Nominet
DNS plays a critical role in every network. However, it is often overlooked by many security solutions and not integrated into cyber hygiene programs, leaving an easily-accessed back door open for criminals into many networks.
DNS - the danger
Several factors make DNS especially attractive to the bad actors of the cyber world.
Due to its ubiquitous but behind-the-scenes nature, DNS can be neglected by system administrators. Depending how IT/IS and security departments are configured, the DNS environment may be the responsibility of a person or team incentivized by system reliability and uptime, not security.
Many firewalls whitelist DNS by default. This creates a utopia for cyber criminals who can use DNS to carry out attacks such as malware, data exfiltration, phishing, click fraud or brandjacking.
The number of attacks exploiting DNS are on the rise. Organizations worldwide are facing an immediate need to pay attention to DNS from a defensive stance, rather than just maintenance, in order to keep their businesses secure. The challenge they face is knowing how to not only protect the DNS, but optimize the available intelligence.
How can you bring DNS into the security fold within your organization, to detect and block attacks and keep your business secure and protected?
DNS - the solution
The very weaknesses of DNS can be turned into strengths with the right solution. Because DNS is always-on, it is also a great place to plug in a defense layer that offers protection from threats that traditional security solutions, such as antivirus software or network firewalls, would miss.
Nominet's NTX platform provides the insight and protection to quickly and easily see indicators of cyber threats within DNS traffic. Packets are analyzed on a real-time basis and suspicious activity clearly indicated on an intuitive, graphical dashboard. Threats are proactively blocked, keeping your network, and therefore your organization's assets, safe from harm.
The platform also has an API for connecting to an existing SIEM, making DNS analysis and blocking an integral part of a complete cyber hygiene program.
Never-ending game of cat and mouse
With the explosive growth of the internet, with more people and devices getting online every hour of every day, there are billions of packets of data to monitor, track and analyze. The number of threats grows just as quickly, in number, complexity and variety.
Nominet's patented techniques for identifying cyber threats and suspicious activity cover all three of these activities, and more. The company has also focused on speed of analysis, with the standard platform able to collect and aggregate up to 225,000 DNS queries per second for analysis.
This prevents protective activity from impacting your network, so day-to-day operations aren't affected.
Your business is kept safe from:
Nominet's approach, using data science and advanced heuristics, means that unusual activity that can herald new, unknown threats is also detected and blocked.
Come and see us
To find out more about how you can protect your DNS, and how bringing it under organization's security umbrella will protect your business, talk to the team at our stand.
Simon Whitburn, Global SVP for Cyber Security Services, Nominet
Nominet is driven by a commitment to use technology to improve connectivity, security and inclusivity online. For 20 years, Nominet has run the .UK internet infrastructure, developing an expertise in the Domain Name System (DNS) that now underpins sophisticated network analytics used by governments and enterprises to mitigate cyber threats. A profit with a purpose company, Nominet supports initiatives that contribute to a vibrant digital future.