DNS spoofing a.k.a. DNS poisoning is so popular that you can find plenty of DNS spoofing tutorials using Kali distribution of Linux, but we are on the good side, and we won’t show you that. We will explain to you why there is such a threat and how you can protect yourself.

DNS Spoofing – Definition

In 2008, security researcher Dan Kaminsky unveiled a severe flaw in the DNS protocol that left many Internet domains susceptible to poisoning attacks. This disclosure shook the internet community, prompting immediate action and leading to widespread deployment of security patches. Recognizing past vulnerabilities allows us to be vigilant and learn from historical mistakes.

DNS Spoofing appears when the IP address (IPv4 or IPv6) of a domain name is masked and falsified. The information is replaced with a faked one, from a host that has no authority to give it. It occurs and disturbs the normal process of DNS resolution. As a result, the user’s device is connecting with a bogus IP address, and all of the traffic is directed to a malicious website. Additionally, the victim is not able to notice the forgery because the DNS resolution is a process that happens behind the scenes. 

The fake DNS data (DNS records) takes place in the Recursive DNS server cache, which results in the name server answering with a false IP address. Such attacks take advantage of vulnerabilities in name servers and shift the traffic towards fake web pages. Those fake websites are visually very similar to the real ones, and people don’t even understand the difference. In this process, personal data can be stolen.

As we mention above, the Recursive DNS server has an essential role in the DNS resolution process. Let’s explain a little bit more about it. Here are two functions that you should be familiar with:

DNS caching

To save time and better divide the load, in the DNS there are recursive DNS servers. They have a cache, local saved information about the domains that temporarily stays in them.

Forwarding

Even a caching name server does not necessarily perform the complete recursive lookup itself. Instead, it can forward some or all of the queries that are not satisfied from its cache to another caching name server, commonly referred to as a forwarder.

Methods of DNS Spoofing

There are various different methods of DNS Spoofing. Here are some of the most popular ones:

Spoofing the DNS responses

This method is a form of a Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attack. In this one, the attacker is guessing the manner in which the DNS generates its query ID and sends a fake response with the IP address he/she wants.

In the majority of cases, the cybercriminal pretends to be the victim’s DNS server and sends malicious responses. The chance for initiating such a type of attack is based on the fact that DNS traffic operates with the User Datagram Protocol (UDP). That way, it is not possible for the victim to confirm the authenticity of the DNS response. 

DNS cache poisoning

DNS cache poisoning or also known just “cache poisoning,” is another cyber attack that cybercriminals commonly initiate. It involves placing a bogus IP address in the cache memory of the devices of the users. That way, the target victim device is going to lead the user to that bogus IP address automatically. It includes sending to the DNS servers wrong mapping information with high TTL. The information is saved for a long time so the server can give the fake answer for a long time.

Learn everything about the DNS Cache!

Moreover, each further DNS request to the DNS servers with this cached, malicious information is going to direct to the bogus IP address. Such a threat is going to remain until the entry is pulled from the DNS cache. However, there is a security mechanism called DNSSEC which can be implemented to improve the protection of your DNS.

DNS Hijacking

DNS Hijacking is one of the most complex DNS attacks out there. The cybercriminal hijacks a legitimate DNS server and takes control of it. Then, he or she makes some modifications to the DNS information (DNS records). That way, the fake DNS data pushes every user who reaches that website’s IP address to get sent to the falsified website. That is why encryption is especially important for the overall protection of your information.

Example of DNS Spoofing

Most commonly, attackers utilize premade tools to complete a DNS Spoofing attack. Typically, it is performed in any location with connected devices, yet the main targets are locations with free public Wi-Fi. They are usually poorly secured and misconfigured. That gives the cybercriminal a great opportunity to complete the malicious attempt. Therefore, it is best if you consider using only secure Wi-Fi networks.

Here is an example of DNS Spoofing and the basic steps that the cybercriminal completes:

1. The attacker uses arpspoof to trick the target device of the user and point it to the attacker’s machine. So, when the user writes the domain name into the browser, it is going to be misguided. As a result, the cache of the user device is poisoned with forged data.
2. The attacker creates a DNS server on a device under his or her control. That way, the attack proceeds by rewriting the DNS records for the target domains.
3. The cybercriminal established a website that imitates a legitimate one on a local malicious device. Despite the fact it looks and feels legit, such a website is created for phishing purposes.
4. When the victim tries to establish a connection and open such a website, it receives the IP address provided by the attacker’s DNS server. As a result, the victim opens the phishing website instead of the legitimate one.
5. Lastly, the threat actors steal information from their victims on the network by tricking them. Commonly, that is performed by them entering their sensitive information into the fake website pages.

