What are email forwards? 

The email forwards (domain email forwards) are a way of automatically redirect emails on the domain level from one email address to another. 

You can do a permanent email forwarding or temporary forwarding. Also, you can do redirect many email addresses to a single email address.

Imagine you have several domains and emails in each, but you also have one primary email that you use for other tasks that you have. Wouldn’t it be convenient to receive all incoming messages in one place? You simply set up a mail forwards feature (a.k.a email forwarding) from your email contacts@mywebsite.org to your personal mailbox, and all of the incoming emails will be redirected to there by default.

We are not talking about the email forwarding that you have inside Gmail or Outlook.  

How does it work?

Email forwards work by redirecting email messages from one email address to another. The process is super simple and straightforward: 

• Someone sends a message to an email address that is configured to forward incoming emails. 
• The message is automatically sent to the email address that is configured to receive the forwarded emails. 

An important thing to mention is that it happens instantly, so there is no delay in the forwarding process.

When should you use email forwards?

Here are several common situations in which is a good practice to use email forwards:

• You are changing the domain name.

Imagine this case, you have the domain MYSITE.com, and for some reason, brand changes, cost-saving or another, you are changing to a new domain – NEWSITE.com. Your old clients might not immediately understand the change, and they can still try to reach you on your old email contacts@mysite.com. You can still extend that domain for a year and redirect, including email forwards from contacts@mysite.com to contacts@newsite.com. That way, they won’t lose your contact, and you can continue to work flawlessly.

• Forward a particular account to another.

Imagine John from your company was fired. But he was important, and there are still clients who want to contact him on john@company.com. You can redirect the traffic to another email like contact@company.com, or spencer@company.com (another employee) and not miss emails.

• Unite email addresses to a hub email.

In case you have a few companies, but you don’t have enough time to manage each company with a different email account, use email forwards to a single email address.

Benefits of email forwarding

Email forwards are a popular solution that provides a lot of benefits. Some of them are the following:

• Ease of use. Receive all your emails into a single email address.
• Don’t lose clients. Redirect the email of your ex-employees to another mailbox where you can still keep in touch with them.
• Redirect multiple emails to one. All to just a single address for easy managing.
• Use the software you like. You can use email software you like and forward emails to there without problems.
• Save money. You can have multiple emails forwards for different group members and redirect them to a single email address. For example, george@company.com, alex@company.com, and maria@company.com can be redirected to a single point contacts@company.com. That way, you can create only one email account, contacts@company.com, and save money on the rest.
• Save time. Instead of having to open multiple email account and manage them, you can forward them to a single and manage all the email from there.

Email Forwarding service by ClouDNS

How to set up email forwards?

The process of setting up email forwards is noncomplex, and it is easy to complete, even if you are a beginner. You can start by following these steps: 

1. Make sure you have MX records (Mail exchange records used to deliver email to addresses) directed to the email forwards servers, which you can see in your ClouDNS Control Panel.
2. When you have already created the MX records, press the “Mail forwards” option and select “Add new forward”. 
3. In the “Mail box” field, write the email box and select the domain name. For instance, you may type in “info@example.com”.
4. In the “Forward to” field, enter the email address that will receive the forwarded emails.
5. Save the changes, and the email forwards feature is ready.

If you want to check your domain’s MX records, we recommend you take a look at the fourth command from our article: 10 Most used Dig commands

Mail Forward server types

There are two Mail Forward server types available, each with distinct behavior. Therefore, when selecting a group, it is important to consider your requirements carefully to ensure that you choose the one that best suits your needs.

With suffix 1 and 2

We recommend you these if you are using a public mail server (like Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, etc.) These are for example mailforward21.cloudns.net and mailforward22.cloudns.net.

They are set up in a way, that they can pass the SPF checks (Sender Policy Framework prevents spoofing by validating the legitimacy of your mail server), so your mail doesn’t end up in the spam folder. Take into consideration that those forwarded emails will have modified header (FROM section).

