Can the DNS have an impact on the SEO?

Can the DNS have an impact on the SEO?
Image source : geralt via Pixabay

This is a recurrent question from our customers: does the use of the DNS, whether it is good or bad, have an impact on the websites’ SEO? We have already discussed about the impact of a HTTPS website on the SEO, this is now the occasion to focus on the side of the DNS.

The DNS is an invisible process, implemented in the background, it’s difficult to comprehend why it can help or affect a website’s performance and the ranking in search engines, more particularly on Google.

This article will approach the possible impact of the DNS in response to the following questions:

  • Does the modification of a DNS record affect the SEO?
  • Does the change of the DNS provider affect the SEO?
  • Which part of the DNS plays in a website’s migration?
  • Does the change of a website’s IP address affect the website’s SEO?
  • Quid of the DNSSEC implementation?
  • Can a DNS breakdown affect the SEO?
  • Can a faster DNS increase the SEO?

Does the change at the DNS level affect the SEO?

1. Modification of a DNS record, be careful of the TTL

The domain name’s redirection towards the corresponding web server often passes through the creation of a A type record (IPv4 address). The A record will then direct the traffic towards the IP address of the destination web server. The modification of this record can lead to performance problems.

Indeed, to optimize the response time, the DNS system allows the  information caching with the DNS resolver servers for a given time, the duration of the TTL (Time to live) defined by the technical manager of the domain name, during its configuration. The usual TTL, like the one recommended by ANSSI, is several hours for the usual uses of domain names (websites). In the case of a A record modification, this one could be taken into account only at the end of the TTL. Then web users could still access to the former record configurations for a few minutes or even several hours after the modifications.

Thus it’s important to reduce the TTL, even temporarily during these modifications.

But does that affect the SEO? Yes, it does and no, it doesn’t. In the case of users being sent towards a destination that no longer exists, Google will consider this as a 404 error. Beyond the negative user experience, this is not directly a SEO factor. However be careful of the possible existence of backlinks and the too high numbers of 404 errors. A low TTL allows to limit the impact during these modifications.

2. Modification of the DNS declared for a domain name

A domain name is associated to the name servers (NS/Name Servers) which allow the right DNS resolution. The DNS service searches the information on these NS. These NS can be modified during the change of the provider managing the domain name, or simply to pass from a DNS infrastructure to another. Will the change of the name server affect the SEO?

Depending on the provider and the chosen infrastructure, the resolution time could be more or less short with a possible impact of improvement or decrease regarding the SERP (Search Engine Result Page). Indeed, the resolution time is taken into account by Google (see after).

And like for a record change, it is recommended to reduce the lifespan of the records before modifying the name servers, so the DNS resolvers don’t keep in cache the former information.

3. Risk associated to the DNS during the website’s migration

This is the same principle discussed previously. The modifications of the DNS configurations don’t directly affect the SEO, but can lead to a bad user’s experience. The TTL should also be seen as a useful mean to take into consideration.

Which specific cases to consider?

  • Change of web hosting provider
  • Change of DNS hosting provider?
  • Move the traffic of www. towards a “nude domain” (without www.)
  • Move your domain towards a CDN (content diffusion network)

4. Change of the destination IP address

No. During the modification of a record pointing from a termination point to another, the SEO is not affected. The only (very rare) exception to this rule would be to point a domain towards a termination point that would have been already identified as a spam server (for example, the IP address of a shared server).

However, be careful of the IP address in question, one of the (many) rules of Google’s SEO is that an IP address used for a website should be located near the final user.

5. DNSSEC implementation

DNSSEC allows to authenticate the DNS resolution through a chain of trust between the different DNS servers of this resolution. Just like for the HTTPS, this is an additional security layer to implement. And like for the HTTPS, the pages’ loading time is affected, and therefore potentially the associated SEO. To put this into perspective, DNSSEC is essential to web users’ surfing and it is recommended to implement it.  Most companies that propose security audit regarding domain names consider DNSSEC as necessary and then as a notation criteria.

