Stronger Domain Name System Thwarts Root-Server Attacks

The DNS is a service that translates easy-to-remember alphabetic URLs into Web sites´ actual numerical IP addresses. The system enables users to easily access the Web sites they want to visit and thus is a critical part of Internet operations. DDoS attacks can overwhelm servers with hacker-generated traffic and thereby make them unavailable for legitimate communications. These assaults are a serious threat to the Internet because hackers are developing increasingly sophisticated ways to take over thousands of unsuspecting victims´ computers, creating large botnets of zombie machines they can use to launch DDoS attacks. DNS security measures and quick, coordinated responses by Internet engineers, including the filtering of hackers´ messages, made the recent attack less effective than a major assault that occurred in 2002. This is important because a significant disruption to the DNS system could slow or limit Internet access for millions of users.