Understanding how you connect to the internet is crucial for online security. When you type a website address, your device uses the Domain Name System (DNS) to find its corresponding IP address. Traditionally, this process has been unencrypted, leaving your browsing data exposed.
This vulnerability is not just theoretical; DNS attacks are a pervasive and costly threat. Reports indicate that 88% of organizations globally have suffered DNS attacks, with companies encountering an average of seven attacks per year, costing around $942,000 per incident[Source: Palo Alto Networks]
These attacks can range from redirecting you to fake websites to stealing sensitive information or disrupting services. This article will delve into the vulnerabilities of traditional DNS and explain how encrypted DNS protocols add a vital layer of protection, safeguarding your privacy and strengthening your overall online security.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Unencrypted DNS queries are exposed to tracking, manipulation (spoofing, cache poisoning), and data exfiltration (DNS tunneling).
It encrypts communication between your device and DNS servers, preventing eavesdropping, tampering, and ensuring you connect to trusted servers.
DoH (DNS-over-HTTPS) encrypts DNS over HTTPS (port 443), blending with web traffic, while DoT (DNS-over-TLS) uses TLS on a separate port (853).
Encrypted DNS also enhances network security by cutting off common attack vectors, protecting against malware communicating with malicious domains, and reducing DDoS attack risks.
Combining encrypted DNS with measures like DNS firewalls provides a more robust, multi-layered defense.
Many modern operating systems and browsers support DoH and DoT, making adoption straightforward by configuring secure DNS resolvers.
Understanding the Vulnerabilities of Traditional DNS
A DNS query is implemented by asking a DNS server to find the needed IP address to access a website. In addition, DNS traffic can be used as a way to exfiltrate secret information through DNS tunneling, which exploits an unguarded passage via firewalls and other security controls. If this process is left unencrypted, others can track or alter your DNS requests without your knowledge, tricking you into visiting fake websites using techniques like DNS spoofing or cache poisoning. The standard DNS does not provide either encryption or authentication, which makes it easier for attacks to occur because DNS queries and responses are in plaintext. The resulting exposure of privacy and security is a very serious issue because it greatly reduces the protection offered by other security mechanisms.
How Encrypted DNS Strengthens Security
Encrypted protocols secure the channel between your gadget and DNS hosting facilities via encryption of DNS requests and responses. In this process, encryption deters eavesdroppers from viewing or tampering with the websites you visit. Apart from that, encrypted DNS guarantees that the DNS server that responds to your complaint is the one that you trust, thwarting cyberattackers from disguising themselves as one.
The two main protocols that provide this encryption include:
1. DoH
This protocol transmits DNS queries via HTTPS, utilizing the very same encryption and authentication algorithms that are applied for the secure browsing of websites. DoH runs on the usual HTTPS port, which signifies that DNS traffic is indistinguishable from normal web traffic; thus, it turns out easier to get around censorship and network filtering.
2. DoT
DoT regulates the encryption of DNS queries through Transport Layer Security (TLS). However, it relies on a separate port (853) for that. This enables the networks to see DNS traffic clearly, handle it as a whole, and also have the encryption feature active.
Learn about regular DNS and DoH with the help of with infographic below.
As part of a network security strategy, encrypting DNS queries protects your privacy and stops attackers from intercepting or changing DNS traffic. This stops attacks from happening right from the beginning of the connection process. Encrypted DNS also stops malware from trying to communicate with requests from malicious domains at the DNS layer.
Finally, encrypted DNS helps organizations lower the risks of DDoS attacks, which are mainly distributed and aim at the DNS infrastructure. This encrypted DNS is the approach to combat those DNS hijacking attempts, when an attacker attempts to make use of DNS queries to receive data or set up a hidden channel to control the target system.
Complementary DNS Layer Security Measures
Even when securing DNS query transmission with digitally signed DNS can help assure the utmost privacy, the integration of this with other security measures can enhance your security to the max. A DNS firewall is an illustration that eliminates connections to those domains that are on the list of designated bad ones before the malicious software links them to your network.
The usage of these technologies and tools is critical because they provide visibility into DNS traffic patterns. Thereby, they make it easy to catch suspicious signs of intrusion at an early stage. Putting them all together leads to a deep and multi-layered DNS security stance that helps the confidentiality, resilience, and availability of your DNS infrastructure.
INTERESTING FACT “DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) can sometimes make it harder for network administrators to detect and block malicious traffic, as it blends DNS queries with regular encrypted web traffic.”
Implementing Encrypted DNS
Currently, lots of operating systems and browsers have switched to DNS-over-HTTPS and DNS-over-TLS protocols, which makes the adoption much more convenient. This requires very little attention for you to configure your device or network to use safe DNS resolution systems and, thus, provide an improvement in privacy and security. However, when picking a DNS service, give priority to entities that have robust encryption, strong privacy policies, and are tamper-proof.
Conclusion
Online privacy and security are essential for managing encrypted DNS layers to block unauthorized access to your browsing data and also cater to the detection of DNS-based attacks. So what is private DNS? Let’s understand how it can give you the power to manage your digital footprint. The process of establishing encrypted DNS protocols and applying security in layers result in building a strong defensive wall that opens up for the protection of not only your personal assets but also your overall network security.
FAQs
Why is traditional DNS risky?
It sends your Browse requests in plain text, making them vulnerable to tracking, tampering, and attacks like spoofing.
How does encrypted DNS protect?
It encrypts your DNS requests, hiding what websites you visit from snoopers and ensuring you connect to legitimate servers.
Is encrypted DNS hard to use?
No, many modern devices and browsers now support it, making setup straightforward.
Gaurav Rathore