With suffix 3 and 4

If you have own mail server, and you can disable the spam checking (SPF checks), you can use our mail servers with suffix 3 and 4, for example mailforward23.cloudns.net and mailforward24.cloudns.net. The redirected emails won’t have any modified header like in the previous option.

In general, we always advise you to have the highest level of security possible. So, even with an own mail server, use SPF and spam filers. Stay protected and use the first option. 

You can take advantage of mail forwarding feature on every one of our plans, even on the free one. There you have one mail forward. Think about your need and check out all of our Premium plans.

If you are not sure, you can start a 30-day trial by ClouDNS and find the best DNS plan for you!

Best Practices for Email Forwards

By following the best practices, you can optimize your email forwards, enhancing both security and efficiency.

• Choose Reliable Providers: Opt for reputable DNS and email providers to ensure your emails are forwarded securely.
• Regularly Update Forwarding Addresses: Keep your forwarding addresses up to date to avoid losing important emails.
• Monitor Forwarded Emails: Periodically check forwarded emails for spam or malicious content to protect your main inbox.
• Use Filters and Rules: Set up filters and rules to organize your forwarded emails and keep your inbox clutter-free.
• Enable Email Authentication: Implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to your main email to protect against email spoofing and ensure email authenticity.
• Avoid Long Forwarding Chains: Minimize the number of forwarding steps to reduce delays and errors.
• Notify Your Contacts: Inform your contacts about your forwarding setup to avoid confusion and ensure smooth communication.

DNS Plans

Conclusion

In conclusion, email forwards are a convenient way to manage multiple email addresses from a single mailbox. They are easy to set up and provide many benefits. In addition, email forwards can be helpful when changing domain names or forwarding a particular account to another. Two mail forward server types are available, and you need to choose the one that best suits your needs. With ClouDNS’s email forwarding service, you can set up email forwards quickly and efficiently, even if you are a beginner.

The post Email forwards – what are they and how to use them? appeared first on ClouDNS Blog.

But first, let’s explain a little bit more about what DNS records actually are.

DNS records briefly explained

DNS records are simple text-based instructions for a specific domain name. Their main purpose is to set precise rules for the domain. Additionally, they are created and gathered in a zone file in the DNS zone. All that information is stored on the Authoritative DNS server for the particular domain name. As we mentioned, DNS records are completely made of text. Therefore, they are pretty light. That allows DNS administrators to edit and adjust them easily. 

Every DNS record type has a different function, so each of them is important for the proper management of the domain name. Moreover, when a user makes a request, the Recursive DNS servers search for a precise DNS record type. 

For the rest of this article, we are going to present to you some of the most important and interesting DNS record types. 

Common DNS record types

There are several types of DNS records, each serving a different purpose. Let’s take a look at some of the most common ones:

SOA Record

SOA (Start of Authority) shows the start of the authority DNS zone and specifies the global parameters of the zone. Every zone must have one, and you can’t add two per zone. It has the following parameters: Serial number, Primary Nameserver, DNS admin’s email, Refresh Rate, Retry Rate, Expire Time and TTL.

A and AAAA Records

These DNS record types are perhaps the most popular and also most important. The A record and the AAAA record are both responsible for mapping a domain name to its corresponding IP address. This is what enables users to access your website via its domain name. The difference is that A record points to an IPv4 and the AAAA record to IPv6.

MX Record

The MX record, commonly also known as mail exchange record, is used to specify the email server responsible for accepting incoming email messages for a domain name. This DNS record type is crucial for ensuring that your email gets delivered to the correct mail server. Basically, it says which server should receive the incoming emails. If it is not directed well, you won’t receive emails.

CNAME Record

CNAME record is another very popular DNS record type where the short acronym “CNAME” stands for Canonical Name. It allows you to point one hostname to another, not to an IP address like the A and AAAA records. You can use it when you want to create an alias for a domain name. It serves just for subdomains. It is important to note that you can add only one CNAME record per hostname.

