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Internet Security

OpenDNS Blocks Academic Fraud

OpenDNS is rolling out a new Internet security tool to block academic fraud sites. As part of its free and premium cloud-based DNS and filtering services, the company is launching a new feature that prevents users from accessing Internet resources that enable academic fraud, such as essay ghostwriting services and other sites that help students violate an institution's academic integrity guidelines.

OpenDNS provides a variety of Internet services and is widely used in K-12 schools and in some post-secondary institutions. It offers free basic DNS services, as well as Internet security tools, such as adult site blocking, protection from phishing, Web proxy blocking, and domain whitelisting. It also provides premium services, such as service-level agreements with 24-hour phone support, as well as various other options.

More than 25,000 schools and districts currently use some combination of these services, according to OpenDNS.

The new academic fraud blocking features--adopted from an idea submitted by a user through the company's IdeaBank--will automatically be added to users' accounts (including users of the free version of OpenDNS). The new feature will go live Feb. 10.

OpenDNS Basic is free for all users. OpenDNS Deluxe starts at $9.95 per year; the Enterprise edition starts at $2,000 per year. Further information can be found here.

About the Author

David Nagel is the executive producer for 1105 Media's online K-12 and higher education publications and electronic newsletters. He can be reached at dnagel@1105media.com. He can now be followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/THEJournalDave (K-12) or http://twitter.com/CampusTechDave (higher education).

Comments

Fri, Mar 12, 2010 OpenDNS Fan Minnesota

I guess some people would rather rant than to think. OpenDNS doesn't kill freedom, people kill freedom. The tool one uses can be effective or not, can be flexible or not, can be easy to use or not. But it does not make any decisions. We are in the process of switching to OpenDNS from our current filtering service because it is more effective, more flexible, and easier to use than our current service. And cheaper. It increases our freedom, as any good tool does. How we use it may be something entirely different, of course...

Wed, Feb 17, 2010 LMS Administrator Monterey, CA

Frankly, I'd rather see students blocked from the paper-mill sites, than use one, get caught, and get expelled. Sometimes there are "crimes of opportunity"...remove the opportunity, and people stay legal. Anyone sufficiently determined can either use their own DNS or use an anonymizer service to access the paper-mills. If they're willing to go to that level of effort, then they deserve whatever repercussions happen to them.

Thu, Feb 11, 2010 Glenda Florida

To Sad & Confused: You are aptly named. What you and other critics of filtering software fail to grasp is that many colleges are actually reluctant to implement filtering technology. Most IT staff and educators understand we are first and foremost an educational institution that strives to enlighten. Furthermore, we do not have unlimited funding, staffing or resources, so implementation of additional technology requires judicious planning on our part. I work at a college that does not offer the filtering YET. It's coming, though, because we have students who persist in surfing porn sites and downloading copyrighted material via Limewire or other file sharing apps. The IT staff then gets the enjoyable experience of removing viruses and malware from various computers -- regardless of the up-to-date antivirus or antimalware that we on our machines and servers. Students who violate the Acceptable Use Policy receive a small lecture from our IT VP and have the option of signing the Acceptable Use Policy (again) and having their accounts reactivated. Not signing means they do not get the accounts reactivated. A second incident by the same person means a locked account for the semester, and a third incident means no account ever again. The student is responsible for him/herself; no account may mean he/she cannot complete coursework during class situations. The filtering software is a solution that is needed by many businesses and educational institutions to PROTECT the network not censure your individuality or freedom. I tell the kids here that if they want to surf porn or download copyrighted material, then they should do it at home on their own computers. These machines DO NOT belong to them and we have a responsibility to all of our networked users. Our mission is a practical one, not one created by a police state or a moral majority.

Thu, Feb 11, 2010 David Ulevitch San Francisco

To: Jack and "Sad & confused" I'm the founder of OpenDNS and wanted to respond to your comments. We're not blocking anything by default. We're giving people the choice and the tools to protect their networks as they see fit. None of this is about an Orwellian society or censorship. Schools need to protect their students and we're offering the tools to do that in a highly cost-effective and easy to implement way. There's nothing Orwellian about providing more choice and options to a market. Thanks, David

Wed, Feb 10, 2010 Matthias Connecticut

I'm not sure how "offering a service that blocks specific sites" is twisted into "Orwellian police-state", but that's apparently what you parrots think. Many companies sell web-filtering software, and many institutions use such software to filter their employees / students web access. Just because OpenDNS OFFERS the filtering through DNS doesn't make it any less optional, and in fact that makes it more readily circumventable than most solutions, since all you'd need to do (if you work / study somewhere that's set up blocking) is to change your DNS servers temporarily.

Wed, Feb 10, 2010 Jack

Goodbye Open DNS ... off to Google Public DNS I go ! I'm not using any of the sites blocked but I don't like being told "what's good for me"! Hope they don't decide to censor any sites :(

Wed, Feb 10, 2010 Editor

Sad & confused: This is an optional feature. Networks that use OpenDNS can opt to block sites designated as academic fraud sites ... or skip blocking altogether. It's up to the network administrators. However, I do understand the frustration with policing information and with leaving these decisions (sometimes) in the hands of people who may not have a very subtle appreciation of academic freedom. --David Nagel

Wed, Feb 10, 2010 Sad & confused

Great! Another corporation telling me what I can & can't do. George Orwell anyone?

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