As the world becomes increasingly privacy-focused and brands such as Facebook attempt to harvest more and more of our data to sell to advertisers, free DNS services such as CloudFlare’s 1.1.1.1 and Lockdown Privacy have grown in popularity, offering a firewall for macOS and protecting your privacy as you browse the web.
Improve your security
Perhaps the most obvious benefit to using DNS services is to improve your security when you’re online. Whether you’re browsing the internet on your Mac, inside of a macOS app, or you’re downloading software, a Domain Name System (DNS) service will encrypt your connection.
Your internet service provider may not, by default, use strong encryption on their DNS or support the DNSSEC security protocol, which could make you vulnerable to bad actors. Using a third-party DNS makes you more secure when you’re on the web, whether you’re working or having fun.
Faster internet browsing
Many people turn to Domain Name System (DNS) services that can actually speed up your internet connection. Your internet service provider’s DNS resolvers could be slow and overloaded by heavy usage, especially if you live in a built-up area or are on a network that’s been oversold. Using a DNS service can significantly speed up your internet speeds and help you get more done, whether you’re streaming, working, or downloading content.
Less likely to suffer a data breach
The chances are that your ISp does not use strong encryption on their DNS or support the DNSSEC security protocol, which could mean that your DNS queries are vulnerable to data breaches.
This vulnerability can also expose you to threats such as on-path attacks. In fact, if there’s too much traffic, your ISP’s resolver could stop answering requests altogether and render your connection offline for a short while. Because of this vulnerability, attackers deliberately overload an ISP’s precursors, resulting in a denial-of-service, taking websites – and internet connections – offline.
Stops tracking
Although this practice is illegal in some countries, ISPs can use DNS records to track their users’ activity and behavior and sell that data to third-party companies. In addition, third-party trackers, like Facebook’s trackers, are embedded in many popular App Store apps, which gives Facebook information about who you are, and what you do in apps, in order for Facebook to serve you advertisements and other targeted content. DNS services block these trackers – and that works on top of the new tracker blockers from Apple with Safari.
Sends out a clear message
The more people who use DNS services, the harder it’ll be for companies to track users and rely on shady practices to make money. We’ve already seen the way Facebook has behaved in relation to iOS 14.5, and it’s no secret that companies like Facebook and Google rely heavily on your data to make money. Enough is enough!
Do you already use a DNS service? Let us know and check back soon for recommendations.