Suggested article: Linux Host command, troubleshot your DNS

The Impact of DNS Spoofing: Consequences and Risks

• Misdirection to malicious websites: Users are directed to fraudulent sites designed to steal sensitive information, often indistinguishable from genuine ones.
• Data theft and privacy breaches: Attackers can capture personal details and login credentials, leading to identity theft and potential financial repercussions.
• Spread of malware: Victims are at risk of malware infections when they’re redirected to malicious sites, compromising their devices.
• Phishing attacks: By mimicking genuine domains, attackers craft convincing phishing attempts, duping victims into sharing confidential data.
• Loss of trust and reputation damage: For businesses, a DNS spoofing incident can result in significant reputational harm and a decline in customer trust.
• Financial consequences: Both individuals and businesses might face direct financial losses, coupled with the costs of damage control and cybersecurity enhancements post-incident.

Common Vulnerabilities that Lead to DNS Spoofing Attacks

DNS spoofing attacks often exploit various vulnerabilities within the DNS infrastructure. One primary weakness is unsecured DNS servers, which become easy targets for attackers when left with default settings. The absence of DNSSEC (Domain Name System Security Extensions) is another critical vulnerability. Without it, DNS responses cannot be verified for authenticity, leaving them open to manipulation.

Weak or misconfigured DNS cache settings also pose significant risks, as they can be poisoned with malicious records, redirecting users to fraudulent websites. Insecure network configurations, especially on public Wi-Fi, further expose systems to man-in-the-middle attacks. Outdated software on DNS servers and related devices makes it easier for attackers to exploit known vulnerabilities.

The lack of monitoring allows spoofing attacks to go unnoticed, causing prolonged damage. Poorly configured firewalls, access controls, and insecure DNS forwarding also contribute to the risk. Finally, human errors and social engineering tactics often play a role in successful DNS spoofing attacks.

Addressing these vulnerabilities through regular updates, security audits, and robust configurations is essential to prevent DNS spoofing and secure DNS operations.

How to protect from DNS spoofing?

There are few different things that you can do to protect from those attacks:

• DNS over HTTPS (DoH) and DNS over TLS (DoT): These protocols encrypt your DNS requests, ensuring that attackers can’t view or modify them.
  Understanding DoT and DoH
• Use DNSSEC – Domain Name System Security Extensions checks the data authenticity with digitally signed DNS records.
• Internal DNS Servers: Establishing a secure internal DNS server setup can add an extra layer of protection. Ensure regular security audits to keep it foolproof.
• Implement DNS filtering. It will block malicious IPs or domains from connecting to your system.
• Use IPSec – IPSec uses encryption to secure communication over IP networks, enhancing data flow between hosts and networks.
• Detection mechanisms. You can use monitoring software to detect it. Using such a program, you can be sure that it will alert you if it detects some suspicious traffic which can be DNS spoofing.
• Always use a secure connection. Use encryption via SSL or TLS to verify the certificate of the website you want to visit.
  What is an SSL certificate?
• Employee Training: Periodic training sessions can help employees recognize and report potential cyber threats, reducing the chance of a successful attack.

Conclusion

We should be cautious where we go on the internet and what emails we are opening. Even the slightest difference, like the missing of the SSL certificate, should immediately trigger us to double check the website we want to visit.

The post DNS Spoofing (DNS poisoning) appeared first on ClouDNS Blog.

Cybercriminals are using malicious domain names and DNS servers to bypass the protection and complete data exfiltration.

Before we jump into explaining what the DNS tunneling attack is and how it works, let’s talk a little bit more about what DNS is.

Domain Name System – explained

The Domain Name System, or just for short DNS, is a global naming database. Thanks to it, we are able to use the Internet, as we do in the present day. Its purpose is to translate human-readable domain names, such as example.net, into their corresponding machine-friendly IP addresses, such as 123.45.67.89. That way, regular users are not required to remember long and difficult numbers. Instead, people are easily memorizing domain names, and they can use them to reach and explore their favorite news, sports, or another website.

