Yandex, the NASDAQ-listed Russian Internet search company, announced today an update of its in-house browser to include a built-in domain name system protection feature – DNSCrypt.
DNSCrypt is a protocol that authenticates communications between a browser requesting a DNS address of a website and a DNS server offering this address.
“Provided by renowned DNS security expert, OpenDNS, this protocol will now be doing its job right through Yandex’s browser. Instead of going to an unknown DNS resolver, all your requests made through Yandex Browser will go straight to one of 80 secure and fast DNS servers owned by Yandex in multiple locations all over the world. In addition to using a verified DNS resolver, the DNSCrypt protocol encrypts communications between the browser and the server making them impossible to intercept,” the company stated.
“This is the first time a browser comes with an anti-DNS-spoofing technology on board,” Yandex added.
DNS spoofing, when a requested website is replaced with a fraudulent website somewhere server-side, or router hijacking, when a router’s DNS is changed or replaced by malware, affect millions of modems worldwide, according to the industry experts.
The Yandex browser was launched in 2012. Last year the company introduced several new features, including rich search suggestions and an enhanced privacy protection system.
More information on the browser and its its anti-DNS-spoofing qualities is available on the company’s blog.
