IBM Security, along with the internet infrastructure group Packet Clearing House and the Global Cyber Alliance, launched a free service today that they say will help users avoid phishing attacks and keep their connected devices safe from hackers.
Quad9, as the service is called, is a domain name service provider, meaning it translates domain names like fastcompany.com to the numeric IP addresses computer networks actually understand. Internet service providers typically provide their own DNS servers for customers, and other internet companies like Google and Verisign provide their own free alternatives.
IBM says the new service, available at the IP address 9.9.9.9, won’t sell or store personally identifiable data, as some DNS servers do. It will also automatically filter out domains associated with phishing or malware, something the company says could help stop botnets like last year’s Mirai attack, which typically rely on particular domain names as command-and-control servers.
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