DNSSEC: Securing the Domain Name System in a Digital Age
DNSSEC: Securing the Domain Name System in a Digital Age Introduction As the backbone of internet navigation, the Domain Name System (DNS) plays a critical role in translating human-friendly domain names into machine-readable IP addresses. However, the original design of DNS did not anticipate the myriad security challenges that would emerge as the internet grew exponentially. Enter DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC), a suite of specifications developed to address these vulnerabilities. This article explores the motivation, necessity, and history of DNSSEC, elucidating why it became an essential component of internet security. The Motivation Behind DNSSEC The motivation for DNSSEC stems from the inherent vulnerabilities in the traditional DNS architecture. Originally designed in the 1980s, DNS prioritized functionality and scalability over security. This oversight left DNS susceptible to various attacks, most notably: Cache Poisoning : Attackers could exploit weaknesses in DNS to i...