A lot of services rely on the large number of DNS translation queries that appear constantly. For that reason, DNS traffic is widely used and trusted. Due to the fact that DNS was not invented to transfer data packets but only for name resolution was not viewed as a threat to malicious communications and data exfiltration. Yet, DNS is not just a translation instrument for domain names. DNS queries can also transfer tiny portions of data between two devices, systems, and servers. The bad news is that this makes DNS a potential vector for attacks.

Unfortunately, the majority of organizations do not analyze the DNS packets for malicious activity frequently. Instead, they mainly concentrate on analyzing web or email traffic where they consider a possible attack could appear. The truth is that each endpoint should be under detailed monitoring for preventing DNS tunneling attacks.

DNS Tunneling – what do you have to know?

DNS Tunneling attack is a very popular cyber threat because it is very difficult to detect. It is used to route the DNS requests to a server controlled by the attacker and provides them with a covert command and control channel and data exfiltration path.

Typically, DNS tunneling involves data payloads that are added to the target DNS server. Additionally, they are implemented for gaining control of a remote server and applications. Moreover, for the purpose of this attack, the compromised system should be connected to an external network to achieve access to an internal DNS server with network access. Cybercriminals control a server that operates as an authoritative server and a domain name to complete the server-side tunneling and data payload executable programs.

5 DNS Attacks Types that could affect you

DNS Tunneling History

DNS tunneling history is highly related to the evolution of cybersecurity threats. It appeared as a technique for bypassing network restrictions and avoiding detection. At first, it was used for legitimate purposes like bypassing restrictive networks or anonymous online activity. However, DNS tunneling slowly became popular among malicious actors as a secret communication channel for data exfiltration and command-and-control purposes. The first examples of this attack appeared in the early 2000s and were often associated with malware propagation. Over the years, the attackers become more sophisticated, and their techniques have evolved. That forced cybersecurity specialists to develop advanced monitoring and prevention mechanisms to protect against it.

How does it work?

DNS tunneling attack takes advantage of the DNS protocol and achieves tunneling malware or data through a client-server model. Let’s explain how this attack actually works.

It all starts when a user downloads malware or the cybercriminal manages to exploit a vulnerability of the compromised device to transfer a malicious payload. In most cases, the cybercriminal wants to keep a connection with the compromised device, meaning to have the opportunity to run commands on the target device or exfiltrate data. Therefore, the attacker can set a command-and-control (C2) connection. Such traffic should be able to pass via different network perimeter security measures, plus it should avoid detection until it crosses the target network. 

For that reason, DNS is a suitable option for setting up the tunnel. That is a common term in cybersecurity which stands for a protocol connection that carries a payload that includes data (commands) and passes through perimeter security measures. That way, the DNS tunneling attack manages to hide information within DNS queries and send them to a server controlled by the cybercriminal. The DNS traffic passes freely through perimeter security measures, such as firewalls. For the purpose of setting the DNS tunnel, the cybercriminal registers a domain name and configures an authoritative name server under their control. 

Then the malware or payload on the compromised device initiates a DNS query for a subdomain that defines an encoded communication. The Recursive DNS server (DNS resolver) obtains the DNS query and routes it to the attacker’s server. The server responds with malicious DNS data containing data (command) back to the compromised device. That way, the attack passes without triggering any security measures.

Let’s break the DNS Tunneling attack into the following steps:

1. The cybercriminal registers a domain and points it to the server under its control. There is installed tunneling malware software. 
2. The cybercriminal infects a device with malware, penetrating the victim’s firewall. DNS requests don’t have restrictions for passing in and out of the firewall.
3. The Recursive DNS server (DNS resolver) requests the IP address through root and top-level domain servers.
4. Then the DNS resolver routes the DNS query back to the authoritative DNS server, which is controlled by the attacker and contains the tunneling software. 
5. The connection between the cybercriminal and the target is created without any notice.

Why do Attackers Use DNS Tunneling?

Attackers use DNS tunneling to exploit the widespread and often under-monitored nature of DNS traffic. This attack allows them to secretly transmit data between a compromised system and a command-and-control server. Since DNS queries and responses are generally trusted and rarely scrutinized, this technique can easily bypass firewalls and other security measures. DNS tunneling allows attackers to maintain persistent access, execute remote commands, and exfiltrate sensitive data without detection. The global reach and minimal inspection of DNS make it an ideal medium for hidden communication and data transfer.

