DNS4EU

What DNS4EU does

DNS4EU is a European Commission co-funded initiative (Project 101095329 21-EU-DIG-EU-DNS) that provides DNS resolution with built-in protective filtering for EU citizens, governments, and telecom operators. It is operated by Whalebone, s.r.o., a Czech cybersecurity company headquartered in Brno, under a consortium of 13 members from 10 EU countries including CZ.NIC, NASK, Czech Technical University, HUN-REN SZTAKI, DNSC, and Time.lex. The technical stack combines the open-source Knot Resolver (with DoS protection and DNSSEC validation), a Whalebone-developed real-time threat intelligence backend, a proprietary MISP instance for CERT/CSIRT data exchange, and machine learning models for phishing, malware, and C2 detection contributed by NASK and CTU. All infrastructure and query processing sits within EU jurisdiction to ensure GDPR compliance and EU data sovereignty.

The product portfolio is split into a free DNS4EU Public Service (five configurable resolver endpoints: Protective, Protective + Child Protection, Protective + Ad Blocking, full combination, and Unfiltered, each supporting DoH and DoT) and commercial offerings: DNS4GOV for government institutions and critical infrastructure, Aura Infrastructure for telecom operators, Whalebone Immunity for enterprise, and a Threat Intelligence Exchange for CERTs/CSIRTs/NCSCs. DNS4EU Public Service launched in June 2025 and has since blocked approximately 16 million malicious domains daily (over 70% malware), maintaining 100% uptime. Distribution combines self-serve website setup, native placement in Google Chrome (v144+), telecom operator integration via Aura, and dedicated enterprise field sales for government and critical-infrastructure accounts. Revenue is generated through subscription contracts for DNS4GOV and Whalebone Immunity; the public service is free to citizens and the initiative has transitioned from EU grant funding to a self-sustaining commercial ecosystem under Whalebone's operation.

Name

DNS4EU

Legal name

DNS4EU

Website

https://joindns4.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

DNS4EU is an EU Commission co-funded protective DNS initiative operated by Whalebone, offering GDPR-compliant DNS resolution with built-in threat filtering to EU citizens (free Public Service), governments (DNS4GOV), telecom operators (Aura Infrastructure), and enterprises (Whalebone Immunity), backed by a 13-member consortium spanning 10 EU countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Protective DNS Security Services

akta.pro primary industry

DNS Security & Protective DNS (HDADABAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

IP Address Management (IPAM) & DNS/DHCP Management (DDI) (HDAFAGAF), Resilient DNS, Traffic Management & Global Load Balancing (HDABAIAI)

Keywords

• Protective DNS resolution
• DNS security services
• Threat intelligence platform
• Cybersecurity infrastructure
• Sovereign DNS resolver

Headquarters

HQ city

Brno

HQ country

Czechia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. DNS4EU Public Service: Free DNS resolver service for EU citizens funded through European Commission co-funding (Project number: 101095329). The public service is provided at no cost to end users to promote digital sovereignty and cybersecurity across Europe.
2. DNS4GOV Commercial Suite: Professional commercial DNS security solution provided by Whalebone for government institutions, public administration, and critical infrastructure. Revenue generated through licensing and service contracts with public sector entities requiring high-security DNS protection.
3. Enterprise DNS Security (Whalebone Immunity): Managed DNS security product for enterprise organizations including manufacturing, utilities, transport, healthcare, and education sectors. Provides protective DNS services beyond the public offering with enhanced support and customization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

DNS4EU operates a Protective DNS (PDNS) resolver infrastructure that translates domain names to IP addresses while blocking malicious domains, phishing, malware, and command-and-control infrastructure. The offering is delivered through a free, GDPR-compliant Public Service for EU citizens with five configurable resolver options (Protective, Protective + Child Protection, Protective + Ad Blocking, full combo, and Unfiltered), plus the commercial DNS4GOV professional suite for governments and critical infrastructure, Aura Infrastructure for telecom operators, and a Threat Intelligence Exchange platform for CERTs and CSIRTs.

