Draft:DNSFilter

  • Comment: A press release is neither independent nor secondary.
    When a press release is submitted to multiple publications, it's still just one source and should not be presented as if it were several separate sources. bonadea contributions talk 13:28, 25 July 2026 (UTC)
DNSFilter
TypePrivate
IndustryCybersecurity, DNS security
FoundedOctober 2015; 10 years ago (2015-10)
FoundersKen Carnesi, Brian Gillis
HeadquartersWashington, D.C., United States
Key people
Ken Carnesi (CEO)
ProductsDNSFilter, Guardian, CyberSight
Websitednsfilter.com

DNSFilter is an American cybersecurity company headquartered in Washington, D.C., that provides AI-powered content filtering and threat protection at the Domain Name System (DNS) layer. Founded in October 2015 by Ken Carnesi and Brian Gillis, the company is primarily backed by Insight Partners and has expanded its product portfolio through strategic acquisitions—including Zorus in 2025—to encompass endpoint-based web filtering and user behavior analytics alongside its core protective DNS platform.[1][2][3]

History

Founding and early growth

DNSFilter was founded in October 2015 in Washington, D.C.[1] In 2018, the company was accepted into the inaugural Techstars Anywhere accelerator, Techstars' first virtual program.[4][5]

Funding

DNSFilter's 2019 seed round was led by Arthur Ventures, with participation from Inner Loop Capital and Techstars.[2][6] In July 2021, the company closed a $30 million Series A led by Insight Partners, with continued participation from Arthur Ventures.[2][6] Thomas Krane of Insight Partners joined DNSFilter's board, and separately, CrowdStrike co-founder Dmitri Alperovitch was appointed to the board of directors.[2][6] In June 2023, Jon Oberheide, co-founder and former CTO of Duo Security (acquired by Cisco for $2.35 billion in 2018), joined DNSFilter's board of directors.[7][8] In August 2023, Insight Partners led a $15 million Series A extension, bringing total disclosed funding to $45 million.[9]

Acquisitions

DNSFilter has completed three acquisitions:

WebShrinker (2018) — DNSFilter acquired WebShrinker, a startup that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyze and identify threats and domains in real time. The acquisition strengthened DNSFilter's proprietary domain classification capabilities.[2][1]

Guardian (August 2022) — Announced at Black Hat USA 2022 in Las Vegas, DNSFilter acquired Guardian, an iOS firewall and VPN app founded by security researcher Will Strafach.[1][10][11]

Zorus (April 2025) — DNSFilter acquired Zorus, a Tampa, Florida-based provider of endpoint-based web filtering and user behavior analytics. The acquisition extended DNSFilter's filtering capabilities to the endpoint level, adding pre-DNS query filtering that complements its network-level security.[3][12] This DNS PreCheck functionality, the pre-DNS query filtering capability, was first announced as a near-term goal in November, 2025.[13] DNS PreCheck was officially launched for Windows in March, 2026.[14]

Notable customers

DNSFilter's customers have included Nvidia, Lenovo, and Newegg.[2]

Sponsorships

DNSFilter has been an active sponsor in the NTT IndyCar Series since 2023:

Notable media coverage

DNSFilter and its executives have been cited as cybersecurity experts in major publications. In November 2023, CEO Ken Carnesi was quoted in The Wall Street Journal about the limitations of incognito and private browsing modes, explaining how companies can identify users through digital fingerprinting even when browsing privately.[20] In June 2025, CTO TK Keanini was interviewed by The Wall Street Journal about the security risks of clicking "unsubscribe" links in spam emails, with DNSFilter's research finding that one in every 644 such clicks led to a potentially malicious website.[21][22] The story was subsequently featured on NBC's Today show and covered by TechSpot, Slashdot, and Entrepreneur, among others.[23][24][25]

Awards and recognition

Company awards

  • 2023 — Cutting Edge DNS Security, Cyber Defense Magazine Top InfoSec Innovator Awards[26]
  • 2025 — Best Network Security Solution, Tech Ascension Awards[27]
  • 2026 — Global InfoSec Award for Protective DNS, Internet Filtering, and SMB Cybersecurity, Cyber Defense Magazine[28]

