The function and importance of DNSSEC

The function and importance of DNSSEC

07-04-2015 10:00:43

There has been a lot going on lately in the fields of security and privacy. Data is leaking from the internet as if it was a colander and one hack after the other is making it on the news.

Various seminars and workshops exist on the security of websites and databases, the servers that host these services and the risks these servers are exposed to on the internet. More and more websites are switching to standard SSL secure connections. The awareness of security is growing and that is a good thing.

Cybercrime
We may not see it, but one click on a highly secured website is accompanied by a large number of actions in the background to make that click possible. One of these actions is converting the name of the website to the IP address of the server for this website: a DNS-lookup. It will not be surprising, but cybercriminals are looking everywhere to find ways to deceive you. And it may just happen that, without you realising it, you are clicking around in a copy of the website you just wanted to order shoes from.

DNSSEC
DNS is the neglected little kid in the internet world and that is a shame, because it is a vital part of the whole. The arrival of DNSSEC enables us to do more than 'IP referring' and 'SPF records'. DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC) are there to secure the DNS-lookup. By cryptographic signatures a response from a name server can be checked on 'authenticity' and is thusly protected against alterations by malicious users.

Curious for more? During the seminar 'The function and importance of DNSSEC' on the 21st of May 2015 at BIT, we will reveal how this new security is implemented on the oldest technology of the internet and which new possibilities arise for you by authenticating your DNS data.

Hopefully we will see you May 21st at the seminar! You can register at: https://www.bit.nl/nl/over-bit/seminar-de-werking-en-het-belang-van-dnssec.