Topics Covered:
- Awareness in technology.
India to launch a public DNS server
What to study?
- For Prelims: What is DNS and how it operates?
- For Mains: The significance and the need for a secure DNS server.
Context: The government will soon launch a public domain name system (DNS) server that could protect users from any malware or phishing with enhanced security features as well as faster response time.
Key features:
- The new platform is an upgraded version with enhanced in-built security features compared to the earlier created by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) and has a capability to host as many as 5 million users that can be scaled up further if needed.
- If a user inadvertently accesses a malicious or phishing site, the new public system would immediately open up a page or popup to alert the user of such potential threat so that the suspicious resource could be avoided, the official who is aware of the initiative.
- The new DNS will be placed across the country to minimise outage and would be available round the clock. Users can simply use it by typing the IP number into the Internet browser.
Need:
DNS is an important tool that requires to be fool-proof and has a major role in browsing the Internet. The Centre is eyeing a new and robust platform in the wake of critical digital services being delivered online requiring enhanced security to discourage cyber-attacks and a quicker site loading time.
What is Domain name system?
DNS is a system that translates domain names to Internet Protocol or IP addresses that allows browsers to load websites sought.
It is a database that stores all of the domain names and corresponding IP numbers for a particular top-level domain (TLD) such as .com or .net. The DNS identifies and locates computer systems and resources on the Internet.
Sources: the hindu.
Mains Question: Effective cyber security measures need adaptive technology and policies as opposed to compliant ones. Comment.