TXT Record

The TXT record allows you to add and store text-based information about a domain name. There are all kinds of TXT records and some of them people can easily understand, and others are specifically for machines to read. For example, DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) record is a TXT record that associates a domain name with a specific email message. There is also DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) record that identifies and blocks spam and phishing emails by verifying the emails.

SPF Record

Creating an SPF (Sender Policy Framework) record shows who is authorized to send emails with a particular domain. Without it, all the emails you send will go directly to the spam folder of the recipients. It is helpful for preventing email spoofing and phishing attacks.

NS Record

The short acronym “NS” stands for Nameservers, and this NS record points the domain name to its authoritative DNS servers responsible for the DNS zone. The NS record is essential for ensuring that your domain name is properly registered and configured.

SRV Record

SRV records are responsible for defining the locations of servers for specified services, such as voice-over IP (VoIP), instant messaging, and others.

Web Redirect (WR) Record

The Web Redirect record does precisely what it says. It redirects from one address to another. There are a few types: 301 redirect which is a permanent redirect, and 302 redirect, which is temporary, if the address has been moved but not permanently. You can do such a redirection with SSL too.

ALIAS Record

ALIAS record is a very similar to the CNAME record. It allows you to add various hostnames for the same subdomain. You can use it for the root domain as well. This type of record is built into the ClouDNS.

RP Record

The RP record, or Responsible person record, shows who is responsible for the domain name and specifies its email address.

SSHFP Record

Secure Shell Fingerprint record is used for Secure Shell (SSH). The SSHFP record is typically used with DNSSEC enabled domains. When an SSH client connects to a server, he or she checks the corresponding SSHFP record. If there is a match, the server is legit, and it is safe to connect to it.

PTR Record

The PTR record, also commonly known as the Pointer record, points an IP address (IPv4 or IPv6) to a domain name. It is the exact opposite of the A and AAAA records, which match the hostnames to IP addresses. PTR records are used for Reverse DNS.

NAPTR Record

IP telephony uses Naming Authority Pointer records, or for short NAPTR records,  for mapping the servers and the users’ addresses in the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

CAA record

Certification Authority Authorization (CAA record) record gives the ability to the DNS domain name holder to issue certificates for his/her domain. The record can set policies for the whole domain or for specific hostnames.

Wildcard DNS Record

The Wildcard DNS record will match requests for non-existing domain names. It is specified with a “*” for example *.cloudns.net

For more information, examples, and video tutorials check the following DNS record wiki page.

How many DNS record types are there?

The Domain Name System (DNS) offers an extensive collection of DNS record types, each tailored to specific functions within the internet’s architecture. Currently, there are over 60 standardized DNS record types, which highlights the system’s complexity and adaptability to various networking needs.

Among these record types are the fundamental A and AAAA records, which respectively map domain names to IPv4 and IPv6 addresses, enabling the routing of internet traffic. MX records handle mail server information, directing emails to the appropriate destination, while CNAME records help aliasing one domain name to another.

Beyond these basics, there is a large number of specialized DNS record types designed to cater to specific requirements. TXT records store text data, serving purposes like domain verification and SPF (Sender Policy Framework) for email authentication. PTR records enable reverse DNS lookups, aiding in network diagnostics and security measures.

Moreover, DNSSEC (Domain Name System Security Extensions) has introduced additional record types which strengthen DNS security. These include DNSKEY records for cryptographic keys and RRSIG records for digital signatures, ensuring the authenticity and integrity of DNS data.

As technology advances, new record types may emerge to address challenges and requirements in internet communication and security. Despite this evolution, the core DNS record types remain vital components of the internet’s infrastructure, supporting its functionality and reliability.

Conclusion

Knowing more DNS records and how to use them will give you an advantage in your DNS usage. You can manage better, and you can get better results.
If you can’t figure out how to use some of the records on your own, you can always contact our Live chat Support who would be happy to help you.

