DNS security is the practice of protecting domain name resolution and related infrastructure from abuse, manipulation, and attack. It matters because DNS is a foundational service that attackers often exploit for phishing, malware delivery, redirection, and command-and-control activity.
What is DNS Security?
DNS security includes the controls used to protect how domain names are queried, resolved, administered, and trusted across networks and systems. This can involve resolver protection, DNS filtering, registrar security, record integrity, monitoring, and use of security extensions where appropriate.
Because so many services rely on DNS, weaknesses in this layer can have broad impact across users, applications, and business operations.
What DNS Security Commonly Addresses
Common concerns include domain hijacking, DNS tunneling, malicious domain resolution, record tampering, typo-squatting, phishing infrastructure, and abuse of DNS for stealthy communications.
DNS Security vs. Firewalling
Firewalling controls traffic flows across networks. DNS security focuses more specifically on name resolution, domain trust, and the ways attackers abuse DNS-related systems and queries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do attackers like DNS so much?
Because it is essential, widely trusted, often under-monitored, and useful for redirection, infrastructure hiding, phishing, and covert signaling.
Is DNS security only about blocking bad domains?
No. It also includes protecting DNS administration, registrar access, record integrity, resolver behavior, and visibility into suspicious DNS activity.
