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Feds Tighten DNS Security On .Gov

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the totally-safe-we-promise dept.

alphadogg writes "When you file your taxes online, you want to be sure that the Web site you visit — www.irs.gov — is operated by the Internal Revenue Service and not a scam artist. By the end of next year, you can be confident that every U.S. government Web page is being served up by the appropriate agency. That's because the feds have launched the largest-ever rollout of a new authentication mechanism for the Internet's DNS. All federal agencies are deploying DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC) on the .gov top-level domain, and some expect that once that rollout is complete, banks and other businesses might be encouraged to follow suit for their sites. DNSSEC prevents hackers from hijacking Web traffic and redirecting it to bogus sites. The Internet standard prevents spoofing attacks by allowing Web sites to verify their domain names and corresponding IP addresses using digital signatures and public-key encryption."

6 of 140 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Just what they want you to think by PainMeds · · Score: 5, Funny

    Nothing says 'rob me blind' than 'trust us'.

    Which is why this originated from the IRS.

  2. Spam Can Bypass God by mfh · · Score: 2, Funny

    Yes, but with this handy +4 magic marker, spammers can bypass the multi-trillion dollar infrastructure and pwn your inbox.

    --
    The dangers of knowledge trigger emotional distress in human beings.
  3. I wish they had thought of that by Chrisq · · Score: 2, Funny

    Before I took up their cash-in hand job offer to deliver a package to their embassy in Islamabad. I've started to wonder whether the ticking really is an alarm clock. ;-)

  4. A bar decides to have a contest about ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    who can squeeze every last drop of juice out of a lemon. So, the local strong guys line up and try....

    The first guy, a big burly construction guy give it a try and squeezes the lemon so that nothing comes out.

    A big body builder guy walks up and squeezes some more drops out but then nothing.

    Another big guy shows up and nothing. Just as the bartender was about to announce a winner, a small, bespectacled fellow wearing a business suit walks up and says in a mousy voice, "Let me try."

    Laughter ensues around the bar and they hand him the lemon. He squeezes and out pours more juice and he's declared the winner. The body builder asks, "How did you do that ?!?"

    The little guy answers, "I work for the IRS."

  5. Re:Just what they want you to think by noidentity · · Score: 5, Funny

    On a similar note,

    When you file your taxes online, you want to be sure that the Web site you visit -- www.irs.gov -- is operated by the Internal Revenue Service and not a scam artist

    Wait, those are two different things?

  6. Re:Just what they want you to think by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    The IRS is not a scam artist... it is a protection racket.

    And generally, yeah, you want to make sure you pay the right guy in a protection racket.