What is DNS Attack and How Does it Work?

[harlan4096]

DNS Attack is a type of cyber attack that exploit the weakness or vulnerability in Domain name system. Today, the internet has turned into an integral part of our life. From communicating to banking to shopping to traveling, every aspect of our life is around the internet.

Since the internet has been widely used, cybersecurity is a primary concern for most web users as every now and then we hear the news about cyber attacks.

Nowadays, cyber attack is common. Even they are becoming a big headache for many IT companies and businesses. In recent years, some big names such as Google, The New York Times, etc. have fallen victim to cyber attacks.

In today’s post, we will come to know about DNS Attacks, how they work and how to fight against them.

What is DNS Attack?

Indeed, DNS attacks happen when a hacker is able to find weaknesses to exploit in the DNS (Domain Name System).

Hackers take advantage of vulnerabilities make DNS attack possible. In order to understand, how DNS attacks actually work, you will have to first understand how DNS works.

For those who don’t know, domain name system is a protocol that interprets an alphabetic domain name into IP address. In short, its major function is to convert a user-friendly domain name into the computer-friendly IP address.

How DNS Works?

When a user types a domain name in the browser, a program available in the operating system known as ‘DNSresolver‘ searches for IP address of that domain name.

First, DNS resolver searches its own local cache and check if it already has the IP address for that domain. If it does not find it in the local cache, It queries a DNS server to check if it knows the accurate IP address for that domain.

DNS servers work in a loop which means they are able to query each other to find the DNS server that knows the correct IP address of the domain name.

As soon as DNS resolver locates the IP address, it returns the IP address to requesting program. DNS caches domain address for future use as well.

Though Domain Name System is quite powerful yet it seems less focused toward the security. Maybe that’s why we are noticing different types of DNS attack.

To minimize the possibilities of DNS attacks, server administrators must take some necessary steps. They can use an upgraded version of DNS software and regularly configure servers to duplicate. At a personal level, users can flush their DNS cache to avoid security risks. If you don’t know how to flush DNS, read a resourceful post at hostinger.com.

Continue Reading