Product overview

DNS4EU is a European DNS security ecosystem operated by Whalebone, comprising a free Public Service for citizens and commercial offerings for governments and telecom providers. The Public Service provides five tiered resolver configurations (Protective Resolution, Protective + Child Protection, Protective + Ad Blocking, Protective + Child Protection + Ad Blocking, and Unfiltered Resolution) that block malicious domains, phishing, and malware while keeping data within EU borders and GDPR-compliant. The commercial arm includes DNS4GOV for government institutions and critical infrastructure, Aura Infrastructure for telecom operators, and a Threat Intelligence Exchange platform enabling real-time threat intelligence sharing across EU CERTs and CSIRTs via MISP. The consortium comprises 13 members from 10 EU countries including Whalebone (consortium leader), CZ.NIC, Czech Technical University, Timelex, deSEC, HUN-REN SZTAKI, ABILAB/CERTFin, NASK, and DNSC.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DNS4EU Public Service: Free, privacy-focused DNS resolver for European citizens offering protective resolution, child protection, and ad blocking options.
• DNS4GOV

Products and services

• DNS4EU Public Service Free, GDPR-compliant Protective DNS resolver service for EU citizens. Provides five configurable resolver options (Protective, Protective + Child Protection, Protective + Ad Blocking, full combination, and Unfiltered), supports IPv4/IPv6, DNS over HTTPS (DoH), and DNS over TLS (DoT), blocks malicious domains before they load, and keeps all DNS queries within EU infrastructure.
• DNS4GOV Professional commercial Protective DNS security suite for governments, public institutions, and critical infrastructure. Provides advanced threat protection against malware, phishing, and botnets at the DNS layer with GDPR-compliant operation, customizable policies, and scalable architecture. Offers cloud-based, on-premises, or hybrid deployment options and Proof-of-Concept engagement programs.
• Aura Infrastructure (DNS4EU for Telcos) Embedded DNS security solution integrated directly into telecom operator networks, providing secure DNS services as part of Aura Infrastructure for telecommunications providers seeking carrier-level subscriber protection.
• Threat Intelligence Exchange Platform for sharing and coordinating cyber threats between consortium partners, CERTs, CSIRTs, and NCSCs. Operates a DNS4EU MISP instance enabling secure, real-time propagation of indicators of compromise to all DNS4EU resolvers across the EU.

