🤺Defend Your Network with Quad9 DNS | More than a Kill Switch 💂

Quad9 is a unique and powerful DNS resolver that, while not exactly acting as a "kill switch" for cyber threats, offers a crucial layer of protection against malicious online activities. Let's dive into how Quad9 operates and how it played a role in thwarting attacks such as the infamous WannaCry ransomware attack.

1. DNS Resolution and Its Importance: DNS (Domain Name System) is like the internet's phonebook, translating human-friendly domain names (like www.example.com) into IP addresses that computers use to identify each other on the web. When you type a website's URL into your browser, your computer queries a DNS resolver to find the corresponding IP address, allowing you to access the site.

2. Quad9's Role: Quad9 is a DNS resolver with a difference. It's designed to protect users by leveraging threat intelligence from various cybersecurity companies, including IBM's X-Force, to block access to known malicious websites and domains. When you use Quad9 as your DNS resolver, it automatically checks every website you attempt to access against its vast database of threat indicators.

3. Stopping WannaCry: Now, let's talk about how blocking or registering malicious domains helped halt WannaCry. In May 2017, the WannaCry ransomware outbreak wreaked havoc worldwide, encrypting data on infected computers and demanding a ransom for decryption keys. However, a cybersecurity researcher named Marcus Hutchins discovered a "kill switch" in the ransomware's code.

4. The WannaCry Kill Switch: The kill switch was essentially a domain name (a URL) that the ransomware checked before executing its encryption routine. If the ransomware could connect to this domain, it would terminate its malicious activity. Marcus Hutchins registered this domain, effectively creating a kill switch.

5. Quad9's Involvement: What makes Quad9 relevant in this context is its ability to block malicious domains. Cyber attacks can be stopped by either redirecting malicious domains or providing a response that they don't exist. Once a kill switch domain was is identified, Quad9 is amongst the DNS resolvers that added it to their lists to block or redirect. As a result, devices using Quad9 couldn't connect to the kill switch domain, rendering the ransomware ineffective on networks utilizing Quad9.

6. Proactive Protection: Quad9, by its nature, provides proactive protection by preventing access to malicious websites and domains. It doesn't rely solely on signatures or updates like traditional antivirus software. Instead, it uses real-time threat intelligence, which makes it effective against both known and emerging threats.

7. Preventing Future Threats: While the WannaCry kill switch was a significant moment in cybersecurity history, it's essential to understand that cyber threats constantly evolve. Quad9 continues to play a crucial role in preventing users from unknowingly connecting to malicious websites, thus mitigating various forms of cyberattacks.

Wrapping up, Quad9 DNS resolver doesn't provide a traditional "kill switch" for cyber threats, but it offers proactive protection against known threats and can effectively block access to malicious domains. Its role in preventing WannaCry's spread highlighted its importance in the ongoing battle against cybercrime.

---

Ronald Bartels ensures that Internet inhabiting things are connected reliably online at Fusion Broadband South Africa - the leading specialized SD-WAN provider in South Africa. Learn more about the best SD-WAN provider in the world! 👉 Contact Fusion