DNS

DNS tunneling attack: What do you need to know?

The topic of this article is the DNS tunneling attack. First, we will explore it in detail. Then you’ll be able to confidently assert that you know what it does and why it’s so harmful. So, without further ado, let’s get started.

DNS tunneling attack – definition

DNS Tunneling attack is cybercriminal activity. As the name implies, it is the Domain Name System attack type. Its method of operation is simple. DNS queries and responses encode the data of other programs or protocols, most often malicious. This gives attackers a covert command and control route as well as a way to steal data.

Examples and cases of DNS tunneling attack

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Managed DNS

Managed DNS: What is it and why to use it?

Managed DNS is a very handy tool for managing your Domain Name System. We are all conscious of the importance of DNS. There would be no Internet without it! Nonetheless, the common question is, should it go beyond the minimum? Yes, if you want to improve the resolution of your domain, it is advisable to implement a Managed DNS service. But why this is necessary, we will see today in our article. 

What does Managed DNS mean?

Managed DNS is a very convenient service that allows you to manage your DNS data. It is mostly offered by specialized firms, also known as hosting companies. When you choose a provider and, therefore, the right plan for you, you will access their servers. In fact, thanks to them, you will be able to manage your data, namely to implement Managed DNS.

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DNS MX record

What is a DNS MX record?

The DNS MX record is one of the most used DNS records out there. Without it, you simply can’t be sure that you will receive any emails! You need the DNS MX record to signalize to the rest of the servers on the Internet, which exactly is your mail server responsible for receiving emails for the particular domain.

What is a DNS MX record?

The DNS MX record (Mail Exchanger) is a DNS resource record that identifies the host with its hostname and is responsible for receiving incoming emails for the particular domain name. It makes that connection between the domain name and the incoming mail server.

If you have yourdomain.com, you can set the MX record with the following parameters:

  • Host: yourdomain.com – your domain name.
  • Points to: mail.yourdomain.com – hostname of your receiving email server
  • Priority: 10 – the priority value could be from 0 to 100, where a smaller number indicates that it has a higher priority.
  • TTL: Time to live value.

How to create a DNS MX record?

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ALIAS record

ALIAS record: Why do you need it?

ALIAS record is one of the not-so-popular DNS records, but it is also very interesting. So let’s explain a little bit more about it.

ALIAS record explained.

The ALIAS record is a DNS record, which helps with linking two hostnames. Simply it is explaining that one of the hostnames is just another way to write the other one. This DNS record is not one of the standard ones, and actually, not every Managed DNS provider is offering it. The main benefit that comes with applying this record is that it can coexist with other DNS records, such as MX record. For example, the CNAME record is not able to do the same. Another amazing thing about it is that it will take a lot less time and present the other hostname and IP address.

How to check ALIAS record?

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DNS propagation

DNS propagation – meaning

DNS propagation is a part of the challenging game, which the Internet is. When you are managing a network or a website, it will require regular changes to your strategy. Developing a more efficient, visible, competitive experience is the common reason for the change. For this to happen, administrators have to perform DNS modifications.

What is DNS propagation?

DNS propagation is the process of updating and spreading all of the new modifications you make in the Domain Name System (DNS). And that is all over the network. 

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TTL

TTL meaning and definition

Time is a critical factor to be considered almost for everything. Every project, business, process, fixing, etc., you try is marked by a specific time. Computing and networking are not exceptions. Lots of processes must happen in determined periods of time, actually in milliseconds, to be considered efficient and successful. 

TTL meaning and definition

The letters TTL are the initials for time-to-live. It is the value that points to the exact period of time or number of hops that data packet is configured to be alive on a network or in the cache memory. Once that time expires, or it hops the number of times, routers will discard it. There are different kinds of data-chunks, and they all work with their specific TTL. Meaning, the time such data will be held in a device to complete determined tasks or functions.  

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DNS AAAA record

AAAA record explained

Domain Name System (DNS) is very important for the Internet to be as simple and friendly as it is right now. DNS is a game where different players have a position to cover for everything to work smoothly. DNS records are among those players. They play a key role in making domain names accessible. Without DNS records like AAAA, the DNS resolution could not be possible. In other words, the process in which domain names are linked to their corresponding IP addresses.

What is an AAAA record?

AAAA record is a DNS resource record. Whenever a domain name is requested, this record has to link such a domain name with its corresponding IP address in order for the site to be served and accessed. 

The browser could not find the required domain names’ IPs successfully by users without the AAAA record help.

Why do you need an AAAA record?

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DMARC record

DMARC record explained

What is DMARC?

DMARC is an abbreviation of Domain-based Message Authentication Reporting and Conformance, and it is a mechanism for secure email exchange that uses both SPF and DKIM. Having set up DMARC properly for your domain will reduce email phishing (thanks to the reporting of SPF) and spoofing (thanks to the encryption of DKIM). You will have a lot higher email sent success rate, and fewer emails of yours will end up in the spam folder.

Using DMARC will allow you to add an extra level of security on top of the SPF and DKIM.

You can set it up stronger, and even if SPF and DKIM pass, the DMARC still fails because of criteria.

You can make it lighter and limit the use to only SPF or only DKIM.

Why use it?

  1. To send emails uninterrupted. The emails will be encrypted, and the receiver will be able to unlock them with the public key. The presence of DMARC will indicate that the domain could be trusted.
  2. To stop others from using your domain name for phishing attacks. DMARC has the power to tell to the receiving servers – the domain is related to those particular servers. Anything different should be discarded immediately. It can work with allowing only good emails or stopping all bad emails, or both.

How to create a DNS DMARC record?

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IPAM IP Address Management

What is IPAM (IP Address Management)?

Do you remember when the Internet meant a connection to a desktop computer? Later laptops came to your business, followed by tablets, printers, and all your colleagues’ smartphones, etc. Have you considered how many devices are looking for Internet connection in your business facilities right now?

And this happens daily all around the world. The number of devices grows in such a way that managing networks are getting very complex. Just IP addresses’ assignation or tracking can take a lot of time. And network administrators have so many more tasks to comply with.

To do this manually is not really a choice. In such a scenario, IP address management (IPAM) is very convenient for you.

IPAM Integration with DNS and DHCP

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