When you open up your web browser and type pcmag.com into the Address Bar, you’ll be presented with countless pages of insightful critiques and recommendations. Isn’t that how it usually goes? Perhaps you realize that your browser made a request to a web hosting server in order to display that data. However, the Domain Name System (DNS) also plays a role in the communication between your browser and that server. Learning about DNS can aid in keeping your personal information safe and speed up your web browsing.
Domain names like pcmag.com are not understood by the servers that handle your web traffic. They are only able to interpret numerical IP addresses, such as 104.17.101.99, or the more complex IPv6 addresses. (I stress that when I say “longer,” I mean significantly longer. An example IPv6 address is as follows: 2606:4700:0000:0000:0000:0000:6811:8e63. It’s true that most people would shorten that to 2606:4700::6811:8e63, but even so…)
How Exactly Do DNS Servers Function?
So while computers can only understand numbers, humans prefer catchy domain names like girlgeniusonline.com and zombo.com. The Domain Name System is in charge of making the connection between human-friendly domain names and numerical IP addresses.
Your home network probably uses an ISP-provided DNS server. When your browser sends a domain name to a server, the server engages in a moderately complex chain of interactions with other servers to return a thoroughly vetted and verified IP address. Frequently visited domains are more likely to have their records cached on the DNS server. The interaction is now reduced to numbers, so machines can fetch the pages you request.
Having Trouble with DNS
Therefore, it is clear that the DNS is crucial to your use of the internet. The experience may deteriorate quickly if there are any issues with the system. First of all, your connection speed can be impacted negatively if the DNS servers your ISP provides are sluggish or aren’t set up correctly for caching. This is especially the case when a page is loaded that incorporates content from numerous external sources. Whether you’re surfing at home or for work, you can benefit from switching to faster DNS servers.
With regards to a corporate environment, there are DNS services available that include features useful for running a company. This can be done at the domain name system (DNS) level, blocking access to malicious sites before they even reach an employee’s browser. Porn and other potentially offensive websites could be blocked.
Similar to locally installed parental control software, DNS-based systems allow parents to restrict their children’s access to age-inappropriate content across all devices.
How to Use the Frequently?
Your DNS server saves frequently used queries in a cache so it can quickly respond without having to contact other parts of the Domain Name System. An issue with your local DNS cache may prevent you from accessing some websites on your computer. This is a straightforward issue that can be fixed without resorting to a DNS server change. Simply clearing your local DNS cache will do the trick. Your ISP’s DNS servers can monitor every domain you query unless you use a VPN (Virtual Private Network).
If you want something from the internet, you can’t possibly avoid being specific about what it is you want. Your Internet service provider can see your browsing history and likely doesn’t care. On the other hand, some ISPs have figured out how to charge for DNS lookups. If you type in an incorrect domain, one without a working IP address, your browser will be redirected to a search and advertising page with a query built from the incorrect domain name. Below is an example of the error you would get if you tried to access the nonexistent website funnycatpiktures.com.
How to Communicate with Browser?
Initially, this might not appear to be a big deal. Does it really matter if my Internet service provider (ISP) uses advertisements? Not only is this a big deal, but it also has serious implications for personal privacy. In the beginning, communication between your browser and the DNS server was private.
Your ISP burst your privacy when they sent a version of your request to a search engine, which will now appear in your search history. In response to concerns about personal information disclosure, companies like DuckDuckGo and StartPage offer alternatives to traditional search engines that don’t keep user histories.
Attempts Made to Attack DNS
The term “phishing” is probably not foreign to you. Scammers create a website that looks just like a legitimate one, such as PayPal, a bank, a gaming platform, or a dating service. Spam, malicious advertisements, and other methods are used to spread links to the fake site. If an unsuspecting user logs in without realizing it’s a sham, they’ve just given the bad guys access to their account. If you give your credentials to a fraudster, they can use them to access the legitimate site in your name, and you won’t even notice.
Address bars are the only tell for these scams. One way to avoid phishing scams is to pay close attention to the address bar. Some are particularly egregious, such as a website that falsely represents LinkedIn but actually uses a completely unrelated domain, like bestastroukusa.
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com. Some websites actively try to trick you by using misspellings like “microsfot.com” in the domain name or extremely long URLs to hide the true domain.
Read More: Drop a Pin: How to Use Your iPhone and A Desktop or Mobile App to Drop a Pin on Google Maps!
However, Savvy Internet Users Will See Through Their Tricks.
Cache poisoning is the solution to this problem. The caching system is a common entry point for attackers who are attempting to inject false data into the Domain Name System. When a user enters a valid domain name, the Address Bar displays the IP address for a malicious website because the DNS system has been poisoned. There is no outward sign of wrongdoing unless the criminals did a particularly bad job of spoofing the intended site.
Local DNS hijacking is a similar attack that targets your computer. A piece of malware can change your DNS server to one controlled by hackers simply by accessing your TCP/IP settings. Unfortunately, this strategy is only effective if the malware in question is able to bypass your antivirus software, but some people still haven’t gotten the memo about installing antivirus software on all of their computers.