Quantifiable outcome

• 16 million malicious domains blocked daily
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability3 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WhalebonecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Consortium leader and operator of DNS4EU services. Czech cybersecurity company founded in 2016 in Brno, protecting millions of users worldwide through telcos, ISPs, and enterprise networks. Develops threat intelligence backend, coordinates consortium activities, and manages DNS4GOV commercial offerings.
• CZ.NICcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterest association of legal entities operating the .CZ domain registry and developing Knot Resolver - modern open-source DNS recursive server with unique scaling architecture. Contributes DoS protection features and DNSSEC validation capabilities to DNS4EU.
• Czech Technical University in Prague (CTU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContributes machine learning and cybersecurity expertise through Stratosphere Laboratory (AI Center). Develops detection algorithms for malicious DNS activity, focusing on malware and command-and-control detection. Researches methods to reduce false positives.
• TimelexcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBrussels-based boutique law firm specializing in IT law, privacy, data protection, and electronic communications. Provides legal framework assessment, data protection compliance, and cybersecurity legal guidance for DNS4EU.
• deSECcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNot-for-profit DNS security provider focusing on advancing DNS security posture. Contributes expertise on DNSSEC, privacy and security issues. Leads post-quantum DNSSEC research and evaluation for DNS4EU.
• HUN-REN SZTAKI / HunCERTcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHungarian research institute and sectoral CERT providing security design advisory, threat intelligence, and vulnerability management. Contributes advisory role on data security, access control, and security audit preparation.
• CERTFin (ABILAB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian financial sector CERT providing DNS cyber threat intelligence. Contributes to collection, analysis, and sharing of information related to malicious domains and DNS queries associated with cyber threats.
• NASKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPolish research institute operating CERT Polska and .pl domain registry. Develops machine learning models detecting phishing domains through newly registered domain monitoring and anonymized DNS request data analysis.
• DNSC (Romanian National Cyber Security Directorate)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRomanian national cybersecurity authority providing lawful filtering compliance tools, user-friendly setup guides, and CSIRTs Network collaboration. Assesses operational security requirements and develops automated tools for regulatory compliance.
• F-SECUREminorOthersFinnish cybersecurity company providing consultation and sharing know-how with the consortium.
• CESNETminorOthersCzech research and academic network providing consultation and technical expertise to the consortium.
• Ministry of Electronic Governance (Bulgaria)minorOthersBulgarian government ministry providing consultation on electronic governance and digital policy aspects.
• Centro Nacional de Ciberseguranca (Portugal)minorOthersPortuguese National Cybersecurity Center providing consultation and national cybersecurity perspective to the consortium.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• AdGuard DNS: AdGuard DNS is a privacy-focused recursive DNS service offering ad-blocking and security modes. It overlaps directly with DNS4EU's Public Service options (protective, child protection, ad blocking) and competes for the same European privacy-conscious user base.
• CleanBrowsing: CleanBrowsing is a privacy-focused DNS resolver offering security, adult content filtering, and custom filtering profiles. It competes in the same niche as DNS4EU's free Public Service, particularly for families and educational institutions.
• DNSFilter: DNSFilter offers a cloud-native protective DNS platform with AI-driven threat detection, content filtering, and MSP/partner channels. It targets a similar mid-market and enterprise customer base as DNS4GOV with comparable subscription pricing models.
• NextDNS: NextDNS provides a configurable privacy-focused DNS service with content filtering, threat protection, and per-device policies. It is a direct competitor in both the consumer free/paid tier market and the small-business PDNS segment overlapping with DNS4EU's offering.
• Cisco Umbrella (OpenDNS): Cisco Umbrella, formerly OpenDNS, provides enterprise-grade protective DNS with threat intelligence, policy controls, and integration into Cisco's broader security stack. It is the most established commercial PDNS competitor to DNS4GOV, particularly for government and enterprise segments.
• Quad9: Quad9 is a non-profit, privacy-focused recursive DNS service that blocks malicious domains using threat intelligence from multiple sources. It is the closest direct comparator to DNS4EU's free protective DNS offering, with similar non-profit/government-backed positioning (Swiss foundation) and privacy-first philosophy.
• Whalebone (Immunity / Aura): Whalebone is the Czech cybersecurity company operating DNS4EU and selling Immunity (enterprise PDNS) and Aura (telco-embedded PDNS). While the operating entity behind DNS4EU, Whalebone Immunity is also a direct commercial competitor in the enterprise protective DNS market, particularly across CEE.

Broad incumbents

• Google Public DNS: Google Public DNS (8.8.8.8) is the default DNS resolver used by a large share of European internet users. While not marketed as protective DNS, its ubiquity, performance, and ecosystem integrations make it the dominant alternative that DNS4EU must displace at the consumer layer.
• Cloudflare (1.1.1.1 with Malware Blocking): Cloudflare operates the widely-used 1.1.1.1 public DNS resolver with optional malware and adult content filtering. While part of a much broader CDN/security portfolio, it is the most-recognized global free PDNS alternative competing directly with DNS4EU Public Service.
• F-Secure (WithSecure): F-Secure (now WithSecure) is a Finnish cybersecurity incumbent and DNS4EU consortium associated partner. It offers endpoint and network security including DNS-layer protection, and is an indirect peer as a broader European cybersecurity suite competing for similar government and enterprise security budgets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DNS4EU
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@Whaleboneio
• Facebookfacebook.com/dns4eu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dns4eu

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about DNS4EU