DNS and Security Reflection

DNS

• Why does the Internet use IP addresses?
• The Internet uses IP addresses because they are a simple and vast. There are so many possible IP addresses using IPv4 and there will be many more once we shift to IPv6. Not only that but the hierarchy of the IP addresses make them easy to understand. Finally, IP addresses do not need any of the users personal information or a devices to create an address, so the user is protected in a sense by that. 
• Why don't we need to know IP addresses?
• IP addresses are dynamic which means that the are constantly changing. To memorize or know one's IP address at all times would take a lot of memorization and a lot of time to check in with what your router assigns you to see if it changed. Not only that but IP addresses are already associated to domain names which is what we most commonly search for. Since the computer associates the two the user does not have to know IP addresses. 
• Why do we need a Domain Name System?
• Domain Name System allows users to have the same url or consistent domain name while IP addresses change frequently. We need DNS because without it users would need to keep on checking the IP addresses of others and of themselves to send messages or view sites. 
• Why don't we all maintain our own DNS?
• Many people own multiple sites and trust their ISP services to maintain the DNS for them. Not only that but ISP services maintain a reliable and stable DNS connection because they have geographic diversity in their server locations which would be hard for average people to implicate if they live or are centered in one place. 
• Is there one big DNS for the entire Internet?
• No. There are many DNS servers that individually connect to form the internet. That way if one server goes down there are many others that maintain the stability of the internet. 
• How do you think all of these DNS servers are maintained?
• There are so many websites on the internet and IP addresses are constantly changing. With that there are also some rules that sites follow. All domains have sub domains which are used to help DNS servers locate sites even if the IP address changed. www or .com are sub domains that do not change. Servers also rely on each other for gaps in information and when they receive new information they store it for future reference or for other servers. 

Security

• What is one vulnerability of DNS and how is that vulnerability attacked?
• DNS is vulnerable due to the ability to change domain name registration, which is also known as domain hijacking. The attack redirects servers to incorrect sites based on the changed domain name. 
• What are the implications of an attack on a DNS server(or servers)?
• This could lead to users being redirected to a site that gives the device a virus or malware. This could lead to personal information to be revealed or files to be deleted. 
• How does this affect your life?
• As a person who frequently uses the internet it is important to understand the ways in which it functions and how to protect myself from attacks or more accurately identify an attack.