Detecting DNS Tunneling

There are several techniques that can help you detect a DNS tunneling attack. However, we can distinguish them into two main categories – payload analysis and traffic analysis.

Payload analysis – The DNS payload for one or more requests and responses is going to be examined for tunnel signs.

• Examining the size of the request and answer. Typically, DNS tunneling utilities are pushing to place as much data into the requests and answers as possible. Therefore, the tunneling requests are more likely to have long labels. For instance, there are up to 63 symbols and, in general, long names – up to 255 symbols.
• Disorder of hostnames. DNS names that are authentic commonly contain dictionary words and have some kind of meaning. Names that are encoded are usually out of any order, plus they are even using a set with more characters.
• Statistical Examination. You can detect tunneling by checking the specific character staff of the DNS names. DNS names that are authentic commonly contain fewer numbers. On the other hand, encoded names tend to have a lot of numbers. Examining the percentage of numerical characters in domain names and examining the percentage of the length of the Longest Meaningful Substring (LMS) could also help you.
• Uncommon DNS Record Types. You can check for DNS records that are not usually implemented by a regular client. For example, you can examine the TXT records.
• Violating a policy. In case a policy directs every DNS lookup to pass through an internal DNS server, violations of that policy may be employed as a detection technique.
• Special Signatures. You can use a special signature to examine precise attributes in a DNS header. Then scan for particular content in the payload.

Traffic analysis – The traffic is under examination over time.

• Volume of DNS traffic per IP address. A simple and easy to accomplish technique is to check the specific amount of DNS traffic that is coming from a particular client IP address. 
• Volume of DNS traffic per domain. Another method that is very easy and basic is by checking for massive amounts of traffic towards a precise domain name. DNS tunnel utilities are typically established to tunnel the data by involving a precise domain name. Therefore, all of the tunneled traffic is going to be that exact domain name.
• The number of hostnames per domain. DNS tunneling utilities ask for an individual hostname on every request. That effects by increasing the number unusually compared to a normal authentic domain name.
• Geographic location of DNS server. You can check for a massive amount of DNS traffic that is directed to geographical areas where you don’t offer your services or products.
• The history of a domain. You can examine when an A record (AAAA record) or NS record was created and added to a domain name. That technique is very useful for detecting domain names that are utilized for malicious criminal actions.

Source: GIAC Certifications

Protection against DNS Tunneling attacks

DNS is a crucial service, so it is going to be a problem if you are considering blocking it. Thus, protection against a DNS Tunneling attack involves several actions that are going to help you prevent such an attack.

• You should keep a closer look and track of questionable IP addresses and domain names that are from non familiar sources.
• You can set all of the internal clients to direct their DNS requests (DNS queries) to an internal DNS server. That way, you can filter potential malicious domains. 
• It is very important to stay watchful for any suspicious domain names, and it is best if you always monitor the DNS traffic. That will help reduce the chance for a DNS tunneling attack to appear.
• Establish a DNS firewall for recognizing and stopping any hacker intrusion.
• A real-time DNS solution that is able to detect uncommon DNS queries and unusual traffic patterns on the DNS server is another excellent option.

Using DNS Monitoring against DNS tunneling

DNS Monitoring can be crucial in mitigating the risks of DNS tunneling by providing real-time visibility into DNS traffic patterns and behavior. By constantly analyzing DNS queries and responses, DNS monitoring can detect anomalies and suspicious activities that indicate tunneling attempts. This proactive monitoring allows organizations to quickly identify and respond to potential threats, such as secret data exfiltration and command and control communications before they escalate. Additionally, the ClouDNS Monitoring service offers different alerting mechanisms that notify administrators of any unusual DNS activities. That way, they can take timely action to investigate and block malicious traffic. Thanks to the extensive monitoring capabilities, organizations can strengthen their DNS infrastructure and improve their ability to defend against different threats, including DNS tunneling.

Risks and Impact of DNS Tunneling

DNS tunneling attack poses several significant risks to organizations:

• Data Breaches: Attackers can exfiltrate sensitive information, including personal data, intellectual property, and financial records.
• Unauthorized Access: Allows attackers to maintain hidden, persistent access to compromised systems.
• Operational Disruption: Enables the execution of remote commands, potentially leading to system malfunctions or downtime.
• Financial Loss: Costs associated with data loss, various fines, and restoration efforts can be significant.
• Reputational Damage: Public exposure of breaches can harm an organization’s reputation, leading to loss of customer trust and business.
• Detection Challenges: The nature of DNS tunneling makes it difficult to detect and mitigate, increasing the potential for long-term undetected exploitation.

