Protecting security is very important at all levels. It is vital to avoid problems when using our systems, devices, servers … It does not matter if we are private users or companies. One of the most important issues is that the web domains are secured. In this article we are going to talk about what DNS hijacking is and how we can avoid it. We are going to give a series of interesting tips.
What is DNS hijacking
First of all we are going to explain what DNS hijacking consists of. It is also known as DNS Hijacking . We can say that it is an attack method that redirects traffic. It does this without the knowledge of the user.
Let’s say someone enters a legitimate domain, an information page for example, but has been attacked. What DNS hijacking does is redirect that user to a totally different website . Typically a page controlled by attackers where they usually hide malware or serve as a fraudulent login to steal passwords.
As we know, what the DNS protocol does is “translate” the IP addresses into names that we can remember. That is, when we enter a page and enter redeszone.net, what that name actually does is translate an address that leads to the server where it is hosted. Users do not need to remember each IP address of the sites we visit, something that would be very complex. Simply enter the name.
DNS hijacking consists of changing that address to which the URL that we put points points. This way, instead of going to the legitimate site, it would point to another one controlled by the attackers. This is a very dangerous process, as it could lead to phishing attacks or malware delivery without us noticing.
How to avoid DNS hijacking on a domain
Use updated software
One of the first questions that we must take into account is the importance of keeping the software correctly updated . There are many vulnerabilities that can arise in servers, programs that we use, systems … However, the developers themselves release patches and updates to correct these problems.
It is essential that we always have the latest versions correctly installed. This is something that we must apply in all cases, no matter what software we have. This way we will not only obtain an improvement in terms of performance, but also avoid security problems.
Change password and login name
Another very important point is to have a password that is strong and complex. The first thing is to change the password and access name that may come by default. It is also interesting to change it frequently to reduce risks.
A strong password is one that has letters (uppercase and lowercase), numbers, and other special symbols that can make it difficult for an intruder to figure it out. Always all this at random and also we should not use it anywhere else.
Review all installed plugins
It is also essential to check the plugins and add-ons that we have installed. On many occasions they are the entry of threats that can put our systems and, in this case, our domain at risk. It is another issue that can pose a risk of causing DNS hijackings.
Therefore, our advice is always to make sure that those plugins or add-ons that we have installed are safe. We must download them from official sites, thus avoiding third-party pages that do not offer guarantees.
Security tools
Finally, having security tools on our servers will also help reduce risk. There are many applications that we have at our disposal to protect equipment. We must always have these types of programs that help us gain security.
Ultimately, these are some basic tips to avoid DNS hijacking. A very dangerous and also relatively frequent problem that can make a website a major threat to visitors.