Do faster DNS increase the SEO?

Google admitted that the loading time of a web page has an impact on the SERP results. The times of the DNS research are in general less than a second, they can nevertheless affect the loading of a webpage in the following cases:

1. Recurring breakdowns on the DNS infrastructure

When a DNS cannot resolve or takes more time than usual, it can add many seconds to the time of a page loading. In case of lack of reliability and recurring unavailability, the impact on SEO is proved… Not mentioning the user experience in front of these repetitive failures (increase of the bounce rate, decrease of customers’ retention and impact on the trust in the brand, if not revenue loss). It is important to rely on a reliable and trustworthy infrastructure.

2. Quality of the network and points of presence

This is purely and simply physics, the nearest a names server is to the final user, the less time is needed to respond to its request. The DNS networks called “anycast” (optimized addressing and routing towards “the nearest” or the “more efficient” server) with many points of presence in the world, allow to optimize the response time depending on the geographical location.

Another important point is to have at least three names servers that are authority (SOA) for a domain name, ideally based on different domain names and TLDs, in order to reduce the risk of SPOF (Single Point of Failure) of an infrastructure. Indeed, if an infrastructure relies on the same domain name, an unavailability of this domain name, for whatever the reason, leads to the unavailability of the DNS infrastructure. Likewise, at the TLDs’ level and even if it is less likely, a problem of registry availability would affect all the DNS infrastructure.

3. Be careful of “extended” DNS configurations

It’s not unusual to have DNS configurations which send towards a final destination through several steps like in the example below.  As a consequence, the resolution time is affected and potentially, the performance in terms of SEO.

fr.wikipedia.org. IN CNAME text.wikimedia.org.

text.wikimedia.org. IN CNAME text.esams.wikimedia.org.

text.esams.wikimedia.org. IN A 91.198.174.232

Conclusion

The SEO is a science to consider as a whole. Thus, as we have seen through the impact of the HTTPS adoption of a website, this is a referencing factor among others and all things being equal, then this is particularly important in order to achieve a competitive edge on the first page of results.

The same applies to the impact of DNS on the SEO. Can the DNS have an impact? Yes, it clearly can in the case of incorrect configurations, or in the case that the DNS infrastructures do not allow response times fast enough. A DNS infrastructure called anycast is essential for any domain name carrying an important web traffic, even more at an international level. This is a data to integrate in a whole, and this thinking should be in a global approach of the SEO with the web marketing team.

DNS Flag Day: Are you ready?

DNS Flag Day - Blog Nameshield

Lately, the DNS keeps being talked about! After the first KSK rollover of October 2018, then the deactivation of the former KSK key on last January 11, here comes the time of the DNS Flag Day!

DNS Flag Day: What is it all about?

The Flag day is an expression used in IT to indicate the deadline and/or radical change.

Let us remember that when it was created, the weight of cybercrime threats affecting the DNS infrastructure didn’t exist. If the security was relegated to the background, the evolution of attacks have made it absolutely necessary: The DNS must be strengthened!

It’s in this context that the EDNS standard has been created in 1999 (updated in 2013 in the RFC6891). EDNS has particularly allowed the implementation of DNSSEC, the DNS’ geolocation and other measures aiming to strengthen the security.

This transition was not without difficulties. Abusive EDNS standard adoptions, lack of updates, bypasses have led to the creation of many patches and accommodations of the recursive servers’ code (particularly, in order to be able to differentiate DNS servers which cannot properly support EDNS from the ones unreachable for other reasons).

Two decades later, the maintenance of all these patched software has become more than difficult and leads to bugs that can compromise the DNS security. Obviously, the weight of these patches affects the speed of the response times.

It’s time for this standard to be implemented by all, or they will no longer be able to efficiently deal with new DNS attacks, like amplification or layer 7 attacks.

That’s why, major IT actors (Google, Cloudfare, Facebook, Cisco..), of which the developers of recursive servers decided as one to no longer support DNS servers that do not respect the EDNS standard as of February 1, 2019. The Flag Day arrives!