Examples and Cases

Over the years, several famous examples of DNS tunneling have highlighted its power as a cyber threat:

• Sea Turtle Campaign (2019)

The Sea Turtle campaign in 2019 highlighted the advanced tactics of state-sponsored cyber espionage. This campaign targeted domain registrars, telecommunications firms, and government entities to compromise their DNS records. Attackers manipulated DNS records to redirect legitimate traffic to malicious servers under their control. DNS tunneling played a key role in allowing the attackers to maintain persistent access, exfiltrate sensitive information, and establish C2 channels while remaining undetected.

• SUNBURST Malware (2020)

The SUNBURST malware, a significant component of the SolarWinds supply chain attack in late 2020, demonstrated the sophistication of modern cyber threats. SUNBURST used DNS tunneling as one of its communication methods to establish contact with its C2 infrastructure. By embedding communication within DNS queries and responses, the malware achieved secret data exchange with remote servers. That way, attackers were able to exfiltrate stolen data and receive further instructions while avoiding detection by security measures focused on more traditional communication protocols.

• UDPoS Malware (2015)

The UDPoS malware, discovered in 2015, demonstrated a variation of DNS tunneling where attackers used User Datagram Protocol (UDP) packets to exfiltrate stolen credit card data. The malware encoded the stolen information into DNS queries, which were then transmitted over UDP to avoid detection by traditional network security controls. This technique allowed the attackers to bypass network monitoring tools that usually focus on Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) traffic.

TCP Monitoring vs. UDP Monitoring

Conclusion

DNS tunneling is a severe cyber threat. It could lead to massive negative consequences. This is because the cybercriminal uses the tunnel for malicious ends, like exfiltrating information. In addition, there is no direct association between the cybercriminal and the target. That makes it hard to detect the attacker’s attempt.

The post DNS Tunneling attack – What is it, and how to protect ourselves? appeared first on ClouDNS Blog.

What is a DNS attack? How can it affect me? 

The name says it, an attack that targets the Domain Name System (DNS). It can have a different purpose: trying to destabilize it, bring it down, alter information, or another. The DNS is old, and, as you could guess, by itself, it is not the safest infrastructure in the world. But there are extra measures that can really help. 

Imagine these two scenarios so you can understand it easier:

1. The cybercriminal redirects the traffic that should go to your site, to one that he or she controls. He or she can have a fake page, mimicking yours and steal valuable data from your clients, pretending to be you. The unaware client, do what he normally does. Register and use the page to buy or put information on it. The troubles for you could be big if they take money from the victims. 
2. A strong DDoS attack can affect your servers, bringing them down. And keep them like this, under attack, for a long time. In practice, an attack can last even weeks. Losing control can affect your clients. Users won’t be able to access and use your services or buy products during the DNS attack. You can lose money and get negative feedback from clients. You can even permanently lose them.   

Anybody could be threatened by DNS attacks, even the big companies. Wikipedia, BBC, Blizzard, and many more have suffered different types of attacks, check here. Nobody is safe, and the news will just keep coming. 

Most common DNS Attack Types

Here are 5 of the most popular DNS attacks that you should be aware of. It is important to not neglect such threats and take measures for prevention.

DDoS Amplification

A DNS attack type like this is the one that you will see a lot on the media. With big headlines and big numbers. There are many types, but most often, the amplification attacks exploit the simple UDP protocol. Take it as the weakest link in the puzzle. It doesn’t use verification, and here comes the problem. The goal is to significantly increase, amplify, traffic. The hackers send a small DNS query and demand not just the IP but also extra information, so the answer is more significant. It could be even 10 times larger! The extra trick is that they can modify the request, so the answer goes to the target. That way, the target can get bombarded with many requests that it didn’t want and to experience downtime. 

How to mitigate it? You will need a large network of servers (DNS), like an Anycast network. If the capacity is enough, the traffic can be filtered without crippling the network. 

Additional measures that you could take are to set a limit to the server, to just listen on only 127.0.0.1 (the localhost). You can, of course, disable the UDP altogether if you don’t use it. 

