multi-source, real-time intelligence feeds to ensure PDNS policies reflect the latest threat landscape and emerging adversary infrastructure.
Correlate DNS-layer activity with endpoint, behavioral, and network telemetry to provide broader visibility and context for policy decisions.
Leverage contextual metadata, such as domain and content categories, to reduce false positives and apply nuanced enforcement aligned with organizational needs.
Continuously refresh intelligence feeds and enforcement policies, ensuring PDNS can adapt dynamically to fast-evolving threats and usage patterns.
Integrate PDNS with SIEM, SOAR, and UEBA platforms to orchestrate automated responses and threat hunting across the environment.

With these best practices, PDNS becomes more than a blocking mechanism — it evolves into a critical control point for real-time prevention, policy enforcement, and threat containment.

Turn PDNS into a Smart Enforcement Layer

To effectively protect hybrid work environments, PDNS must go beyond static domain blocking and deliver intelligence-driven enforcement.

zvelo enables this transformation by delivering curated threat feeds that enhance PDNS enforcement at every level. From category-based filtering and compliance controls to full-path phishing and malware detection, zvelo’s intelligence empowers vendors to deliver smarter, more adaptive PDNS defenses.

With the right intelligence, PDNS becomes far more than a gateway — it becomes an orchestrator of intelligent threat prevention, policy enforcement, and cross-platform protection.