DNS Security - The Core of Cyber Defence

No cyber security without DNS Security: risks from malware, phishing and other threats can be reduced with professional DNS protection. The approach is indispensable for IT organisations, but is also an effective tool against cybercrime. We show how it works properly.

In my many years as a security expert, I have helped many organisations from the private and public sectors to secure their IT against cyber risks. One protective measure forms the basis of any robust defence – but it is often underestimated: DNS Security.

The Domain Name System (DNS), as the ‘phone book of the internet’, translates domain names such as ‘avodaq.com’ into numerical IP addresses that computers need to find websites. As all internet activity is based on DNS requests, the DNS is an attractive target for cyber criminals: they use the system to spread malicious content, carry out phishing attacks and control command & control servers (the ‘malware managers’). If users access a compromised or malicious domain, the cybercriminals have as good as won: According to various studies, a large proportion of companies and public institutions are attacked in this way, with losses running into the millions.

Implementing DNS Security

• Quality of threat intelligence:
  The supplier should have an extensive and up-to-date database of known threats.
• Scalability and performance:
  The solution must be able to keep up with your organisation’s growing traffic without compromising filtering performance.
• Integration with other security solutions:
  The service should integrate seamlessly with your existing security infrastructure.

Summary

DNS protection is the first line of defence that can block more than 90 percent of attacks. This makes it indispensable. For companies and public authorities, the most important thing is to move to a proactive defence: DNS data and tools help to enhance cyber threat intelligence, drive zero trust strategies, improve ransomware and data theft detection and increase SOC efficiency. In this way, companies can protect themselves and reduce the risk of successful cyber attacks.