Check our DNS Plans

The post Types of DNS records – What are they and what is their purpose? appeared first on ClouDNS Blog.

DNS Monitoring explained

DNS Monitoring gives you the ability to manage and examine the performance of a DNS server. The main goal is to assist you with detecting server-side and client-side DNS issues. In addition, it guarantees the health of DNS servers by sending a DNS request. You are able to choose different query types depending on the DNS record you want to check, for example, A, AAAA, MX, NS, PTR, or CNAME. Then you specify a required expected response that is compared to the actually received response.

DNS Monitoring has a very important role in your network Monitoring service. Moreover, it ensures the safety and proper connection between the end-users and the website or service that they want to use. It is extremely useful when it comes to the fast detection of unpleasant issues or for recognizing potential security breaches. Additionally, it is helpful for stopping some popular malicious attacks. Thanks to the regular checks, you can effortlessly detect unexpected issues or localize DNS outages. As a result, you can prevent a large negative impact on your website or on the safety of your users that want to reach your services by detecting and resolving the problem fast.

Why is DNS Monitoring important?

The Domain Name System (DNS) is an essential part of the Internet. Yet, it was not designed with security in mind. For that reason, cybercriminals have developed ways to take advantage of its vulnerabilities. Therefore, DNS monitoring is vital for helping you protect your online presence and catch issues before they become significant problems. DNS monitoring gives you the ability to recognize several different DNS errors. The majority of them result from malicious attempts and could be a significant threat to your security. On the other hand, there are also communication flow interruptions. They compromise the functionality of your domain’s DNS resolution process and lower the traffic toward your site.

Configuration Errors

DNS Monitoring can detect errors like incorrect IP addresses and assure that outages are not prolonged. The less time your website or service is down, the less your traffic flow is interrupted. That way, you can maintain and increase your uptime, and every user that wants to reach your website (or service) will have that opportunity without any difficulties.

A configuration error can stop users from reaching your website and make it seem like their internet is not acting correctly. This could drive traffic away from your domain and meddle with your business.

DNS Spoofing (DNS poisoning)

DNS Spoofing, also commonly known as DNS poisoning, is a popular cyber threat that cybercriminals use. Recursive DNS servers hold the hostname data with all related DNS records for a particular amount of time (depending on the TTL). That way, they operate more efficiently because they do not repeat the resolution process for the same IP address. However, it also leads to vulnerabilities.

Cybercriminals insert fraudulent data into the DNS cache on the server, like fake IP addresses. Commonly, that is achieved due to viruses and malware. As a result, the users’ requests are directed to a malicious phishing website, which looks similar to the original one. There they type their sensitive information, such as passwords, credit card details, etc. A lot of people do not even notice that they have been directed to malicious pages. No one wants to put its clients at risk of phishing schemes. Additionally, compromising user information can seriously impact your business.

DDoS and DoS Attacks

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) and Denial of Service (DoS) attacks are massive cyber threats that are able to bring down your server. They involve large amounts of fake traffic with the main goal of overcoming your resources and making your website or service unavailable for regular users. It is important to mention that the earlier the attack is detected, the more quickly it can be handled. Therefore, it is best to stop it before the DNS records on the server become weaponized by the cybercriminals.

DNS Tunneling

DNS Tunneling is another cyber threat that attackers commonly use. Typically, DNS servers handle a massive amount of traffic, and there are no security measures regarding the exchanged data packets. DNS Monitoring can help detect tunneling and serve to prevent any further data from being exchanged. This is an essential addition to your existing security measures.

DNS outage

DNS outage does not allow your users to connect and reach your website or service. It is possible to last just several minutes, but it could continue up to several hours or even days. So you can probably imagine how seriously it can affect your business and services. With DNS Monitoring, you can easily find and understand where the issue is coming from and quickly fix it.

How does it work?

