Skip to content

Looking for secure (and free) DNS? Quad 9 is your new best friend

Blog
  • Those in the security space may already be aware of the secure DNS service provided by Quad9. For those who have not heard of this free service, Quad9 is a public Domain Name System (DNS) service that provides a more secure and privacy-focused alternative to traditional DNS services. DNS is the system that translates human-readable domain names (like www.google.com) into IP addresses that computers use to identify each other on the internet.

    Quad9 is known for its emphasis on security and privacy. It uses threat intelligence from various cybersecurity companies to block access to known malicious websites and protect users from accessing harmful content. When a user makes a DNS query, Quad9 checks the requested domain against a threat intelligence feed, and if the domain is flagged as malicious, Quad9 blocks access to it.

    One notable feature of Quad9 is its commitment to user privacy. Quad9 does not store any personally identifiable information about its users, and it does not sell or share user data.

    https://www.quad9.net/

    Users can configure their devices or routers to use Quad9 as their DNS resolver to take advantage of its security and privacy features. The DNS server addresses for Quad9 are usually 9.9.9.9 and 149.112.112.112.

    The name “Quad9” is derived from the service’s use of four DNS servers in different geographic locations to provide redundancy and improve reliability. Users can configure their devices or routers to use the Quad9 DNS servers, and doing so can offer an additional layer of protection against malware, phishing, and other online threats. It’s important to note that while Quad9 can enhance security, it is not a substitute for other security measures such as antivirus software and good internet security practices, and if you are not using these technologies already, then you are leaving yourself open to compromise.

    I’d strongly recommend you take a look at Quad9. Not only is it fast, but it seems to be extremely solid, and well thought out. If you’re using Cloudflare for your DNS, Quad9 is actually faster.

  • @phenomlab thanks for sharing. this will be very useful for me.

  • @crazycells Agreed. I’m using it now, and have been all afternoon. Super stable and very secure.

  • I’ve been using this service for a couple of days now, and it’s made my internet access so much faster. That alone is a plus, and I never thought there would be a contender for Cloudflare in this area.


  • 1 Votes
    1 Posts
    114 Views
    No one has replied
  • 12 Votes
    8 Posts
    273 Views

    @crazycells good question. Gmail being provided by Google is going to be one of the more secure by default out of the box, although you have to bear in mind that you can have the best security in the world, but that is easily diluted by user decision.

    Obviously, it makes sense to secure all cloud based services with at least 2fa protection, or better still, biometric if available, but email still remains vastly unprotected (unless enforced in the sense of 2fa, which I know Sendgrid do) because of user choice (in the sense that users will always go for the path of least resistance when it comes to security to make their lives easier). The ultimate side effect of taking this route is being vulnerable to credentials theft via phishing attacks and social engineering.

    The same principle would easily apply to Proton Mail, who also (from memory) do not enforce 2fa. Based on this fact, neither product is more secure than the other without one form of additional authentication at least being imposed.

    In terms of direct attack on the servers holding mail accounts themselves, this is a far less common type of attack these days as tricking the user is so much simpler than brute forcing a server where you are very likely to be detected by perimeter security (IDS / IPS etc).

  • 0 Votes
    4 Posts
    395 Views

    @DownPW 🙂 most of this really depends on your desired security model. In all cases with firewalls, less is always more, although it’s never as clear cut as that, and there are always bespoke ports you’ll need to open periodically.

    Heztner’s DDoS protection is superior, and I know they have invested a lot of time, effort, and money into making it extremely effective. However, if you consider that the largest ever DDoS attack hit Cloudflare at 71m rps (and they were able to deflect it), and each attack can last anywhere between 8-24 hours which really depends on how determined the attacker(s) is/are, you can never be fully prepared - nor can you trace it’s true origin.

    DDoS attacks by their nature (Distributed Denial of Service) are conducted by large numbers of devices whom have become part of a “bot army” - and in most cases, the owners of these devices are blissfully unaware that they have been attacked and are under command and control from a nefarious resource. Given that the attacks originate from multiple sources, this allows the real attacker to observe from a distance whilst concealing their own identity and origin in the process.

    If you consider the desired effect of DDoS, it is not an attempt to access ports that are typically closed, but to flood (and eventually overwhelm) the target (such as a website) with millions of requests per second in an attempt to force it offline. Victims of DDoS attacks are often financial services for example, with either extortion or financial gain being the primary objective - in other words, pay for the originator to stop the attack.

    It’s even possible to get DDoS as a service these days - with a credit card, a few clicks of a mouse and a target IP, you can have your own proxy campaign running in minutes which typically involves “booters” or “stressers” - see below for more

    https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/ddos-as-a-service-attacks-what-are-they-and-how-do-they-work

    @DownPW said in Setting for high load and prevent DDoS (sysctl, iptables, crowdsec or other):

    in short if you have any advice to give to secure the best.

    It’s not just about DDos or firewalls. There are a number of vulnerabilities on all systems that if not patched, will expose that same system to exploit. One of my favourite online testers which does a lot more than most basic ones is below

    https://www.immuniweb.com/websec/

    I’d start with the findings reported here and use that to branch outwards.

  • 0 Votes
    1 Posts
    203 Views
    No one has replied
  • 0 Votes
    1 Posts
    188 Views
    No one has replied
  • 0 Votes
    1 Posts
    141 Views
    No one has replied
  • 109 Votes
    151 Posts
    12k Views

    “I could see my face and hear my voice. But it was all very creepy, because I saw myself saying things that I never said,” the 21-year-old, who studies at the University of Pennsylvania, told the BBC.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c25rre8ww57o

    Statistics disclosed by the public security department in 2023 show authorities arrested 515 individuals for “AI face swap” activities. Chinese courts have also handled cases in this area.

  • 0 Votes
    1 Posts
    203 Views
    No one has replied