On August 11, 2015, UMass Amherst IT expanded its Infobox DNS malware protection to wired networks across campus. Infoblox DNS malware protection has been in place on campus wireless networks since December, 2014.

 

DNS malware protection helps protect the campus network by blocking access to known harmful website domains. This service aims to reduce the number of malware infections caused by drive-by downloads, malicious downloads, or phishing, and will reduce the effectiveness of botnet infections on university computers.

 

You should not notice any changes in your network connectivity. If you try to visit a website that is on Infoblox's block list, you will see a block page indicating that the site has known information security issues and has been blocked.

 

Occasionally, Infoblox will block a legitimate website. If you believe the website you attempted to access is legitimate, please contact itprotect@umass.edu. They will investigate the issue and, if necessary, allow access to the site.

 

Will Infoblox Filter the Web Content I See?

The DNS Firewall at UMass Amherst is strictly a security protection tool and does not block web pages based on their subject matter or content. Web pages are only blocked if they are suspected to contain malware or other malicious content, and the blocking process is fully automated.

Questions?