You can find DNS monitoring as a part of ClouDNS Monitoring service. It works by regularly checking if the DNS server responds to all DNS queries. With such type of check, you can initiate DNS queries for a desired hostname and query type – A (for IPv4), AAAA (for IPv6), MX, NS, PTR, or CNAME. There are two scenarios that follow once you set your expected response.

• The check is marked UP, when the received response is equal to the required expected one.
• The check is marked DOWN, when the received response is not equal to the required expected one.

The DNS monitoring check validates the conditions of DNS servers by sending a DNS request and comparing the received response with the expected one.

You can also take a look at our article about DNS monitoring Checks!

Why do you need it?

DNS monitoring is necessary because DNS performance is essential to your network, servers, and applications. Thanks to the DNS servers, your website or service works effectively and efficiently, yet they should be monitored for vulnerabilities. In case you neglect their adequate supervision, you may compromise both the security of your business and your clients.

With the ClouDNS Monitoring service, you can keep an eye on your servers and quickly detect any issues. As you know, timing is crucial, so the fast resolving of the issues is going to guarantee the integrity of your servers. So, as a result, everything should continue operating smoothly.

Benefits of DNS monitoring

DNS monitoring is a critical component of any organization’s network management strategy. By monitoring DNS traffic, organizations can proactively identify and address issues before they escalate. Here are some of the main benefits of the implementation of DNS monitoring:

• Improved Server Availability

It can help improve server availability by identifying and resolving issues that can cause downtime or service disruptions. For example, DNS servers can be vulnerable to hardware or software failures, network connectivity issues, and cyber attacks, which can affect the availability of websites and other online services. DNS monitoring services can detect and alert tech teams of problems before they escalate, allowing them to take proactive measures to resolve them.

• Improved DNS Server Troubleshooting

DNS monitoring can help improve DNS server troubleshooting by providing visibility into the DNS infrastructure and the flow of DNS queries. Tech teams can use DNS monitoring tools to identify blockages, misconfigurations, and other issues affecting the performance of the DNS server. The information helps them troubleshoot and resolve issues more quickly, minimizing downtime and service disruptions.

• Faster Detection of Outages

DNS monitoring can be useful for detecting outages faster by providing real-time visibility into the DNS infrastructure. It can alert tech teams about issues, such as DNS server failures or network connectivity problems, as soon as they occur. That way, IT teams can quickly identify the root cause of the problem and take action to restore services.

Monitoring Plan

Comparison with other monitoring techniques

DNS monitoring is a specialized approach focusing on the health and security of the Domain Name System, which is crucial for translating domain names into IP addresses. While DNS monitoring is vital, it’s one part of a broader network monitoring strategy that includes other techniques such as network performance monitoring, application monitoring, and security information and event management (SIEM). Here’s how DNS monitoring compares with other monitoring techniques:

• Network Performance Monitoring (NPM): NPM tools focus on the performance and availability of networks and network components (like routers and switches). While NPM can identify network congestion and hardware failures that indirectly affect DNS services, DNS monitoring directly assesses DNS health, ensuring that domain name resolution processes are working as expected.
• Application Monitoring: This technique focuses on the performance and availability of specific applications. It can help identify issues within an application that may impact user experience but doesn’t directly monitor DNS processes. DNS monitoring complements application monitoring by ensuring that users can reach the applications in the first place.

Security Information and Event Management (SIEM): SIEM systems collect and analyze aggregated log data from various sources to detect and respond to security incidents. While SIEM can identify security breaches that may indirectly affect DNS services, DNS monitoring provides specific insights into DNS-related security threats, such as DNS spoofing or tunneling attacks.

Conclusion

So, now you know what DNS Monitoring is and why it is so important for your security. First, there are different criminal attempts that could be prevented when you keep an eye on your servers. Additionally, it is beneficial for simplifying the process of finding and fixing network issues. Finally, it helps you prepare and not be surprised in such situations.

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