DNS hijacking is a type of cyberattack that takes advantage of vulnerabilities in the Domain Name System (DNS). The DNS is arguably the most crucial component of the Internet. It translates domain names such as google.com into IP addresses like 172.217.12.147, which computers use to communicate with each other via the web or email. Thus, any malicious activity involving DNS can have far-reaching effects on your online security and privacy.

Read on to learn what it is and how to detect DNS hijacking.

DNS Hijacking

DNS hijacking is a cyberattack that redirects your traffic to a malicious site. It can be used to steal personal information, infect your computer and other devices with malware, or redirect you to phishing sites that look like legitimate ones.

DNS hijacking is done by either hackers or internet service providers (ISPs). Hackers use DNS cache poisoning attacks to change the IP address of your ISP’s DNS server, so it points to their own servers instead of yours–a process known as poisoning the cache. This allows them access to your device since the browser thinks it’s connecting normally with its default settings but actually connects through an unauthorized source instead of going directly where it should go based on what you’ve asked for (for example, when typing “google” into their browser).

Methods to Detect DNS Hijacking

The first thing to check is whether the DNS server is correct. If it’s not, then that’s a sign of DNS hijacking. The next step is to check if the DNS server is responding or not, which can be done by pinging it with the “ping” command in Windows or Linux terminal, respectively.

According to the Risk Xchange’s professionals, “If the response time seems suspiciously high (more than 500ms), then there might be something wrong with your connection to this particular IP address.” It could mean that someone has tampered with your router settings or even hijacked them altogether.

When all else fails, try connecting directly through an Ethernet cable instead of Wi-Fi. If everything works fine now, then we know for sure there was some kind of interference affecting our wireless connection earlier on – maybe some kind of malware trying to steal data.

Steps to Protect Yourself from DNS Hijacking

To protect yourself from DNS hijacking, you should check your DNS settings and use a VPN. You can also use antivirus software, update your software regularly, and change passwords regularly.

• Check your DNS settings: The first step in protecting yourself from DNS hijacking is checking that your router’s default gateway isn’t something other than Google or OpenDNS. To do this, log into the router’s control panel (usually via 192.168.*). Once there:
• Change any default gateways to something else (e.g., Google or OpenDNS).
• Make sure that no third party has changed any settings without permission–and never give out passwords.

DNS hijacking can be a very serious threat to your online security. If you suspect that your DNS records have been tampered with, immediately contact your internet service provider (ISP) and ask them to check it out. If they find any anomalies, then they will be able to help you fix the problem before anything bad happens.