WatchGuard releases cloud-based service to automatically block phishing attempts

Network security solutions provider WatchGuard Technologies has announced the release of DNSWatchGO, a new cloud-based security service that automatically detects and blocks phishing attacks, command and control callbacks and data exfiltration attempts against users both inside and outside the network perimeter.

Available as a standalone solution and through PassPort, WatchGuard's new user-centric security services bundle, DNSWatchGO offers DNS-level protection and content filtering to protect users wherever they are.

It also provides automated end-user security awareness and education features that are designed to help prevent future security incidents – all in a simplified, cost-effective solution that is easy to deploy and manage.

According to a recent CITE Research survey of IT administrators and managers, remote work is incredibly prevalent today, with 92% of respondents reporting that their organisations allow it.

But as the volume of employees operating off-network continues to increase, organisations are exposed to greater security risks.

In fact, even though 90% of organisations are currently using endpoint threat detection and response solutions – and 85% are confident in their ability to monitor the activity of off-network employees – nearly two-thirds of respondents confirmed that a remote worker has fallen victim to cyber-attacks.

"As the workforce becomes increasingly mobile, businesses need to be able to protect against the increasing attacks that take place outside of their core network. They need to be able to monitor off-network traffic, filter access to malicious and unwanted content, and protect users even when they're not using a VPN," says WatchGuard product management SVP Andrew Young.

"DNSWatchGO was built to deliver these capabilities and extend our layered protections to secure remote workers beyond the network perimeter, while also educating and training them on security best practices in the process.

The DNSWatchGO service is designed to simplify off-network security for midsize organisations and the IT solution providers that support them.

Key features and benefits of DNSWatchGO include:

Protection on the Go – The solution extends the DNS-level protection and content filtering provided by WatchGuard's existing DNSWatch service to monitor and correlate outbound DNS requests from off-network users against an aggregated list of malicious domains.

All endpoint attempts to connect with known malicious infrastructure are blocked, users are redirected and the traffic is routed to DNSWatch servers for further investigation and malware removal.

These capabilities make it easy to block off-network phishing attacks, command and control callbacks, and data exfiltration attempts.

DNSWatchGO also automatically prevents users from accessing inappropriate destinations – regardless of their location – using policies that are easy to establish, adjust and enforce. And, it enables MSPs to expand their services portfolio and bring added value to customers by offering security layers for endpoints outside the network.

Immediate Security Education – The first security service to provide automated phishing protection and education to end-users users in real-time, DNSWatchGO can improve organisations' security posture.

When employees click on an email or link that the platform has identified as a phishing attempt, they are immediately redirected to resources that provide education about phishing attacks and best practices for prevention.

Additionally, the solution provides clear analyses for each blocked attack, which are delivered to IT administrators and MSPs for context and internal action.

According to CITE Research, 49% of employees receive security awareness training just twice per year or less, so by receiving instant education and training, organisations can minimise the volume of future off-network security incidents.

This built-in analysis and education process also provides another means for MSPs to deliver and demonstrate value to customers.

Off-Premises Visibility – DNSWatchGO eliminates off-network security blind spots commonly created by remote users, by providing consolidated visibility and advanced protection for all on- and off-network devices.

The service delivers a wealth of useful information for IT administrations and IT solution providers, including endpoint locations, the type of attacks blocked, the end goal of individual attacks and more, without the need to examine log data.

This level of visibility is particularly valuable for MSPs, who are able to provide evidence of protection and detailed reports about off-network security incidents, attackers, and their methodologies.

Cloud-Based Management – DNSWatchGO is a 100% cloud-based solution, saving businesses and IT solution providers time and money by streamlining deployment and management processes.

It doesn't require any hardware or manual software updates, and policies can be managed and adjusted for both on- and off-network users through one central interface.

The absence of expensive hardware components and time-consuming deployment processes represents a revenue opportunity for MSPs in particular, who can roll out a new customer deployment and begin adding value in minutes.

DNSWatchGO is available now through WatchGuard's new Passport user-focused security bundle.

WatchGuard's AuthPoint multi-factor authentication solution and the new DNSWatchGO service combine to provide persistent, always-on protection for users both inside and outside the network perimeter, through a single, easy-to-purchase bundle license.