Ensuring the security of your domain and website is critical when running a business in today’s world. One key tool to enhance that security is domain name system security extensions (DNSSEC). If you’re new to DNSSEC, don’t worry. This post will explain what it is, why it’s important, how it works, and how you can get started to secure your assets.
What is DNSSEC?
To understand DNSSEC, we first need to review how the domain name system (DNS) works. The DNS is like the internet’s phone book. When you type a website name, like example.com, in your browser, the DNS translates that name into the internet protocol (IP) address where the website is hosted, so your browser can load the correct site.
The problem? DNS wasn’t designed with security in mind. This makes it vulnerable to certain types of cyber attacks, such as DNS cache poisoning, where attackers can manipulate DNS responses to send users to malicious website. A DNS hijacking is similar, but in some ways worse, because it’s usually a larger security compromise that requires more extensive repair.
DNSSEC is a suite of Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) specifications for securing certain kinds of information provided by the DNS.
Why is DNSSEC important?
Cyber threats are constantly evolving, and attackers are finding more sophisticated ways to exploit vulnerabilities. For example, DNS spoofing and cache poisoning attacks are common and dangerous attacks that can lead to:
- Data theft: Users could unknowingly enter personal data on a fake website controlled by attackers.
- Malware infections: DNS spoofing can redirect users to websites that download harmful software onto their devices.
- Reputation damage: If your domain is compromised, it can damage trust in your brand and harm your reputation.
By implementing DNSSEC, you can help prevent these risks by ensuring your domain’s DNS records are authentic and haven’t been altered in transit. This maintains trust with your visitors and safeguards your online presence.
How DNSSEC works
DNSSEC uses a process called zone signing to protect DNS information. Here’s a simplified version of how it works.
- Data origin authentication. DNSSEC verifies that the data you receive comes from the expected source.
- Data integrity protection. DNSSEC ensures that the data you receive hasn’t been tampered with during transmission.
- Creating a trust chain. DNSSEC forms a chain of trust from the root DNS servers to your domain, ensuring that every step in the DNS lookup process is secure. This trust chain helps prevent attackers from inserting false DNS information.
In other words, DNSSEC works by digitally signing data so you can be assured it’s valid. It provides a method of checking the results of a DNS lookup to ensure the results are from the correct source. However, it doesn’t encrypt data.
How to get started
You can get DNSSEC implemented with a two-step process.
- Sign the zone with DNSSEC, the output of which is called a delegation of signing (DS) record. This is done by the DNS provider. Think about this like putting a padlock on the DNS for that specific domain.
- Store the DS records at the registry level. This can only be completed by the registrar and is like the key that only fits into the padlock created by the DNS provider.
For tips and best practices, check out “6 Ways to Strengthen DNS Security.”
Work with a trusted registrar
An enterprise-level registrar is much more likely to have robust security measures to protect your infrastructure. With the right partner, you can quickly and effectively add this layer of security to your website. CSC provides:
- Turnkey DNSSEC for zone signing
- End-to-end DNSSEC implementation support
- Automatic identification of domains requiring DNSSEC implementation via CSC DomainSec℠
Learn more about safeguarding your DNS.
