Categories Internet & Networks

Continued from Diagram: How Hackers Can Corrupt Your DNS.

Despite the IT team's attempts to secure Web server software, the site was still compromised through infrastructure not managed by the MicroEmporium team.

There is no comprehensive fix to address all the DNS servers on the Internet, but there are steps the team can take to reduce risk of attack. The simplest solution would be to bring security expertise in-house and review security procedures at the provider. A more stable solution would be to bring its systems and DNS services in-house and have its dedicated security team keep them up to date with security patches.

The team could also use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and digital certificates for sensitive portions of the site. If they did so, careful users going to the redirected site would find that the server's digital certificate doesn't match the intended destination. Unfortunately, this isn't a foolproof solution as many users pay little attention to certificates they receive while surfing.

Next: Dial-up Access is the Achilles' Heel

Published as Enterprise Computing in the 5/25/99 issue of PC Magazine.

Related Links
• Denial-of-Service Attacks -- PC Tech
• Internet Security Standards -- PC Tech
• Internet Security: Disarming the Net -- PC Labs Reviews
• Network Antivirus: Defend Your Network -- PC Labs Reviews
• Network Manager -- ZD Products
• Network Administrator Courses -- ZDU