High performance, low latency, and less threats
Our Secured DNS helps you browse, chat, and game while staying protected from abuse, malvertising, fake news, disinformation, malware, and more...
Agent-less protection from the most popular categories of web threats
Phishing is a type of cyberattack where malicious actors attempt to deceive individuals or organizations into revealing sensitive information, such as passwords, financial details, or personal data
Malware, short for "malicious software," is any software specifically designed to harm, exploit, or infiltrate computer systems or devices without the knowledge or consent of the user
"C2" stands for Command and Control servers, while "Exfil" refers to data exfiltration. Both C2 servers and Exfil servers play crucial roles in cyberattacks, enabling cybercriminals to maintain control over compromised systems and steal valuable data
Telemetric surveillance, also known as telemetry, is the process of remotely monitoring and collecting data from various sensors or instruments, typically in the context of technology, industrial systems, or scientific research. This data is then transmitted to a central location for analysis and monitoring
Malvertising, short for "malicious advertising," is a cyberattack method where cybercriminals inject malicious code or malware into online advertisements. When users view or click on these ads, they can inadvertently download malware onto their devices
Manipulated content refers to media, such as images, videos, or audio, that has been altered or edited in a way that misrepresents reality or conveys false information. This manipulation can be done using various techniques, including photo editing, deepfake technology, or audio editing software
How it works
DNS is a technological backbone of the internet, providing helpful directions for traveling computers looking to access public resources and services. It's GPS, but for the internet.
Equally, DNS offers providers like us the ability to add a level of security by stopping the resolution of malicious traffic and destinations. Danger you can't access, is less danger from the start.
DNS is all but a mandatory service if you wish to browse the internet. Equally, it makes sense that if you can add effortless protection in a set-and-forget manner, you do so.
User requests a website
Resolver lookup
To translate the domain name into the corresponding IP address, the browser sends a query to a DNS resolver. The DNS resolver is a critical component in the DNS resolution process. It acts as an intermediary between the user's browser and the DNS infrastructure.
The DNS resolver plays a crucial role in resolving domain names to IP addresses. It is often provided by the user's Internet Service Provider (ISP), but it can also be a public resolver like Google's Public DNS, Cloudflare's 1.1.1.1, or others.
When the DNS resolver receives a query from the browser, it starts the process of resolving the domain name. The resolver first checks its cache to see if it has a previously resolved IP address for the domain. This cache allows for faster retrieval of frequently visited websites since the resolver doesn't need to make additional queries.
Authoritative DNS Server Query
Recursive Process occurs
Caching and response
Once the authoritative DNS server finds the IP address associated with the domain name, it sends the response back to the resolver. The resolver then caches the IP address for future use and returns it to the user's browser.
With the IP address in hand, the browser can establish a connection with the web server hosting the website. This connection allows the browser to retrieve and display the web page content, enabling the user to access the desired website.
Got questions?
What is DNS?
DNS stands for Domain Name System. It is a fundamental component of the internet that translates human-readable domain names, like www.example.com, into machine-readable IP addresses, such as 192.0.2.1. This translation enables users to access websites, send emails, and perform various online activities by using familiar domain names instead of having to memorize numerical IP addresses, because it wouldn't be very hip to tell your friends to check out your latest video at 172.555.126.192/content/files/video/epicclip.mp4.
What is an "authoritative" DNS server?
An authoritative DNS server is a DNS server that holds the official and up-to-date DNS records for a particular domain. It is responsible for providing the authoritative answer (or response) to DNS queries for that domain. When a domain name needs to be resolved to an IP address or other DNS records, a DNS resolver contacts the authoritative DNS server for that domain to obtain the accurate information.
Authoritative DNS servers are designated by the domain owner or administrator and are responsible for storing the zone files, which contain the DNS records for a specific domain. These records include information such as the IP addresses associated with the domain, mail server settings, subdomains, and other relevant DNS data.
When a DNS resolver receives a query for a domain, it first contacts the root DNS servers to determine the authoritative DNS server for that domain. The resolver then queries the authoritative DNS server to obtain the correct DNS records, which it then returns to the requesting client.
