DNS redirection definition

DNS redirection means redirecting results from DNS queries. You send out a query – What is the IP of youtube.com? – but a third party steers the query the wrong way. As a result, you get a false IP address, and the wrong page loads on your screen.

Real DNS redirection examples

In 2017, the hacker group OurMine hijacked one of the DNS servers that directed visitors to wikileaks.org and sent users fake values. Anyone trying to visit WikiLeaks was directed to a page with a message claiming the website had been hacked instead.

In 2016, hackers redirected users trying to visit an undisclosed Brazilian bank website to fake sites. Once there, thinking that they were visiting a legitimate site, users handed over their usernames and passwords.

Stopping DNS redirection

• Use a reliable antivirus and a VPN.
• Check the URL of the website once it loads.
• Change your router password.

Further reading