And the third measure is to use a firewall for port 11211 and allowing server access, limited to just whitelisted IPs.  

DNS Cache Poisoning

This DNS problem focuses on DNS resolvers. Each of them has a cache memory, where it holds information for domains for a certain amount of time. The Resolvers have a copy of the DNS records and keep them the time that TTL (time to live) indicates. The attacker alters the DNS records and redirects the traffic to where he or she wants (another server). There could be a fake copy of your websites where unaware people will register and give their personal data. This is very common with fake spoofing emails. When the victim clicks on the link, malicious software can then modify the records in the DNS resolver. 

You can set limits to the queries to just a specific domain. Also, you can just store the records for a particular domain and no others. Use blacklists to limit. 

The best tool to prevent such a thread is DNSSEC. If a Recursive server was poisoned, it wouldn’t continue the query, and then the user will be safe. 

DNS Tunneling

DNS Tunneling is a DNS attack type that tries to take different important data through DNS without been detected. A tunnel that you don’t see, but criminals use. It is masked as a DNS query but takes hidden data. A sensitive data can go out unnoticed, and that could cost you dearly. 

Your DNS service must have a DNS Protection that acts as an intelligent firewall. But in case you don’t have, you can set up your firewall following the steps: 

You will need to have a firewall and add an access rule to block all the unwanted traffic right away. The second step is to make a protocol object in your firewall. You will need to find “Select Protocols”, choose DNS, and there should be “DNS tunnel”. Press it and save.

Create, in the end, an application rule. Again from the settings of the firewall, You will need to specify the trusted connection and then the protocol – “DNS-Tunneling”. 

DNS Flood Attack

DNS Flood is a simple and very effective attack. The idea is to send traffic from one or many devices to the targeted server. Push with substantial traffic until it drops. In a way, to flood it with information and submerge it until it drowns. If it is a single source, it is easier to manage, but it can be a huge network of bots that could be tricky to handle.

Flood Attack: Prevention and Protection

The protection exists! It is simple, again DDoS Protected servers. It will have a filtering of dangerous traffic. Also, have an Anycast network with a significant amount of servers that will provide excellent load balancing. Currently, we have 49, that will be a good number. And traffic monitor for showing on time any threads and reacting to the traffic will help. 

What is Web monitoring?

Distributed Reflection Denial of Service (DRDoS)

A slightly different type from the DDoS attack we just saw. In this case, not the direct queries, but the answers to them will go to the victim. This is the reflection. 

The cybercriminals will send DNS queries, but the IP of the source will be changed. Servers will respond and will send all that traffic to the target (The modified IP). The traffic can be overwhelming and flood the target, eventually stopping it. A Smurf attack is a popular DNS attack of that type. Sounds cute, but it isn’t. 

The solution again is the same as the one for the DNS Flood type of attack. Get DNS Protected servers. With a proper DNS plan, you will save yourself a lot of troubles. They will have monitoring of the traffic, filters for removing the unwanted requests, a load balancer for heavy traffic, and even more extras for smooth DNS experience. 

How to prevent DNS attacks?

Here are some tips that are going to help you prevent, detect, and mitigate a DNS attack.

• Up-to-date DNS software: It is important to use the latest DNS software that contains the latest patches installed. 
• Multi-factor authentication (MFA): It is crucial to implement MFA for all available accounts which have access to the DNS infrastructure of your organization. 
• Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC): It ensures the safety of your DNS by utilizing digital signatures based on public key cryptography. That way, DNSSEC adds a very useful extra layer of security to your organization’s DNS.
• Reliable DNS infrastructure: It is the foundation of a safe and protected environment for your organization’s online presence. Anycast DNS network is a must if you receive a lot of DNS requests. However, it will balance the load of an incoming threat. 
• DDoS protected DNS: This service is specifically designed to mitigate one of the most harmful cyber threats – DDoS attacks.
• Constant Monitoring: Logging and monitoring outbound and inbound DNS queries and response data can help significantly in detecting abnormal behaviors.
• Keep a private DNS resolver: Restricting the DNS resolver to only users on your network can minimize the risk of malicious external usage. That way, you prevent its DNS cache from being poisoned by cybercriminals.

