Safer Internet Browsing With One Change

[Igel]

3. A lot of OPs just grab 3 paragraphs and are done.

I agree.

The one thing (and I hope I'm not exceeding fair use):

Fortunately, you have options as to which middle man you have retrieving websites for you, and there are choices beyond just the internet big guys. By changing your DNS to another service, you can change who is in charge of your DNS lookups. You can use a free public DNS resolver that will automatically block known malicious domain names and that won’t be giving away information about your browsing.

There are lots of different DNS services that you can use that prioritize safe browsing and security (and like websites themselves, they all have their own IP addresses—even the phonebook guy has a phone number). Google runs one at 8.8.8.8, a company called Level 3 runs the nerdily infamous 4.2.2.2, and most ISPs (AT&T, Cox, etc.) have one. The one I recommend is called 1.1.1.1 and is offered by Cloudflare. Cloudflare not only built its free service with privacy in mind (they throw out the search logs every 24 hours), it also offers two additional options for blocking malware and adult content called DNS for Families.

Cloudflare’s installation guide is your best resource for how to update your home network to use Cloudflare 1.1.1.1. At its most basic level, you’ll update DNS settings on devices to remove two IP addresses and replace them with two new ones. If you just want to stop having your internet use logged, you’ll use 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1. If you also want to block malware, use 1.1.1.2 and 1.0.0.2. If you want to block malware and adult content, use 1.1.1.3 and 1.0.0.3.