And concretely?

From the DNS Flag Day, on February 1, all the DNS servers not in compliance with the EDNS standard (or not functioning because of a firewall incompatible with EDNS), thus not responding to EDNS requests will be considered as unreachable; accommodations and other patches being removed from the new versions of the DNS software.

To simplify, not placed on compatible DNS, your domain name may no longer respond.

How to anticipate?

That is why it is important to ensure that DNS servers hosting your names‘ zones are compatible EDNS, in particular if they are not placed on Nameshield’s DNS infrastructure or if your company maintains its own infrastructure.

The DNS Flag Day website also allows to test the compliance of your name: https://dnsflagday.net/

Of course, our team is at your disposal for any question.

Cybersecurity overview – CESIN’s barometer

Cybersecurity overview
Image source: TheDigitalArtist via Pixabay

The CESIN (Club of Information and digital security experts) just published the fourth edition of its annual barometer realized with OpinionWay within its 174 members, 84% are CISO (Chief information security officer) of big French companies. This annual study allows to better define the perception and reality of cybersecurity and its issues within the companies which are members of CESIN.

The most common cyberattacks and their impacts

During these twelve last months, although the attacks number tends to stabilize, 80% of the interviewed companies have been the victims of at least one cyberattack, and the consequences on the business (stopping of the production, unavailable website, revenue loss…) are more important than in 2017.

Each year, companies face five kinds of cyberattack on average.

Among the attacks suffered, phishing is the most frequent with 73% of companies affected, followed by the “Fake President” fraud with 50% of the respondents affected, then in third position is the ransomware and the malware infection.

Regarding cyber risks, Shadow IT is the most frequently encountered risk, 64% of the interviewed CISO estimate that this is a threat to deal with. Indeed, the implementation and use of non-approved and often free applications can escape the control of the Information systems department.

Cloud and IoT: the impact of the digital transformation on the security of Information systems

For 98% of the companies, digital transformation has a real impact on the security of Information and data systems and increases the cyberattacks’ perimeter. Particularly through the important use of Cloud, used by 87% of the companies, of which 52% store their data in public Clouds.

This use of Cloud represents an important risk because of the lack of control from the hosting provider regarding the company’s data (through administrators or others), or regarding the subcontracting chain used by the hosting provider, or even regarding the data not deleted. For 89% of the CISO, these issues imply the use of complementary securing tools to the ones proposed by the service provider in order to secure the data stored in the Cloud.

Concerning IoT (Internet of Things), the race for innovation and the increasingly common use of connected things lead to the apparition of new cybersecurity threats, notably due to security flaws in these devices.

A cyber resilience to develop

To face these cyber risks, the CISO develop many technical solutions.

However, despite all these solutions, the CISO are less confident comparing to last year regarding the company’s capacity to face these cyber risks, and less than one out of two estimates that their company is prepared to manage a large scale cyberattack. And yet, only 12% have implemented a real cyber resilience program, it is in process for 33% and 34% are planning to implement one.

Three essentially human issues for the future of the cybersecurity

  • Awareness of the user

According to 61% of the interviewed CISO, the main issue for the future of the cybersecurity is the training and the awareness of the users to the cybersecurity issue. According to the respondents, “even if the employees are aware, they are still not involved enough and do not necessarily follow the recommendations. An important education work remains.”

  • Governance of the cybersecurity

For 60% of the respondents, the governance of the cybersecurity needs to be placed at the right level. Although the compliance to the GDPR allowed the companies to be aware of the data protection issues, the confidence in the ability of the executive committee to take into account the cybersecurity issues stays uneven depending on the activity sectors.

  • Human resources

The lack of Information system security profiles observed by 91% of the CISO, is a real challenge for the companies while 50% of these companies plan to increase the workforce allocated to cybersecurity.

