The War Over Your DNS Queries and What to Do About It

Presented at THOTCON 0xB (2021) Rescheduled, Oct. 9, 2021, 2 p.m. (120 minutes)

Recently, with the advent of DNS-over-HTTPS, tech companies like Google and Cloudflare have been locked in a battle with ISPs like Comcast and others about who should be able to see DNS queries and monitor user behavior. The reality is, the fight isn't about privacy but about which set of big companies get to be the sole recipient of your private information. The solution isn't to let one side or the other have your data, it's to run your own resolver. This talk will discuss DNS and why For-Profit Intelligence Agencies (like Google and Comcast) can get with your information. Additionally, how to run your own DNS resolver will be discussed with a focus of how to do that at home and in small organizations without budgets. Lastly, discussion of how to secure DNS queries from malicious activity with a Pi-Hole and Response Policy Zones will be demonstrated so not only consumers take control of their DNS usage, but they can also use DNS to block phishing, ad tracking, and other malicious activity directed at themselves, their families, and their organizations.


Presenters:

  • John Bambenek
    John Bambenek is VP of Security Research and Intelligence at ThreatSTOP, President of Bambenek Consulting LTD.

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