Q: I read that I could get better protection against hackers by switching to an independent internet connection service, such as Google Public DNS, Cloudflare or Quad9. What do you think?
Bob Lommel, Minnetonka
A: There are some security benefits, but they fall short of what's needed.
The hacking you refer to (called DNS hijacking) redirects your web browser to a malicious website. The companies you mention offer some protection against that type of hacking when it's directed at internet servers, but no protection if it's aimed at your home computer or router. Unfortunately, home attacks are the biggest threat.
Your personal security is at stake. Hackers would like to redirect your browser to a malicious website that looks just like the one you are trying to reach. There they can show you advertising, steal your personal information or download malicious software to your computer.
This redirection is accomplished by DNS hijacking, which tampers with the Domain Name System, the internet equivalent of a phone directory. This directory comes into play whenever you type a name such as Amazon.com, Google.com or Yahoo.com into your browser. The directory matches a name to the string of numbers that is the website's real address, then connects you with that site. If that directory is hacked, your browser might not be taken to Amazon, Google or Yahoo, but to malicious imitation websites.
But here's the key part. This DNS directory exists on virtually every computer between you and the website you want to reach — yours, your router and many internet servers. If a hacker can tamper with the directory anywhere in that chain, your browser can be redirected.
The companies you mention are called DNS providers, and they offer an alternative pathway to the internet that takes the place of one your internet service provider operates. They claim (and this is impossible to verify) that by using their network, you will be more protected from DNS hijacking on the internet.
