What is the importance of DNS monitoring?

Cyber Security
#1

DNS monitoring is what is done to manage and ensure the security of the back and forth communication between browser users and the websites and services they are using. Whether your company is responsible for managing one or multiple website domains, DNS monitoring can help to quickly diagnose any issues, prevent targeted attacks, and readily identify any security breaches that might occur.

Effective DNS monitoring consists of regularly checking DNS records for any unexpected changes or localized outages (whether due to manual error or hackers). This allows your team to quickly identify and resolve any issues that may negatively impact your website or the security of your users needing to access your website.
An effective system of DNS monitoring is critical to the reliability of your website, as well as the security and trust of your users.

Because the DNS is a popular target for hackers, it’s important to keep a close eye for any malicious attacks on your domains and services. Common attacks include:

  • DNS Poisoning. When a hacker inserts their own false information into your DNS cache, which could be used to reroute users to a spoofed version of your website or collect their private data, such as credit card numbers.
  • DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) and DoS (Denial of Service) Attacks. When either one (DoS) or multiple (DDoS) computers attempt to crash a website or service due to excessive requests.

Without DNS monitoring, your website and its users are more susceptible to the above attacks, which can lead to significant issues like unplanned downtime, unhappy users whose private information could be compromised, and ultimately lost revenue and a bad brand reputation.

DNS monitoring is critical to maintaining credibility of your servers and avoiding security breaches. It’s equally important to the safety of your users as it is the safety and security of your websites and services.