Overview

DNS is often called the 'phonebook of the Internet.' It translates human-readable domain names (like google.com) into numerical IP addresses that computers use to find each other.

How it Works

  1. Query: Your browser asks a DNS resolver for an IP address.
  2. Hierarchy: The resolver checks various servers (Root, Top-Level Domain, and Authoritative) to find the correct address.
  3. Caching: Results are stored locally to speed up future requests.

Security

DNSSEC adds digital signatures to DNS data to prevent spoofing and other attacks.

Related Terms