Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Cybersecurity
    • Cybersecurity
    • Networking

    DNS Attacks Expose Key Flaws

    Written by

    Paul F. Roberts
    Published May 2, 2005
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      The steady rise in phishing attacks in the last year, coupled with increasingly sophisticated scams such as “pharming” attacks, is driving interest in technology to lock down critical components such as e-mail and Domain Name System.

      But bigger changes to the underlying Internet infrastructure may be needed, according to interviews with industry experts who will be addressing the issue at the Interop show in Las Vegas this week.

      Reports of phishing attacks grew an average of 26 percent each month between July of last year and February of this year, according to the Anti-Phishing Working Group, an industry association.

      In recent weeks, APWG and The SANS Institutes Internet Storm Center warned of new attacks such as “pharming,” or “phishing without a lure,” that attack DNS servers and silently route unsuspecting Web surfers to phishing Web sites, or sites that download malicious code.

      The new attacks expose weaknesses in critical Internet infrastructure such as DNS, said Mike Hyatt, president and CEO of BlueCat Networks Inc., which makes secure hardware appliances for DNS and DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol).

      BlueCat will use Interop to preview an extension to its Adonis line of secure DNS and DHCP appliances.

      “The paradox of DNS is that everybody knows it, but only a few people know anything about it,” Hyatt said.

      Recent pharming attacks have taken advantage of old and insecure implementations of BIND (Berkeley Internet Name Domain) technology, the dominant DNS software used on the Internet, and vulnerable default configurations on some versions of Windows 2000 systems that were acting as DNS servers, according to the Internet Storm Center.

      “These attacks are pretty blatant,” said Paul Mockapetris, the inventor of DNS and now chief scientist at Nominum Inc., a provider of Internet name and address services based in Redwood City, Calif., who will be on an Interop panel concerning emerging threats.

      “What we need to do is move to a secure DNS architecture, but that will take a while,” Mockapetris said.

      The recent Internet Systems Consortium BIND Version 9 release solved many of the security problems exploited in the recent attacks, but companies still fall victim to bad implementations, said Joe Briante, senior systems engineer at BlueCat.

      Failing to take simple steps, such as setting up separate DNS servers for internal and external use or maintaining a redundant DNS server, can spell disaster, Hyatt said.

      “When you take down DNS, its lights out because there are lots of things you take down with it: firewall, e-mail. People dont think about it,” Hyatt said.

      Mockapetris agreed, saying that administrators need to pay more attention to issues such as DNS server configuration. “People tend to configure stuff until it works, then they call it a day. But thats not where the real world is today,” he said.

      Check out eWEEK.coms for the latest security news, reviews and analysis. And for insights on security coverage around the Web, take a look at eWEEK.com Security Center Editor Larry Seltzers Weblog.

      Paul F. Roberts
      Paul F. Roberts

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×