Hello World :]
Today I was reading about someone who lost a few thousand in Bitcoin, (Which isn't the worst), thanks to a cyber attack called a 'DNS Hijacking'. I figured that would be an interesting topic to go over for my blog, and thankfully its not too complicated of an attack, since its 8 am here, and I haven't slept yet :)
For those who don't know what DNS is, or why we use it:
DNS (Domain Name Server) is a server that we refer too every time we visit a web page. We refer to this server to get the Proper Address of the website. By Address, I don't mean www.google.com, as that is the human readable address we give to all websites. This in turn is stored by DNS servers, as well as its Proper Address, where googles is something like 206.108.34.6. That is much harder to remember, and the majority of the reason we need DNS Servers to maintain all of the millions of webiste addresses.
DNS Hijacking: What is it?
DNS Hijacking is a method of attack, used by cyber-criminals, so as to redirect you to a different website, than the one you had intended to visit. This type of attack can range from blatant spam, i.e Google=Facebook, all the way up to some high class crime, where you are unaware for weeks to months. This method of attack is most often used to steal confidential data of ALL kinds, and less often to generate ad revenue by redirecting mass traffic. ISP's(Internet Service Providers) have even been known to engage in this to generate profits. Governments can even use DNS to Censor any information they see fit.
DNS Hijacking: How to Protect Yourself.
IMO, the number one way to protect yourself from the majority of common DNS Hijacking Attacks, is a Strong, Secure VPN, Hosted in a country with good regulations for privacy, and run by a company that is trusted. (Idea for future article.) The thing about using a VPN, is you ONLY want to use a trusted service. If you cannot afford one of these services, then there are still options for you. There are 3rd Party DNS Servers, such as OpenDNS, or NortonDNS, both very trusted.
Well then, I hope this has been an interesting and informative read for you all, or at the very least has given you something to think about. I have had a great time talking with you all, and as always feel free to comment, ask questions, or maybe even suggest topics that you would like discussed.
Happy Hunting,
Cerulean