ISPs, Telcos, device manufacturers, and security vendors go to great lengths to provide their customers’ with online security from malicious and objectionable content (adult, pornography, hate speech, terrorism, cryptocurrency mining, etc.). The industry’s best web filtering (and dns filtering) and parental controls are powered by a global network of over 600 million end users providing unmatched coverage and accuracy of active web traffic and websites. zvelo provides 99.9% coverage and over 99% accuracy for the ActiveWeb. That’s best-in-class URL classification database for OEMs and device manufacturers.
This year for National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we thought we’d take a look back at the original IPAD. No, not the popular tablet from Apple awaiting a design refresh—and leaving tech enthusiasts crawling through rumor sites. No, we’re referring to the Internet Protocol Adapter (IPAD)—the next-generation all-in-one security and gateway device for accessing Bulletin Board Systems and online services from the 1990’s.
A trend forming among newly identified phishing URLs shows bad actors sending fraudulent emails informing Apple ID users of outdated Apple ID information or problems with billing. The emails and internal links attempt to deceive Apple ID users into “verifying” account information. When the user proceeds to log in, the form handing over access credentials to their accounts.
Over many years or testing, trial and error, zvelo ultimately determined that a human-machine “hybrid” approach to classification produced the best outcomes. The Human element provided the verifications necessary for the highest levels of accuracy, while machines (ie. AI/ML models and calculations) provided the scaling necessary to deal with the incredible volumes of new URLs and content being published at an increasing rate.
As discussed in a previous blog, DNS RPZ provides IT teams and network administrators with a “DNS configuration layer”, or rewrite module, to effectively handle DNS responses with the open source domain name system software, BIND.
Savvy marketers, politicians, and publishers all capitalize on the public’s emotional response to these sorts of triggers. Their objectives vary. Inform readers/viewers? Possibly. Drive traffic and more clicks? Definitely.
Since the release of BIND 9 in 2010, RPZ has proven a powerful technology for security and network management—allowing organizations to implement an additional DNS configuration layer. In fact, BIND is the most widely used Domain Name System software on the internet—making RPZ configuration options like integrating commercial feeds, blocklists, and URL databases like zveloDB™ all the more attractive. So let’s take a moment to revisit the advantages of RPZ.
Last week, we announced that we will be extending zveloDB™ URL categorization support to include eight (8) new categories. The new categories represent a number of emergent topics and threats including Cryptocurrency, Cryptocurrency Mining, Fake News, Terrorism, and more.
zvelo Instant Protection (zIP) is a new feature designed to provide fast, up-to-the-minute updates on important category changes and real-time protection from newly identified blockable (adult, porn, hate, criminal, etc.) and malicious (malware, spyware, phishing, compromised, etc.) URLs.
Two large annual security conferences are taking place in Las Vegas this week and I will be attending the second one. The first one, Black Hat, is primarily targeted at corporate audiences and sponsorships with well-known industry leaders and vendors supporting and attending the conference year after year.
With the recent, polarizing U.S. Presidential election, the topic of fake news has come up often. The national conversation about it is usually centered around two topics: how much it has influenced and continues to influence the political opinions of Americans who frequent social media, and how something needs to be done to better identify and filter it out.