What is DNSSEC? ​
The Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC) is a set of security protocols designed to protect the integrity and authenticity of DNS data. It ensures that when you request a domain name (like example.com), the response you receive is legitimate and has not been tampered with by attackers.
How Does DNSSEC Work? ​
DNSSEC uses cryptographic signatures to verify the authenticity of DNS records. Here’s how it works:
- Digital Signatures: DNS zone owners digitally sign their DNS records using public-key cryptography.
- Chain of Trust: Each DNS zone’s signature is validated by the parent zone, creating a chain of trust that extends up to the root DNS servers.
- Validation by Resolvers: DNS resolvers that support DNSSEC (like those used by the UK DNS Privacy Project) check these signatures to confirm that the DNS records have not been altered.
Why is DNSSEC Important? ​
DNSSEC protects against various threats that exploit DNS vulnerabilities, such as:
- DNS Spoofing (Cache Poisoning): Attackers can manipulate DNS responses to redirect users to malicious sites.
- Man-in-the-Middle Attacks: Without DNSSEC, attackers can intercept and modify DNS responses to trick users into visiting fake websites.
- Data Integrity Verification: DNSSEC ensures that the data received from DNS queries is exactly what the domain owner intended, preventing unauthorized modifications.
How DNSSEC Complements DNS Privacy ​
While DNS encryption (like DoH or DoT) protects the confidentiality of DNS queries, it does not verify the integrity of responses. DNSSEC fills this gap by ensuring that the data retrieved has not been forged or tampered with. Together, DNSSEC and encrypted DNS protocols provide a more secure and trustworthy DNS ecosystem.
UK DNS Privacy Project and DNSSEC ​
The UK DNS Privacy Project fully supports DNSSEC validation, ensuring that DNS responses are both private and verifiable.