Motivation behind DNS attacks

One of the most common reasons behind the DNS attack is unfair competitor behavior. Attacking the competition illegally so that it can suffer downtime and all the consequences of it. But there are more:

• Extortion. Do you know how ransomware is getting popular? There is also DNS attack ransomware, where the cybercriminals are using DDoS attacks to target a server. The server can’t respond to regular connections already, and the attackers demand a ransom to stop the attack. The cryptocurrency has facilitated the ransomware process a lot.
• Revenge. The reason behind the attack could be an act of personal revenge against a company, a supplier, or an individual. For example, it is not uncommon that an ex-employee tries to disturb the services of the previous employer.
• DDoS-for-hire. On the Dark Web, the side of the web that you can’t see in Google, there are all kinds of illegal services that you can hire. People hire DDoS DNS attacks to target their competitors. Bringing down their services during important periods. The attack can lead to serious losses in sales for the victim.
• Cover attack. You can imagine the DNS attack as a smoke grenade. Its purpose could be just a distraction. It is taking the attention towards fixing the DNS traffic while another attack is being conducted or malicious software is installed behind the scene.
• Notoriety. Some people want to be famous, even with their bad deeds. Getting some attention for a successful attack could be enough for some hackers. 
• Personal challenge. There are smart people who just want to test their knowledge. Such a person might perform an attack, with the only idea to see if he or she can do it.
• Cyberwarfare. Some countries use DNS attacks to target other countries, military groups, separatists, opposition, and even media sites sometimes. The goal is to silence or disrupt the communication of the targeted organization entirely.
• Gamers’ wars. Gamers are very connected with technology. They use DNS attacks to damage the score of their competitors so that they can rise above them. Also, they use it to attack particular competitions and change the final results.
• Hacktivism. Non-governmental organizations and individuals who want to make a point often use such tools to make a noise about their cause. Freedom of speech and ecological causes are common. It could attract media attention, start an international debate and stop the services of the targeted organization. 

Consequences of DNS Attacks

Becoming a target of a DNS attack can have a severe negative impact. Let’s examine the most common consequences:

• Data Breaches: One of the most serious consequences of DNS attacks is the potential for data breaches. When attackers successfully manipulate DNS records, they can gain unauthorized access to sensitive information. That means putting personal and financial data at risk, leading to identity theft, financial losses, and reputational damage.
• Business Disruption: Downtime resulting from attacks can have catastrophic effects on businesses. Whether it’s an e-commerce website unable to process transactions or a critical online service experiencing disruptions, the financial damage can be severe. Beyond obvious financial losses, prolonged downtime can have a negative impact on customer trust and loyalty.
• Reputation Damage: DNS attacks not only affect the proper functionality of digital services but can also tear apart an organization’s reputation. Customers, partners, and stakeholders may lose trust in a business’s ability to protect sensitive information, leading to long-term consequences for brand image and market position.

Common Targets of DNS Attacks

Understanding the potential victims of DNS attacks is crucial for implementing robust cybersecurity measures. The following examples are often targeted:

• Enterprises and Organizations: Large corporations and organizations are often targets due to the vast amount of sensitive data they store. DNS attacks can compromise data integrity, leading to financial losses and reputational damage.
• Internet Service Providers (ISPs): ISPs play a key role in managing and directing internet traffic. Attacks on their DNS infrastructure can result in widespread service disruptions, affecting countless users.
• Government Agencies: Governments keep vast amounts of confidential information critical to national security. DNS attacks on government agencies can lead to data breaches and compromise sensitive data.
• E-commerce Platforms: Online retailers are also an attractive target for attacks as they handle numerous financial transactions and store customer details. A successful attack can disrupt services, leading to financial losses and crashing customer trust.
• Critical Infrastructure: Industries such as energy, transportation, and healthcare rely on interconnected systems. DNS attacks on such critical infrastructure can impact public safety and fundamental services.
• Financial Institutions: Financial institutions dealing with sensitive transactions and client data are also often targets of attacks. A successful assault on their DNS can result in phishing attacks, leading to identity theft or fraudulent transactions, causing extreme financial damage.

Conclusion

It is really important to know about DNS attack types and how to protect us from them so your business experiences fewer shocks. Smooth sail for your business. You don’t want to suffer brand damages, lawsuits that cost millions of dollars or losing clients because of downtime. To avoid them we recommend you take a look of our DDoS protected DNS service, and test our FREE 30-day trial!

 Prevent DDoS attacks!

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