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Black Hat USA 2022 – LAS VEGAS – August 10, 2022 – DNSFilter today announced the acquisition of Guardian, a leading Firewall + VPN technology platform. The acquisition allows DNSFilter to provide a robust Secure Web Gateway (SWG) that more effectively protects user information and secures organizations against web-based threats.

“Secure Web Gateway plays a critical role in modern security strategies, enabling organizations to better secure access to the service edge,” said Ken Carnesi, CEO and Co-founder, DNSFilter. “But the technology is tired – incumbents have not kept pace with the evolving threat landscape or customer needs around service and support. Combining best-in-class Domain Name System (DNS) layer security with Firewall + VPN presents a massive business opportunity and alleviates the pain points customers face with legacy SWG technology.”

Protective DNS is a key element of a SWG, as it is the primary barrier against malware, ransomware, and phishing websites, and is where policies for acceptable use are configured and managed. However, legacy providers rely on signatures and threat feed lists and struggle to identify new attack vectors. DNSFilter provides AI-powered security via DNS. 61% of threats identified by DNSFilter at any given time have not been identified by competitors, who lag behind an average of seven days.

Guardian blocks unauthorized third parties from collecting end user information while adding an extra layer of security from hackers and unsecure websites with a powerful VPN – protecting passwords, search history, and other sensitive data. The Guardian Firewall + VPN is securely integrated into the privacy-preserving Brave browser’s iPhone, iPad, and Android apps, stopping third-party tracking and blocking unwanted surveillance with protection at the network level on the entire device.

Guardian’s technology provides the foundation for DNSFilter to disrupt the SWG market, adding full URL, file type, IP, and port filtering, along with VPN capabilities. DNSFilter’s predictive DNS protection further enhances the security of Guardian users, and Guardian’s highly efficient Secure Web Gateway software stack enables filtering of new internet traffic layers for DNSFilter customers beyond DNS.

“We are thrilled to join DNSFilter, the category leader in DNS layer security and a like-minded team that shares our beliefs on privacy and delivering quality software to protect devices,” said Will Strafach, Guardian Founder and CEO. “Guardian and DNSFilter place a high priority on in-house security research to best protect our customers and remain steadfast in our mission to allow users to take back control of the personal data and information they share while using any device. Guardian solutions are a perfect complement to DNSFilter as the company broadens its platform offerings.”

Learn more about DNSFilter’s acquisition of Guardian at Black Hat 2022 in Las Vegas, August 10-11 at Booth #1969. Meet the DNSFilter team at Black Hat 2022. View our one-sheeter here.

About Guardian Guardian is a research company founded on the belief that personal privacy and transparency into network-connected devices are fundamental consumer rights. Guardian is building the world’s most powerful data privacy tools to change the paradigm of your technology owning you, to you owning your technology. Guardian Firewall + VPN blocks attempts by apps on iPhones to track the location of, and take data from, unsuspecting users. Well known for its ability to reverse engineer almost any app and device, Guardian’s mission is to expose what’s happening under the hood, to protect people from the dangers lurking – often unknowingly – in the digitized world. For more information, go to https://guardianapp.com.

About DNSFilter DNSFilter is redefining how organizations secure their largest threat vector: the Internet itself. With 70% of attacks involving the Domain Name System (DNS) layer, DNSFilter provides AI-powered security via DNS that uniquely identifies 61% more threats than competitors on an average of seven days earlier, including zero-day attacks. Over 15K organizations and managed service providers trust DNSFilter to protect millions of end users from phishing, malware, and advanced cyber threats.

Media Contact Jake Schuster fama PR for DNSFilter dnsfilter@famapr.com