Over the next few months, we’ll be sharing a series of mini blogs dedicated to key areas of cybersecurity and how Heimdal, a leading vendor, is keeping organisations secure. First up in the series is the topic of DNS security and the importance of having the right protection in place.
DNS (Domain Name System) is part of the foundation of the internet, enabling users to navigate websites by translating domain names into IP addresses. Despite its critical role, DNS is not inherently secure, making it a prime target for cyberattacks. A data breach from DNS vulnerabilities can expose sensitive information, leading to legal repercussions and reputational damage.
What is DNS security?
DNS security is crucial, and all organisations need the right strategies to tackle the risks. Before discussing the importance of protection, let's define DNS security.
Essentially, DNS security encompasses measures and protocols designed to safeguard DNS infrastructure, protecting it from manipulation and exploitation. The primary goal is to ensure DNS operations remain safe from hijacking, unauthorised redirection, and data breaches.
The most basic layer of DNS Security is DNSSEC (DNS Security Extensions), which authenticates the integrity of DNS responses. However, this is not enough to protect against sophisticated threats. Advanced measures—like AI-driven solutions and strong filtering — need to be adopted to preserve DNS infrastructure comprehensively.
Why is DNS security important?
DNS directs internet traffic and ensures queries reach their intended destinations. When compromised, attackers can redirect users to malicious sites, steal credentials, deploy malware, or turn off services entirely. These threats often trap users into a false sense of security before harvesting personal details entered on fraudulent sites.
Without DNS security, users are at significant risk, opening themselves up to various attacks, including DoS and DDoS attacks, which can overwhelm networks with traffic; DNS hijacking, which redirects users to fake websites; and DNS spoofing, which can manipulate DNS responses to lead to malicious sites.
DNS attacks can cause a lot of damage, from disruption to services and financial losses to stolen data, identity theft, and malware distribution.
DNS security: The first line of defence
DNS security is essential to avoid falling victim to one of the above attacks. Heimdal’s DNS Security Endpoint solution is a leading solution for DNS security, blocking zero-hour exploits, ransomware, and data leaks. Key features include:
- Real-time traffic scanning that monitors and blocks infected domains instantly
- Integrates true DNS over HTTPS filtering
- Detecting and blocking malicious domains before they’re a threat through the use of predictive DNS
- Stops attacking processes on endpoints
- Two-way traffic filtering that allows customisable content filtering
With its proactive approach, Heimdal doesn’t just react to threats - it anticipates and prevents them, making it an indispensable tool.
Making DNS security a priority
DNS security is a non-negotiable aspect of modern cybersecurity. Protecting DNS infrastructure ensures uninterrupted service while safeguarding sensitive data.
Organisations must prioritise DNS security to maintain trust, comply with regulations, and protect their networks and sensitive data. To learn more about Heimdal and its solutions, visit our website or contact our team to book a demo.
