Best DNS Security Solutions

DNS (domain name system) security solutions protect the infrastructure and the websites it supports. They can identify potentially dangerous websites and content by redirecting end-user web traffic through certain filters. They can also prevent other attacks, including DNS hijacking and DNS tunneling. Most DNS security software can also detect and mitigate distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks.

DNS is one of the oldest protocols of the internet. It’s a naming database that locates and translates domain names into IP addresses, similar to how a phone’s contacts list matches names to phone numbers. DNS is also one of the most utilized protocols, making it a common target of network attacks. Most internet activities, including web browsing, heavily depend on the DNS directory to quickly locate an IP address, connect with the web server, and access the website’s content.

Since the DNS functions as the backbone of internet connectivity, it’s natural to assume it is designed with the utmost cybersecurity features. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. When this infrastructure was created, malicious actors and security threats were not as prevalent as today. Organizations use DNS security solutions to protect against DNS server attacks, threats, and malware such as ransomware.

What Does DNS Stand For?

DNS stands for domain name system and acts as a translator between humans and computers. It is essentially a directory of domain names mapped with each website's IP addresses.

The following are some of the core features within DNS security tools that can help companies protect their networks from malicious actors:

DNS filter: DNS filter may be one of the many features offered by this type of protection solution or the only purpose of a specific tool. It’s also referred to as DNS-layer security and can be viewed as a way to cut off threats before they can attack. In other words, it is the first line of defense against cybersecurity infiltration. DNS filtering can help blacklist malicious and phishing websites and ultimately avoid the risk of being attacked. This feature doubles as a content filtering system, enabling companies to prevent employees from accessing harmful or inappropriate web content on company-managed devices and networks.

Bot protection: With IoT devices becoming more prevalent, bot attacks are increasing. Malicious attackers may use botnets to steal employee data, send spam, or initiate DDoS attacks. Most DNS security tools come with features to detect and mitigate botnet attacks.

Prediction capabilities: Some DNS security solutions utilize the power of machine learning to identify and predict malicious domains. These solutions can proactively identify newly staged attacker infrastructure and block them to protect against cyber threats by analyzing internet activity patterns.

Typo correction: DNS security solutions may have features for the typo correction, which is incredibly important as attackers may create domains with misleading names, for example, “gogle.com”, and use them for phishing attacks.

DNS security systems enable organizations to add an extra layer of protection between employees and the internet. With the increasing number of remote workers, DNS security applications help secure data inside and outside the office and make it safer to promote programs such as bring your own device (BYOD).

The DNS wasn’t created with security in mind, making it vulnerable to several security threats. For example, since DNS heavily depends on caching, attackers may utilize an advanced technique called cache poisoning to exploit the behavior of servers and cache to serve harmful HTTP responses to users. Most DNS security software tools are equipped with essential features to fight cache poisoning.

Another way to fight cache poisoning is with the help of DNS security extensions (DNSSEC). But buyers must be mindful not to confuse DNSSEC with DNS security systems, as the former is a feature that authenticates the responses to domain name lookups. This also means that DNSSEC doesn’t provide particular privacy protection for those lookups. Instead, it prevents attackers from poisoning or manipulating the responses to DNS queries.

The following are some of the notable benefits of utilizing a DNS security solution:

Filter unwanted content: As mentioned earlier, DNS security software solutions offer filtering, which is an excellent way to block malicious websites and reduce the chance of DNS attacks. Companies can use this feature to control how employees access the web. For instance, it can block unwanted websites with adult or inappropriate NSFW (not suitable for work) content. The main benefit of this feature is that buyers can implement it without installing any specific software on the devices.

Block advertisements: Another benefit of DNS filtering is ad blocking, which is also a type of content filtering. Ads may have malicious apps hidden inside them or could be a strategy to extract employee information. Even if there isn’t any malicious intent behind an advertisement, it can still distract employees and reduce their performance.

Uncover shadow IT: Shadow IT, which are IT systems deployed by employees without the approval of the IT department, can cause security and compliance issues and may also increase the IT spending at a company. Unsanctioned applications are also frequently targeted by attackers. Some DNS security software products help uncover shadow IT applications and provide insights into where the employees spend the most time online.

Prevent malware downloads: Controlling internet access also means that DNS security applications can help prevent malware downloads from hacked or malicious sites. If malware is downloaded somehow, it will typically send “callback” signals to a host server to receive further instructions. If there’s a DNS security platform in place, it can block such signals.

Integrate with ease: DNS security solutions easily integrate with a business’s existing network security ecosystem. These products typically come with flexible APIs and can be configured and deployed effortlessly.