Give your customers a safer internet at home
DNS-level cybersecurity protection for residential networks
Every connected home is a potential target for cyber threats. The CIRA ISP Security Partnership Program enables independent Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to protect residential subscribers using CIRA Canadian Shield, our free DNS cybersecurity service.
Canadian Shield blocks connections to malicious domains associated with malware, phishing and botnet activity at the DNS layer, before traffic reaches your customers’ devices.
Built-in protection for your end users
ISPs are well positioned to protect residential users from cyber threats, especially in rural and underserved communities where cybersecurity services may be limited. Canadian Shield can be deployed directly within your network—without requiring endpoint software or additional hardware—delivering automatic protection to your residential subscribers.
This built-in protection blocks malware domains, phishing domains, and botnet command and control domains, before connections are established. By stopping malicious and unwanted traffic at the DNS level, it helps reduce network congestion while improving overall network performance and reliability.
Canadian Shield has been protecting Canadians since 2020, providing security and enhancing user privacy by encrypting DNS traffic using industry standard DNS over HTTPS (DoH) and DNS over TLS (DoT).
Benefits for participating ISPs
DNS-level threat protection for residential networks is provided at no cost.
- Baseline protection – malware, phishing and botnet blocking, with optional family filtering for adult content.
- Operational benefits – increased customer trust and fewer malware-related customer support incidents, through reduced malicious traffic on your network.
- Aggregate reporting – statistics on blocked malware, phishing and botnet domains.
Simple network integration
Canadian Shield is designed to integrate easily with your existing infrastructure.
Typical deployment involves three steps:
- Configure Canadian Shield resolvers for residential networks
- Enable baseline threat protection
- Deliver protection automatically to subscribers
Deployment is commonly implemented using one of two approaches:
Network-level deployment – Canadian Shield resolvers are configured as the default DNS service for residential networks.
Router-level deployment – Canadian Shield DNS settings are configured within ISP-managed routers or gateway devices.
Both approaches provide DNS protection without endpoint software or additional hardware.
Optional CIRA DNS Firewall for business customers
You may also offer business customers CIRA DNS Firewall, a separate commercial service that enables you to generate new recurring revenue from value-added cybersecurity services. The solution includes:
- Administrative management portal
- Policy controls and content filtering
- Security reporting
- Enterprise support options
This allows you to introduce cybersecurity services for business customers while continuing to deliver Canadian Shield protection for residential users, creating a clear path to monetize security capabilities across your network.
Identify service gaps with the IPT
In addition to Canadian Shield, CIRA provides the Internet Performance Test (IPT), a free tool that has been helping Canadians understand their internet performance in real network conditions since 2015.
The IPT leaves the ISP’s network and travels to a nearby Internet Exchange Point (IXP) and back again, simulating the user’s experience. Results are anonymized and sorted into different geographical zones including a breakdown of urban vs rural data, creating a shared resource that helps communities and service providers address service gaps together, and track improvements over time.
Brought to you by CIRA’s Net Good program
Canadian Shield and the IPT are part of Net Good by CIRA, a program that supports projects, communities and policies that make the internet better for all Canadians.
Other Net Good initiatives include support for IXPs, enabling networks to interconnect locally and keep Canadian traffic in Canada while improving performance, reducing costs and strengthening network resilience.
CIRA also provides Net Good Grants, an annual funding for connectivity projects in underserved communities, helping expand internet access, strengthen local infrastructure, and support a more resilient, trusted and secure internet for Canadians.
Join the program
Independent ISPs across Canada are working with CIRA to expand access to DNS-level cybersecurity protection. Sign up to express interest in our ISP Security Partnership Program.