Why DNS Security is Crucial for Modern Cyber Defense

Most businesses lock their front doors, but leave their windows open. That is the bottom line of network security without DNS protection. This is exemplified by the fact that 90% of malware will use DNS at least once during an attack, yet DNS security is still often overlooked.

DNS protection keeps threats at bay before they can get into your networks. Imagine a security guard who never stops working and checks the identity cards of every person in your company. However, this guard works at high speed.

This is why no cybersecurity strategy is complete without DNS protection. Understanding DNS protection can help anyone from a small business owner to the security manager of a large corporation secure their networks against cyberattacks.

Why Cybercriminals Target DNS Infrastructure

The DNS technology is extensively exploited by cybercriminals to get into different devices, distribute malware, and implement command and control channels. Unfortunately, DNS was not created with security in mind. This means that most DNS transactions are neither authenticated nor encrypted and do not appear to be protected by traditional security systems. Because of this, DNS is used for malicious covert attacks such as unnoticed redirections and large-scale disruptions.

DNS firewalls and protective DNS systems can help mitigate these types of threats during the DNS resolution phase by identifying and blocking suspicious requests. For example, DNS security solutions from providers such as EfficientIP can be used to monitor DNS activity and enforce policies that prevent connections to known or suspected malicious domains.

The Benefits of DNS-Level Security

DNS as the First Line of Defense

DNS resolution often happens at the start of an attack operation, before the perpetrator downloads harmful files and engages in attack management. The security solutions make it possible for organizations to prevent attacks even before they get to the endpoints or internal networks.

From a tactical standpoint, this preventive capability is far more effective than detection-focused security solutions that can identify threats only after they have penetrated the network barrier.

Protection against Encrypted Threats

Many of the older security measures that used to be able to see what was going on in a network are becoming obsolete as encryption is used for all online conversations. While this encryption improves privacy, it also creates vulnerabilities that criminals may exploit to conceal their actions.

Because DNS security acts at the level of protocols, rather than needing to decrypt and analyze data, it is effective even in highly encrypted situations. When combating the growing problem of encrypted types of attacks, our approach maintains privacy and safety.

Broad Device-Independent Security

All devices on the network require DNS, regardless of OS, physical type, and underlying purpose. DNS security measures are employed to protect all types of network devices, including standard computers, servers, mobile phones, tablets, operational technology, legacy systems that cannot support modern protection agents, Internet of Things equipment, and BYOD devices that circumvent standard security barriers.

While agent-based protection measures are not applicable to all kinds of operating systems and device types used by organizations, this universal coverage helps to deal with security gaps.