With stricter policies like the European Union’s Network and Information Security (NIS2) Directive being recently implemented, organizations are being asked to better ensure they have a business continuity plan for response to cyber attacks.
One frequently overlooked component of online security is domain name system (DNS) redundancy. While it may not always grab the headlines, DNS redundancy plays a crucial role in maintaining system availability, defending against cyber threats, and guarding your brand’s reputation.
What is DNS redundancy?
Essentially, DNS is a system that translates human-readable domain names (like “yourcompany.com”) into internet protocol (IP) addresses that computers use to identify and communicate with each other. DNS is often referred to as the phonebook of the internet because it ensures that when someone types in your domain name, they can connect to your website or services without needing to memorize long strings of numbers.
DNS redundancy is the practice of setting up multiple, geographically dispersed servers to handle queries. By having redundant DNS infrastructure, businesses ensure that if one server fails or becomes unreachable due to network issues, other servers can pick up the burden. This system prevents downtime and ensures that users can access your site no matter what happens to one part of the infrastructure.
Why is DNS redundancy important?
Let’s take a deeper look at why businesses should prioritize DNS redundancy as part of their online security strategy.
1. Mitigating the risk of downtime
DNS downtime can result in your website being inaccessible, leading to lost opportunities, frustrated customers, and potential damage to your brand. In fact, according to CSC’s 2024 “Domain Security Report,” only 17% of companies in the Global 2000 employ DNS redundancy—down 1% from the previous year. This shows that despite the risks, a significant number of companies still do not prioritize this level of backup.
When a DNS failure occurs, it could take hours or even days to resolve. However, multiple DNS servers can seamlessly serve as backups, ensuring that your website remains operational, and your business continues to function smoothly.
2. Defending against DNS-based attacks
DNS is a frequent target for cybercriminals aiming to disrupt online services. DNS attacks, such as Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS), aim to overwhelm a DNS server with traffic, causing it to crash and bring down a website or service. DNS redundancy helps mitigate these threats by spreading the traffic across multiple servers. If one server is attacked, others can absorb the traffic, reducing the impact of the attack and maintaining uptime.
3. Improving website performance and load balancing
Not only does DNS redundancy help keep your website online, but it can also improve performance. By using multiple DNS servers across different regions, you can ensure faster response times for users, regardless of their location. This not only improves user experience but can also positively affect your search engine optimization rankings, as search engines like Google® prioritize fast-loading websites.
4. Ensuring business continuity in a crisis
In times of crisis, such as a natural disaster, cyber attack, or network failure, DNS redundancy is a cornerstone of business continuity. In a worst-case scenario, when one data center goes offline, redundant DNS servers located in other regions or even different countries can keep your services operational. This distribution ensures that even if local infrastructure is compromised, your global users can still reach your site.
How does DNS redundancy work?
Traditionally, DNS relies on a series of servers in a hierarchical structure. At the highest level, there are root servers, then authoritative name servers, that hold the records for specific domains.
In a DNS-redundant setup, you deploy multiple authoritative name servers across different locations. This can include:
- Primary DNS server: The main server that handles DNS requests.
- Secondary DNS servers: Backup servers that mirror the primary DNS records. If the primary server fails, these secondary servers step in to take over the load.
These servers can be spread out over different locations to ensure that even if one data center or region faces an issue, DNS requests can still be handled by another server in a different location. Moreover, many businesses use anycast routing that allows DNS queries to be automatically directed to the closest available server, ensuring both speed and reliability.
What happens without DNS redundancy?
Without DNS redundancy, a single point of failure exists. If your DNS server experiences an outage, so does your website. This can lead to major issues, including:
- Lost traffic, sales, and consumer trust
- Increased vulnerability to cyber attacks
- Difficulty recovering from failures, as businesses without DNS redundancy may struggle to restore service quickly
For a multinational company, the implications of DNS failure can be severe, affecting everything from email to eCommerce transactions and end-user support systems. For marketing and legal professionals, the risks extend to brand reputation and compliance, especially when your business fails to meet customer expectations due to downtime or slow recovery.
Secure your online presence with DNS redundancy
With cyber threats constantly evolving and brand reputation on the line, DNS redundancy becomes a critical piece of any business continuity and security plan. The CSC 2024 “Domain Security Report” highlights that a significant number of companies, including some of the largest in the world, still lack DNS redundancy. Don’t let your business be one of them.
Learn more about how we can help safeguard your online presence with our advanced DNS solutions.
