Blocking by Category is Heimdal Security’s automated approach to protecting your devices from harmful or inappropriate domains, eliminating the need for manual intervention. Our domain categories are developed based on current market trends and insights from various internal sources, including our support team, Security Operations Center (SOC), and other technical departments. Additionally, we leverage intelligence from trusted partners who specialize in identifying and classifying domains. Specific categories, such as Keeping Children Safe in Education (Counter-Terrorism Internet Referral Unit) and Keeping Children Safe in Education (Internet Watch Foundation), are included to ensure compliance with KCSiE guidelines: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-safeguard-children--2.
We also use machine learning to enhance and streamline the domain identification and categorization process. This system is continually reviewed and refined to maintain its effectiveness. Recently, Heimdal has engaged with Europol, and is adding the Norwegian IWF list end of Q2 or early Q3, also in coordination with Norwegian KRIPOS, the National Criminal Investigation Service: https://www.politiet.no/en/om-politiet/organisasjonen/specialist-agencies/kripos/.
Customers can request adjustments to the blocking lists with their domains. These requests will be evaluated by our support team.
The DNS Security Endpoint/Network categories that Heimdal blocks are:
- Adware / Advertising - Sites or businesses that directly sell ads to consumers through various mediums, including Internet, TV, or radio;
- Alcohol / Drugs / Tabacco - Sites that sell, discuss, or glorify the consumption of various alcoholic and tobacco products - including beer, wine, and liquor;
- Blogs / Other Entertainment - Includes sites that make use of common blogging software, including WordPress, Joomla!, and Drupal, amongst others, which generate dynamic content;
- Business Services - Sites that exhibit business-like attributes such as selling of services, products, or consulting;
- Chat - Sites that provide chat or text messaging services or such abilities through a download or application;
- Dating - Sites whose main focus is on connecting individuals for dating;
- E-commerce Shopping / Online Services - Sites that sell products or services, normally with an online purchasing interface;
- Education and Career - Sites whose main purpose is to offer educational information, community information, or how-tos. Also includes educational facilities and related organizations;
- Financial Institutions - Includes sites that are mainly focused on stocks and current market information or provide financial services such as banks or lenders;
- Gambling / Games - Sites that allow a visitor to play games or use wagers/place bets, lottery pools, or provide information on such activities;
- Government / Politics - Sites that use official government top-level domain names or are run by government entities such as the military, army, or air force;
- Health / Fitness / Parenting - Sites focused on physical, mental, and social well-being, including fitness information, medical conditions, diagnosis, and medical services;
- Hobby / Freetime - Sites mainly dedicated to leisure activities and new hobbies. This category can ingest domains from the other categories as well, for example, Blogs, Movies, Music, etc;
- Illegal Content - Sites mainly dedicated to giving access to pirated movies, software, application keys, and cracks;
- Jobs / Employment - Sites that assist in finding employment, career guidance, or improvement;
- Keeping Children Safe in Education (Counter-Terrorism Internet Referral Unit) - Sites with harmful or illegal content that comply with KCSiE;
- Keeping Children Safe in Education (Internet Watch Foundation) - Sites known for trading/storing, and uploading images and videos showing the sexual abuse of children;
- Labour Market - Sites mainly dedicated to the supply of and demand for labor, in which employees provide the supply and employers provide the demand;
- Malicious proxy servers - Sites that are known to work as proxy servers;
- Medicine - Sites that contain content whose main focus is on controlled substances, including the sale, discussion, or glorification of such substances. Does not include alcohol and tobacco;
- Movies / Radio / Television / Music - Sites that focus on art and entertainment, including topics like TV/Hollywood, tattoos, cartoons, and anime. Includes various news outlets, radio, TV stations, and magazines;
- News / Media - Sites whose content is mostly focused on current events and topics. Includes various news outlets, radio, TV stations, and magazines;
- P2P Sharing - Sites that allow visitors to upload content and share media such as photos and videos;
- Religion - Sites that provide information on one or more religious beliefs, or practices, or are affiliated with a religious institution such as a church or synagogue;
- Search Engines - Sites that enable their visitors to search the Internet or whose main focus is to provide links to other Internet sites;
- Sexuality - Sites that are focused on Sexual identity and sexual behavior;
- Social Networking - Sites that provide a community portal whereby members join and contribute posts or media and forge connections with other members;
- Sport - Sites that contain information about various sports and sporting activities, including sports scores or team information;
- Technology - Sites that are related to e-products, technology, and software;
- Travel - Sites that focus on travel planning services, travel reservations, and tourist information;
- Violence - Sites that are contentious or controversial, often causing argument or controversy, characterized by strong opposing arguments, and sites that spread or aid in the spreading of misinformation.