The Domain Name System (DNS) is a cornerstone of internet functionality, providing the critical mapping of human-readable domain names to IP addresses that allows users to access websites, applications, and services. Given its centrality to digital operations, the reliability of DNS infrastructure is essential for business continuity and disaster recovery. Any disruption in DNS services,…

DNS Filtering and Blocking: Policy and Technical Aspects DNS filtering and blocking have become essential tools in managing and regulating internet access, serving both as a means to enhance security and enforce policy decisions. At its core, DNS filtering involves controlling the resolution of domain names to IP addresses, thereby allowing or denying access to…

Homographic attacks, also known as homograph phishing or IDN spoofing, exploit visual similarities between characters in different writing systems to deceive users into interacting with malicious domain names. These attacks take advantage of Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs), a system designed to enhance linguistic inclusivity by allowing domain names to be written in native scripts such…

The root server system is the foundational infrastructure of the Domain Name System (DNS), acting as the starting point for resolving domain names into IP addresses. This system is critical to the functioning of the internet, enabling users to access websites, send emails, and engage with digital services by translating human-readable domain names into machine-readable…

Reverse DNS, or rDNS, is a fundamental component of the Domain Name System (DNS) that enables the resolution of IP addresses to their corresponding hostnames. While traditional DNS translates human-readable domain names into numerical IP addresses to facilitate network communication, reverse DNS performs the opposite function, mapping IP addresses back to their associated domain names.…

Infrastructure as Code (IaC) has revolutionized the way IT infrastructure is managed, introducing automation, consistency, and scalability into processes that were once manual and error-prone. This paradigm shift has extended to the domain of namespace management, where IaC tools and practices are now widely employed to automate DNS configurations. By treating DNS settings as code,…

The Domain Name System (DNS) is the backbone of the internet, translating human-readable domain names into IP addresses that computers use to communicate. As the internet has grown exponentially in scale, the DNS infrastructure has evolved to accommodate increasing traffic, ensure resilience, and deliver consistent performance. Among the key innovations that have enabled this evolution…

ICANN accreditation is a hallmark of credibility and legitimacy within the domain name system (DNS). The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), as the global coordinator of the DNS, administers the accreditation process to ensure that registrars—entities responsible for registering domain names on behalf of users—adhere to strict standards of technical competence, operational…

The lifecycle of a domain name involves several critical stages, from registration to expiration, and the processes surrounding domain expiration are meticulously designed to balance the interests of domain registrants, registrars, and the broader internet community. Redemptions and grace periods are central to this system, providing mechanisms for managing expiring domains while offering registrants opportunities…

The Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy (UDRP) is a critical framework developed by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to address disputes over domain names. Introduced in 1999, the UDRP provides a streamlined, efficient, and cost-effective mechanism for resolving conflicts, particularly those involving allegations of bad faith registration or use of domain names.…