GDPR and consequences: DomainTools appeals injunction decision in .NZ whois case

GDPR and consequences: DomainTools appeals injunction decision in .NZ whois case
Image source: mohamed_hassan via Pixabay

DomainTools sued by DNCL

In June 2018, .NZ registry, DNCL (Domain Name Commission Limited) sued the American company specialized in tools of monitoring and investigation, on the ground that it violated the registry’s terms of use.

The DNCL was successful and the Federal Court in the State of Washington granted a preliminary injunction that banned DomainTools to collect the whois data of .NZ and ordered the suppression of the data used in the existing publications, while the lawsuit proceeded.

Indeed, since June 2016, .NZ registry has indicated in its terms that it was now forbidden to copy the domain names holders’ data.

DomainTools appeals the injunction decision

Without surprise, DomainTools, that first indicated that the use of these data was also of general interest, these data being used by its customers in the context of the fight for cybersecurity, appealed the preliminary injunction.

Of course, this trial reflects the terms of the debate which took place at ICANN regarding the General data protection regulation (GDPR).

DomainTools is mentioned in the American draft legislation unveiled by the Internet Governance Project, which indicates as such, that this attempt would be led by different lobbies. The Transparent, Open and Secure Internet Act of 2018, dated from August 16, 2018 mentions these two possibilities of evolution: 

  • The first called “large” proposes keeping a whois with a wide enough spectrum of information (more or less the same as our old fashioned whois)
  • The second, more limited, would keep this obligation to publish the data to the American residents or to the actors targeting a business activity on the US market.

An intense debate about the GDPR

This trial reminds us how the debates regarding the GDPR implementation are intense within ICANN, opposing actors using the now so precious data and the privacy advocates, supported by the WP29 (Article 29 Data Protection Working Party) that mentions in particular the applicable sanctions.

Finally, it should be reminded that the GAC attempts to minimize the consequences of the European regulation. After being dismissed by the German Court from their attack in May 2018, which aimed a registrar that stopped to provide customers data under the GDPR, the GAC aims to obtain from the EU’s Court of Justice a favorable decision on this subject. The debate about the DomainTools case deserves to be followed closely!

Global risks 2019: Climate and cyber risks at the heart of concerns

Global risks 2019
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Upstream to the Annual Meeting in Davos that took place on January 22 to 25 in Switzerland, the World Economic Forum presented its Global Risks Report, a report which highlights the main global risks and issues, based on a survey of 1000 international decision-makers from the public sector, private sector, academia and civil society. So what are the main risks that the World is facing?

Cyber risks in the top 5

For the third year in a row, environment-related risks are at the top of the decision-makers’ concerns. They hold the top three of the risks likely to occur in 2019, followed by technology risks which are Data fraud or theft in 4th place, and cyberattacks in 5th.

Thus in 2019, 82% of the interviewed experts expect data and money theft, and 80% expect services and infrastructures disruptions resulting from cyberattacks.

The 5 risks most likely to occur according to experts

  1. Extreme weather events
  2. Failure of climate-change mitigation and adaptation
  3. Natural disasters
  4. Data fraud or theft
  5. Cyberattacks

The top 10 risks in terms of impact

  1. Weapons of mass destruction
  2. Failure of climate-change mitigation and adaptation
  3. Extreme weather events
  4. Water crisis
  5. Natural disasters
  6. Biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse
  7. Cyberattacks
  8. Critical information infrastructure breakdown
  9. Man-made environmental disasters
  10. Spread of infectious diseases

Cyberattacks take the 7th place, and the critical information infrastructure breakdown the 8th place of the ranking, hence making it into the top 10.

Regarding technology, Børge Brende, the World Economic Forum’s President highlights that “Technology continues to play a profound role in shaping the global risks landscape. Concerns about data fraud and cyber-attacks were prominent again in the GRPS, which also highlighted a number of other technological vulnerabilities: around two-thirds of respondents expect the risks associated with fake news and identity theft to increase in 2019”. These concerns result from 2018 being traumatized by the increase of massive cyberattacks, breaches in IT security systems of States, massive data theft and the increase of artificial intelligence’s use for carrying out cyberattacks always more powerful.