OpenDNS Introduces FamilyShield Internet Content Filter For Home Users

PRESS RELEASE

June 23, 2010 – OpenDNS, the world’s largest provider of Internet navigation and security services, today introduced FamilyShield Parental Controls, the single easiest way for parents to keep their kids safe online.

FamilyShield is a completely free service that can be set up in minutes and blocks pornographic content, unsafe websites such as phishing sites attempting to trick people into readily providing personal and financial information, and many virus-spreading malware sites. FamilyShield takes effect instantly and can protect all Internet-connected computers, gaming consoles and Wi-Fi devices in a household.

How FamilyShield is Different:

Unlike the myriad of other parental controls products and services available to parents, FamilyShield is simple and straightforward. The set-up process involves only enabling the service, without any confusing configurations, account setup process or software to download and install. The protection takes effect immediately.

FamilyShield is the first and only standalone parental controls solution to — when set up on a wireless router — protect the family Wii, Xbox or any Internet-connected gaming console. Additionally, the service automatically blocks websites known as proxies and anonymizers, commonly used by Internet-savvy kids to bypass Web filters and render a parents’ efforts to secure their home Internet useless. Proxies and anonymizers are no match for FamilyShield.

FamilyShield is also the only parental controls service to automatically block fraud and identity theft sites known as phishing and sites known as malware that spread viruses and can wreak havoc on home computers.

Additionally, FamilyShield is the only parental controls service to constantly update the lists of blocked websites, 24/7. That means when a new pornographic, phishing or malware site, or a new proxy or anonymizer, is published to the Internet, FamilyShield users can rest assured their household is automatically protected, with no action required on their end.

Lastly, FamilyShield is the only parental controls service that will actually improve the household Internet performance, making it both faster and more reliable. This is in stark contrast to other software-based parental controls products that bloat and often slow down computers and the Internet when installed.

Who FamilyShield is for:

FamilyShield is ideal for all parents who want to keep their kids safe online and make their Internet faster, more secure and more reliable. FamilyShield is recommended for parents who prefer the simplest, most straightforward set-up and service.

“FamilyShield is the hands-down easiest way for parents to protect their kids from the bad stuff on the Internet. Everything about the service was designed to make it the single most simple and straightforward service of its kind,” said OpenDNS CEO David Ulevitch. “FamilyShield is delivered in direct response to customer demand for a pre-configured, no-fuss way to use OpenDNS with built-in security. We look forward to helping parents around the world make the Internet safer for their kids.”

How does FamilyShield work?

Much like how OpenDNS Basic works, parents can just follow simple two-step instructions. There’s no account to configure, no complicated settings to customize, and no downloads or software to install.

FamilyShield’s IPs are:

208.67.222.123

208.67.220.123

What does FamilyShield Block?

The service blocks pornographic content, including our “Pornography,” “Tasteless,” and “Sexuality” categories, in addition to proxies and anonymizers (which can render filtering useless). It also blocks phishing and some malware.

Who Uses OpenDNS Today:

- More than 40,000 schools, including many of the U.S.’s largest school districts. 1 in 3 US public K-12 schools trusts OpenDNS.

- More than 18 million people, accounting for 1 percent of all Internet users in the world.

For more details and set-up instructions, please visit www.opendns.com/familyshield

More About FamilyShield and OpenDNS

FamilyShield is brought to you by the people of OpenDNS, provider of Internet navigation and security services today trusted by more than 18 million people, or more than 1 percent of all Internet users in the world. Additionally, OpenDNS built and manages PhishTank.com, the Internet’s largest clearinghouse of data about phishing sites.

Through DNS resolution, cloud-based Web content filtering and security services, OpenDNS empowers millions of households, schools, and businesses to control how users navigate the Internet on their network, while dramatically increasing the network's overall performance and reliability. For more information about OpenDNS, please visit: www.opendns.com