CIPA Compliance for Educational Institutions

The Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) is a federal law in the United States that requires K–12 schools and libraries to implement internet safety policies and filtering technology to receive specific federal E-rate funding. The goal is to protect minors from harmful online content and ensure safe use of digital resources.

To comply with CIPA, institutions must do the following:

• Develop and adopt an Internet Safety Policy (commonly referred to as an Acceptable Use Policy) that outlines how internet access will be monitored and restricted.
• Use a content filtering solution, like CyberFOX DNS Filter, to block access to inappropriate or harmful material.
• Educate students on appropriate online behavior, including social media use and cyberbullying awareness.
• Hold at least one public meeting to discuss and adopt the policy.
   

This guide outlines how to configure CyberFOX DNS Filter to meet CIPA requirements and help your school or library maintain a safe and compliant digital environment.

CIPA Requirements

CIPA requires schools and libraries to:

Adopt an Internet Safety Policy (also known as an Acceptable Use Policy) that outlines:

• Use of protection measures
• Monitoring of technology use
• Education on safe internet practices

Hold a public meeting before adopting the policy.

Include training on appropriate online behavior, including social media use and cyberbullying.

The policy must address:

• Access to inappropriate content
• Safety in email, chat rooms, and direct communications
• Unauthorized access and hacking
• Disclosure of personal information
• Access to harmful materials

How CyberFOX DNS Filter Helps

CyberFOX DNS Filter supports CIPA compliance by enforcing filtering policies across your network.

Block Inappropriate Content

Automatically blocks obscene content, child pornography, and material harmful to minors.
Note: Child exploitation content is blocked by default and cannot be disabled.

Protect Communication Channels

Block categories such as:

• Blogs & Personal Sites
• Media Sharing
• Message Boards & Forums
• Social Networking
• Streaming Media
• Webmail & Chat

Use allow lists for approved educational tools.

Prevent Hacking & Unlawful Activity

• Block “Hacking & Cracking” and “P2P & Illegal” categories
• Enable all Threat Protection categories

Enforce DNS Firewall Rules

Prevent students from bypassing filters by:

• Routing all DNS traffic (port 53) through CyberFOX DNS Filter
• Using firewall rules to block alternate DNS configurations
• See the “Preventing Circumvention” guide for setup details

Allow Adult Bypass for Research

Use NAT IPs to apply different policies to staff and students. This allows lawful research access for adults while maintaining protections for minors.

What Content Should Be Blocked

To comply with CIPA, create a policy in CyberFOX DNS Filter that blocks access to the following categories:

• Adult Content
• Alcohol & Tobacco
• Botnets
• Cryptomining
• Drugs
• Gambling
• Hacking & Cracking
• Malware
• P2P & Illegal Sharing
• Phishing & Deception
• Search Engines & Portals
• Self-Harm
• Weapons

Additional Resources

For more information on CIPA compliance, visit https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/childrens-internet-protection-act or consult your state’s Department of Education website for local guidance and training materials.