CEO recognition

References

  1. ^ a b c d Page, Carly (August 10, 2022). "DNSFilter acquires iOS firewall app Guardian to expand its web-based threat detection tech". TechCrunch. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Page, Carly (July 21, 2021). "DNSFilter secures $30M Series A to step up fight against DNS-based threats". TechCrunch. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
  3. ^ a b "DNSFilter Acquires Zorus to Expand Capabilities for MSPs". Channel Insider. April 2025. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
  4. ^ "Techstars Anywhere 2018 Founding Teams". Techstars. 2018. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
  5. ^ "Techstars Anywhere Accelerator". Techstars. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
  6. ^ a b c Townsend, Kevin (July 21, 2021). "DNSFilter Raises $30 Million in Series A Funding". SecurityWeek. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
  7. ^ "Former Duo Security Co-Founder Jon Oberheide Joins DNSFilter Board of Directors". Dark Reading. November 8, 2023. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
  8. ^ "Former Duo Security Co-Founder Jon Oberheide Joins DNSFilter Board of Directors". SDxCentral. July 2, 2023. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
  9. ^ "DNSFilter Raises Another $15 Million in Series A Extension from Insight Partners". Insight Partners. August 2023. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
  10. ^ "Guardian VPN for iOS acquired by DNSFilter, will remain available as its own app". 9to5Mac. August 10, 2022. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
  11. ^ "DNSFilter Acquires Apple iPhone Security, Privacy Company Guardian". MSSP Alert. August 10, 2022. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
  12. ^ "DNSFilter Expands Endpoint Protection with Zorus Acquisition, Strengthens MSP Focus". ChannelE2E. April 7, 2025. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
  13. ^ "Protecting the Perimeter That No Longer Exists: DNSFilter's Approach to Modern DNS Security".
  14. ^ "DNSFilter Launches DNS PreCheck to Fix the Hidden Security Gap Facing Roaming Workers".
  15. ^ "Andretti Autosport Announces Partnership with DNSFilter for NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT". Andretti Global. February 23, 2023. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
  16. ^ "Andretti Autosport Partners with DNSFilter for 2023 INDYCAR". RomainGrosjean.com. 2023. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
  17. ^ "Juncos Hollinger Racing Announces DNSFilter as Official Partner". Juncos Hollinger Racing. February 22, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
  18. ^ "DNSFilter to partner with PREMA for 2025 INDYCAR season". PREMA Racing. 2025. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
  19. ^ "Grosjean Returns To Dale Coyne Racing". SPEED SPORT. February 14, 2026. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
  20. ^ "Incognito Mode Isn't Doing What You Think It's Doing". The Wall Street Journal. November 2023. Retrieved March 26, 2026. Republished by KaneBridge News; original shared by WSJ on LinkedIn
  21. ^ "That 'Unsubscribe' Button Could Be a Trap, Researchers Warn". Slashdot. June 16, 2025. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
  22. ^ The Wall Street Journal (June 10, 2025). "Why you should be wary about clicking that "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of unwanted emails". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved March 26, 2026.
  23. ^ "Inside look at dangers of unsubscribing from unwanted emails". NBC Today. 2025. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
  24. ^ "Think before you click: Experts warn email 'Unsubscribe' links pose security risks". TechSpot. June 11, 2025. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
  25. ^ "Hitting 'Unsubscribe' to Annoying Emails Isn't Safe Anymore. Here's Why". Entrepreneur. 2025. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
  26. ^ "Top InfoSec Innovators for 2023". Cyber Defense Awards. October 2023. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
  27. ^ a b "DNSFilter Celebrates 10 Years of Innovation and Growth While Protecting the Internet". The AI Journal. September 30, 2025. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
  28. ^ "GLOBAL INFOSEC AWARDS FOR 2026 WINNERS BY COMPANY".
  29. ^ "Ken Carnesi - Washington Business Journal". X (formerly Twitter).
  30. ^ "Meet DC's 2024 Tech Titans". Washingtonian. October 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
  31. ^ "Meet DC's 2024 Tech Titans". EqualAI. 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
  32. ^ Baker, Damare; Kern, Rebecca (September 9, 2025). "Meet DC's 2025 Tech Titans". Washingtonian. Retrieved March 26, 2026.


Category:Companies based in Washington, D.C. Category:Technology companies established in 2015 Category:2015 establishments in Washington, D.C. Category:Privately held companies based in Washington, D.C. Category:Domain Name System

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