<span id="hs_cos_wrapper_post_body" class="hs_cos_wrapper hs_cos_wrapper_meta_field hs_cos_wrapper_type_rich_text" style="" data-hs-cos-general-type="meta_field" data-hs-cos-type="rich_text" ><p>When the <span><strong>NSA and CISA</strong></span> published their latest guide, <i>Selecting a <a href="https://media.defense.gov/2025/Mar/24/2003675043/-1/-1/0/CSI-Selecting-a-Protective-DNS-Service-v1.3.PDF" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Protective DNS Service</a> (April 2025, Ver. 1.4)</i>, it was designed to help organizations understand the critical role of Protective DNS (PDNS) in stopping modern cyberattacks. The report included a comparative chart of commercial PDNS providers and their reported capabilities <span></span>.</p> <!--more--><p>You may have noticed something curious: <span><strong>ThreatSTOP wasn’t listed.</strong></span></p> <p>Why? Maybe there weren’t enough columns on the page. Maybe someone got tired of clicking “Add Column.” Or maybe we’re considered “too small” a vendor in the eyes of the compilers. We weren't the only ones left off. Regardless of the reason, the absence doesn’t change the reality: <span><strong>ThreatSTOP not only meets every requirement in the NSA/CISA table - we exceed them.</strong></span></p> <h3><strong>How ThreatSTOP Maps to the NSA/CISA PDNS Capabilities</strong></h3> <p>Here’s how we line up against every attribute in the official chart:</p> <ul> <li> <table style="border-collapse: collapse; table-layout: fixed; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: 1px solid #99acc2;" data-hsprotectcellspacing="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="padding: 0px;" data-hsprotectvalign="middle"> <p>Feature</p> </td> <td style="padding: 0px;" data-hsprotectvalign="middle"> <p>ThreatSTOP</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 0px;" data-hsprotectvalign="middle"> <p style="font-weight: bold;">Blocks malware domains</p> </td> <td style="padding: 0px;" data-hsprotectvalign="middle"> <p>ThreatSTOP protects customers from known malware infrastructure using thousands of curated threat intelligence feeds (both organic from our Security, Intelligence, and Research team and select third-party sources).</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 0px;" data-hsprotectvalign="middle"> <p style="font-weight: bold;">Blocks phishing domains</p> </td> <td style="padding: 0px;" data-hsprotectvalign="middle"> <p>We stop phishing, fraud, and credential theft campaigns before they reach users.</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 0px;" data-hsprotectvalign="middle"> <p style="font-weight: bold;">DGA protection</p> </td> <td style="padding: 0px;" data-hsprotectvalign="middle"> <p>Our research-driven ML models and heuristics catch algorithmically generated domains before they connect to command-and-control servers.</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 0px;" data-hsprotectvalign="middle"> <p style="font-weight: bold;">Machine learning &amp; heuristics</p> </td> <td style="padding: 0px;" data-hsprotectvalign="middle"> <p>More than just static lists: our detections include punycode lookalikes, Levenshtein distance similarity, clustering of suspicious infrastructure, and anomaly detection from live DNS telemetry.</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 0px;" data-hsprotectvalign="middle"> <p style="font-weight: bold;">Content filtering</p> </td> <td style="padding: 0px;" data-hsprotectvalign="middle"> <p>Customers can apply flexible, category-based filters (gambling, adult, social media, etc.) in addition to threat-based blocking. &nbsp;Not only can we filter on content, but we can filter down the application level in many areas.</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 0px;" data-hsprotectvalign="middle"> <p style="font-weight: bold;">API/SIEM/custom analytics</p> </td> <td style="padding: 0px;" data-hsprotectvalign="middle"> <p>Deep integrations with SIEMs&nbsp;and custom APIs mean organizations can enrich their telemetry and automate response.</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 0px;" data-hsprotectvalign="middle"> <p style="font-weight: bold;">Web interface dashboard</p> </td> <td style="padding: 0px;" data-hsprotectvalign="middle"> <p>The ThreatSTOP Admin Portal gives visibility into queries, blocked domains, top threats, and compliance reporting.</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 0px;" data-hsprotectvalign="middle"> <p style="font-weight: bold;">DNSSEC validation</p> </td> <td style="padding: 0px;" data-hsprotectvalign="middle"> <p>Fully supported.</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 0px;" data-hsprotectvalign="middle"> <p style="font-weight: bold;">DoH&nbsp;capable</p> </td> <td style="padding: 0px;" data-hsprotectvalign="middle"> <p>Supported in DNS Defense Cloud, ensuring privacy and security of DNS queries.</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 0px;" data-hsprotectvalign="middle"> <p style="font-weight: bold;">Customizable policies</p> </td> <td style="padding: 0px;" data-hsprotectvalign="middle"> <p>Highly granular policies by group, device, user, or network. No ‘one size fits all.’ &nbsp;In fact, our system is more customizable than any of the other vendors listed in this chart.</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 0px;" data-hsprotectvalign="middle"> <p style="font-weight: bold;">Hybrid deployment</p> </td> <td style="padding: 0px;" data-hsprotectvalign="middle"> <p>DNS Defense Cloud, DNS Defense (on-prem), and IP Defense provide flexible deployment models across cloud, hybrid, and on-premises environments.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </li> </ul> <p><span><strong>Bottom line:</strong></span> If we’d been in the table, every single box would be checked, just like (and in many ways beyond) the vendors listed.</p> <h3><strong>Why ThreatSTOP Goes Further</strong></h3> <p><span>Where ThreatSTOP stands out is in </span><strong>breadth of coverage and configurability</strong><span>:</span></p> <ul> <li> <p><span><strong>Thousands of feeds, not just a few</strong></span> – We combine the best of open source, commercial, and proprietary ThreatSTOP intelligence.</p> </li> <li> <p><span><strong>Unified DNS + IP protection</strong></span> – Unlike most PDNS vendors, we extend coverage to IP Defense, protecting against direct-to-IP traffic that PDNS alone cannot catch.</p> </li> <li> <p><span><strong>Research-driven innovation</strong></span> – From punycode and lookalike detection (“MagicCat/MagicMouse”) to anomaly detection (“Spike Watcher”), ThreatSTOP’s Security, Intelligence, and Research team pushes protection forward.</p> </li> <li> <p><span><strong>Compliance-ready reporting</strong></span> – Our dashboards and evidence outputs map directly to compliance frameworks like NIST CSF 2.0, HIPAA, PCI DSS, and CMMC, making audits easier.</p> </li> </ul> <h3><strong>Final Word</strong></h3> <p>Whether or not our name appears in the NSA/CISA comparison chart, <span><strong>ThreatSTOP delivers on every attribute of Protective DNS and then some</strong></span>. For organizations serious about stopping threats before they cause harm, ThreatSTOP is the proven choice.</p> <p>👉 <span><strong>Ready to see ThreatSTOP in action?</strong></span> <a href="/contact" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Contact us</a> for a demo, pricing, or more information on how our DNS Defense Cloud, DNS Defense, and IP Defense can protect your organization.</p> <p><strong>Connect with Customers, Disconnect from Risks.</strong></p></span>