Nominet, the U.K.'s domain name registry, will begin implementing a security protocol on Monday designed to protect the DNS (Domain Name System). The system, called DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC), uses public key cryptography to digitally "sign" the DNS records for Web sites. It is designed to stop attacks such as cache poisoning, where a DNS server is hacked, making it possible for a user to type in the correct Web site name but be directed to a fake Web site.. In 2008, security researcher Dan Kaminsky showed it was possible to poison a cache in just a few seconds with a special kind of attack. Almost every organization running a DNS server have deployed a patch, but DNSSEC is a long-term fix. Nominet will begin signing the ".uk" top-level domain beginning Monday, a process which will conclude a week later, said Simon McCalla, director of IT at the registry. Interestingly, there are just a little over a dozen Web sites that use ".uk" since a decision was made more than a decade ago to close off registrations, he said. Much more common are second-level domains, such as ".co.uk" and ".org.uk," among others. The link for this article located at IT World is no longer available. . Nominet is introducing DNS Security Extensions aimed at bolstering defenses against threats such as DNS spoofing.. DNS Security,Nominet,DNSSEC,Domain Security,Cache Poisoning. . Alex
One of the first cloud-based secure DNS services was launched today amid intensified concerns about locking down vulnerable Domain Name Service servers. OpenDNS, which provides a free DNS service for consumers and schools, is offering a subscription-based commercial service for enterprises. Other vendors, such as Nominum, are considering offering secure DNS cloud services, as well.. DNS security has received more attention than ever in the wake of the discovery of a major DNS hole that was revealed by researcher Dan Kaminsky, and was later patched by several vendors. The so-called cache-poisoning flaw could allow an attacker to guess the transaction ID of a Web query and let the attacker hijack queries. Meanwhile, the Internet community has stepped up efforts to adopt the DNSSEC standard for protecting the DNS translation process from being compromised. "One of the more troubling experiences from the DNS patching effort was realizing how many organizations didn't even know what DNS servers they were using internally. Recursive name servers tend to just 'run themselves,' only getting noticed when they either have to be patched, or when load exceeds some magic query per second level, at which point random things start breaking everywhere," says Kaminsky, who is director of penetration testing for IOActive. "Running DNS out of the cloud isn't a bad way around this -- the data is effectively public anyway, patching is guaranteed, and you know there's capacity to burn." The link for this article located at Dark Reading is no longer available. . The significance of DNS security has surged recently due to the emergence of a critical vulnerability in DNS systems, prompting widespread alarm among experts.. DNS Security, Cloud DNS, Network Protection, Domain Security. . Anthony Pell
Companies rushed to upgrade Domain Name System software after warnings were issued in late January about a flaw in widely used DNS software. In the past weeks, however, upgrading has come to a halt, concludes the Iceland DNS consultancy and software . . . . Companies rushed to upgrade Domain Name System software after warnings were issued in late January about a flaw in widely used DNS software. In the past weeks, however, upgrading has come to a halt, concludes the Iceland DNS consultancy and software firm Men & Mice. Men & Mice tested the DNS systems for the Web sites of Fortune 1000 companies and random, .com domains at set dates after the alerts were released. The results were made public on the company's site. The Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) at Carnegie Mellon University, meanwhile, said this week that it has begun receiving reports of Berkeley Internet Name Domain (BIND) holes being successfully exploited. The link for this article located at CNN is no longer available. . Companies rushed to upgrade Domain Name System software after warnings were issued in late January a. companies, rushed, upgrade, domain, system, software, warnings, issued, january. . Anthony Pell
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