DNS Defence in Depth

DNS (Domain Name System) poisoning and other exploits represent a real danger to your enterprise. A defence in depth approach to safeguarding your DNS traffic focuses on The "pyramid of pain" - a concept that describes the increasing levels of difficulty or pain for an attacker to carry out a successful exploit. The pyramid of pain is usefully used in the context of DNS exploits, which are attacks that target the DNS infrastructure to redirect traffic, steal data, or carry out other malicious activities.

In the context of DNS exploits, the pyramid of pain typically includes four levels:

1. Indicator of Compromise (IoC): This is the lowest level of the pyramid and refers to simple pieces of information that can indicate a compromise has occurred, such as IP addresses or domain names that are associated with known malicious activity.

2. Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs): This level refers to the methods and tools that attackers use to carry out an exploit, such as malware or social engineering tactics.

3. Infrastructure: This level refers to the underlying infrastructure that attackers use to carry out an exploit, such as the DNS servers and other network components that are involved in the attack.

4. People: This is the highest level of the pyramid and refers to the individuals or groups behind the attack, including their motivations and capabilities.

The idea behind the pyramid of pain is that by focusing on higher levels of the pyramid, defenders can make it more difficult for attackers to carry out successful exploits. For example, blocking malicious domain names (IoC) may be relatively easy, but blocking the underlying infrastructure (such as DNS servers) can be more difficult and require more resources. Similarly, identifying and disrupting the people behind the attack may be the most difficult level, but can have the greatest impact in preventing future attacks.

examples of techniques that could be used at each level of the pyramid of pain for DNS exploits:

1. Indicator of Compromise (IoC):

• Block known malicious IP addresses and domain names.

• Use reputation-based systems to identify and block traffic from known malicious sources.

• Monitor network traffic for suspicious activity and alert administrators when anomalies are detected.

1. Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs):

• Implement endpoint protection software to detect and prevent malware infections.

• Train employees to recognize and avoid social engineering attacks, such as phishing emails or phone calls.

• Use multi-factor authentication to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive systems and data.

1. Infrastructure:

• Implement DNS security protocols, such as DNSSEC, to prevent DNS cache poisoning attacks.

• Monitor DNS traffic for unusual activity, such as large numbers of requests for a specific domain.

• Use network segmentation to limit the impact of a successful DNS attack.

1. People:

• Conduct regular security awareness training for employees to help them recognize and report suspicious activity.

• Monitor social media and other online sources for information about potential attackers or threat actors.

• Share threat intelligence with other organizations to help prevent attacks from spreading.