Privacy and security remain one of the biggest issues to tackle concerning the world of IT. With each release of new technology, we progressively improve security, but this only lasts so long before hackers discover flaws and vulnerabilities within the software. Security will never be perfect – there’s no end in sight, only gradual improvements. On the Internet side of things, Mozilla Firefox is looking to take a giant leap forward in terms of privacy and security improvements, specifically using both DNS and HTTPS together. Let’s take a look:
DNS
Domain Name System (DNS) remains one of the oldest constructs of Internet architecture. Surprisingly enough, it has not seen much, if any, improvements over the years in terms of security and privacy. DNS translates domain names into IP addresses, which are used to communicate with computers and other devices connected to the network. At a very rudimentary level, when you type a web address into you browser, your computer connects with a DNS server that has the IP address of the requested website in its cache. It then redirects you to the website server and on your computer you see the website. This all happens in an instant, depending on the strength of your Internet connection.
HTTPS
On most website URLs, you will see “http://” or “https://”. HTTP stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol, and HTTPS is the secure version (in an up-to-date browser, like Google Chrome, you will see a padlock icon, which means your internet connection is secure, more or less. Read more about security here.). Similar to how DNS works when you search a URL in your browser, http works by sending a command to a server and the server responds by fetching and sending the requested web page back to your computer, which you see on your monitor or screen.
Joining Forces
Where DNS and HTTPS differ, Mozilla Firefox is looking to combine the two to give you the most private and secure connection available. Titled Domain over HTTPS (DoH), the goal is to make it impossible, or at least much more difficult, for people to identify with which servers your computer is communicating. This will prevent hackers from intercepting the line of communication and redirecting you to a fake version of the site where they can do real harm (e.g., you submit login credentials and they now have this information and can impersonate you on the real site).
While security and privacy will never be absolute, we are constantly striving for more secure connections across our devices. Hackers will always be present, which drives programmers and developers to devise more clever ways to thwart their attacks, making it harder for hackers to gain access to your personal or financial information.
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