Can BeeHive censor what I see?
DNS is, again, more akin to a street sign.
Technologically, we could provide your browser with misleading data or otherwise cause the DNS resolution to fail for sites at wish, yes.
However, we can't alter the served locations OF the sites, nor hide them from you if you simply used another DNS provider. We also can't inject into the page that you're viewing, meaning that we can't "filter" or "manipulate" what you're shown. If you're accessing a site and we allow the resolution of it, you're served the page in it's pure, source format.
What types of content do/will you block?
We automatically detect and block websites and domains used for phishing, malware sharing or distribution unethically, known "command and control" endpoints, and more un-particularly-explainable threat types, in the spirit of security.
After human request and/or manual review, we may additionally choose to include websites in our blocklist that:
- Distribute factually incorrect information without satirical reflection or guise (TLDR: purposeful misinformation)
- Are used to deliberately incite users into a mislead reaction
- Are used for fraudulent purposes outside of those of a "detectable thru automation" nature
- Immediately provide information or request an action that could create a large-scale and immediate threat to human life, safety, or security
- Host services or material depicting, promoting, or facilitating the sale, transfer, exchange, or sexual/non-sexual abuse of a minor
Does BeeHive participate in political censorship or manipulation?
No, when we decide to block a threat, it is not in regard to simple political or subject-matter disagreement.
As a security vendor we have a responsibility to create solutions to protect others, and as an intelligence provider we have a responsibility to know, and influence, "what's next". Sometimes, the easiest way to stop a problem, is to not let it go in the first place.
DNS is not meant to be used as a heavy-handed filtration tool, and we do not apply it as such in terms of the content sharable or viewable on 3rd party platforms. We cannot interact with, or filter, how you express yourself, your political views, your opinions...and to be honest with you, we probably can't change them either.
However, if directly abusive or inciting content is brought to our attention, we have a responsibility to address it, and potentially block it, if it poses a genuine danger to the imminent state of life, safety, or security for a wide-scale audience.
SUMMARIZED
We will not attempt to blacklist entire platforms due to disagreeing content from individual users, on platforms where it's a clear impracticality to have humanly moderated the content.
Your posts on X commenting on Donald Trumps' consistent Cheeto-esque color, complaints about Joe Biden's shoulder-sniffing frequency, and shitposts about various alphabet agency investigations, can live on. We probably never cared about them to begin with.
However, it's unlikely for us to not end up blacklisting "buildabombandleaveitattheairport.biz", as there is no point, at all, in any sane society, to build a device and leave it at an airport, nor host a website that provides the instructions for it. While we understand that some may view this as "censorship," we assure you that we are comfortable with this approach as it is a minor task for us to handle.
This is a mentally applicable rule to any type of content. This answer is provided in the spirit that you, a hopefully mentally sane and sound person, can consider the types of content being hosted or provided, and the consequences they could result in, when wondering if we "would" block something at any point in time in the spirit of security.
How do I start using your DNS?
Setting DNS isn't particularly the easiest thing to do on every computer, as for most deployments, you'd prefer your DNS be given to you automatically.
Regardless of your operating system or network environment, you can take advantage of our DNS Security by setting the following values in your computer's network or wireless configuration:
filter.beehive.systems
or
172.233.234.254
Our DNS-over-HTTPS Query Format is
filter.beehive.systems/dns-query
You might need this. If you do, you'll know. If you don't, you won't.
For a secondary, aka "backup" resolver, we recommend entering Cloudflare's 1.1.1.1 resolver; it's fast, reliable, and as close enough to surveillance-free as you'll get from a large corporation, but, you're free to choose another if you're advanced enough of a user to just have spare DNS resolvers laying around.
Is your DNS free?
Yes, this is free because you are the product.
Offering a DNS resolver allows us to see traffic information so we can, on our own, watch for trends of access to unsavory domains, or risky and abusive resources. It's in our best interests to offer this for free, because for US, your DNS traffic is more valuable in the interests of security, than a few sympathy dollars. You're getting much more than a few dollars worth from this, for free, while we're using the data we collect to keep you and others safe. Seems like a deal not worth the disagreement...
