Every transaction on the internet starts with a DNS query — DNS is the heartbeat of the internet, enabling navigation and services on every network, for every device. DNS underpins user experience, and user experience is everything. It drives engagement, productivity, and ultimately revenue.
Attackers use DNS, too. For many exploits, a DNS query is the first signal on the internet that malware is present on a device (server, PC, phone, IoT). They can use DNS spoofing or hijacking to redirect users to fraudulent or malicious domains they control, and DNS tunneling to upload valuable stolen data files.
A protective DNS-based security approach can be an efficient and effective way to identify and block attacks, protecting users, data, brands, and more.
DNS is the gateway to your business, for customers and attackers alike
Every internet transaction starts with a DNS request. DNS infrastructure is both essential and exposed, a vital service for users, and a prime target for attacks.
If DNS servers are slow, offline users lose access, or if they’re compromised, attackers win. Akamai helps deliver and secure DNS infrastructure at scale, so users are happy and protected.
Deliver engaging and secure user experiences to everyone, all the time
Akamai DNS solutions help maximize user experience, and keep workers and infrastructure secure.
Akamai DNS Delivery and Security includes a range of solutions
Customer stories
Frequently Asked Questions
Akamai can help customers deliver the most secure and engaging user experiences to everyone, all the time.
Akamai DNS security solutions have embedded defenses to deter targeted exploits and reduce vulnerabilities that can disrupt DNS query activity or expose users and data.
Adaptive, agile, accurate DNS-based threat intel protects everyone connected and systems businesses rely on. Posture management offers visibility, observability, and actionability for the entire DNS estate to mitigate cyber risk.
Akamai DNS solutions cover the world, at massive scale. Our innovations make user experiences responsive and engaging, and our customers’ services secure and robust, while minimizing costs and staff overhead.
Most DNS services are also directly exposed to the internet and subject to DNS amplification or other DNS threats that can degrade performance or take services offline. Akamai solutions support the best possible user experience, even when critical DNS-related infrastructure that other resources depend on is under attack.
Akamai DNS solutions include built-in security analytics like threat summaries and details, plus best-in-class DDoS protection that extends across both on-premises and cloud environments, regardless of vendor. Posture management adds essential visibility, observability, and actionability across your entire multi-vendor DNS estate. Akamai also offers apex aliasing, lower total cost of ownership (TCO), and the scale, resilience, and performance of a globally distributed hybrid platform.
Akamai protects against a wide range of DNS attacks, including DNS spoofing, DNS hijacking, DNS tunneling, and DNS amplification. These DNS-based threats can redirect users to malicious domains, disrupt service, steal data, or enable broader cyberattacks. Our defenses help stop them at the DNS layer.
Akamai DNS solutions touch all types and sizes of businesses and families from DNS attacks. ISPs and MNOs look to us for DNS infrastructure to make their networks responsive, secure, and robust. We also supply DNS filtering and other DNS-based security services to help service providers enhance their business and home internet access portfolios.
Organizations depend on us to publish DNS data securely and reliably at any scale, and to provide secure internet access for all the connected devices they depend on, including IoT. They also get real-time protection against ransomware and phishing domains targeting their users.
Other Akamai DNS solutions provide:
- Hundreds of millions of users of web applications and services with secure and engaging experiences every day
- Critical multi-vendor, distributed, DNS resource posture management with proactive threat detection and risk mitigation, and comprehensive compliance and reporting
- Protections against abuse of brands by impostors on the internet
- Foundational services for our delivery and cloud platforms in every location where we’re deployed around the world
- Secure DNS resolution that maps domain names to IP addresses reliably and accurately, even under load
Akamai DNS solutions provide an array of benefits against DNS-based cyberattacks:
Security
- Prevents data exposure and disruption of query activity with embedded defenses that deter targeted exploits
- Protects business systems and covers connected workers with adaptive, agile, accurate DNS-based threat intel
- Offers visibility, observability, and actionability across the entire DNS estate
Resilience
- Enables today’s perpetually online businesses and digital lifestyles with architectural product innovations based on 20+ years delivering always-on services
Performance and scale
- Delivers the best user experiences with superior software design that maximizes responsiveness guided by more than two decades of experience
- Promotes network, service, and operational efficiency with scaling to millions of users
Deployment
- Benefits from optimized product design, simplified installation, and reduced admin overhead learned from global presence in networks ranging from large ISPs, to businesses and organizations of all sizes, and even homes
- Provides a single solution for provisioning of zones and traffic management, with 100% availability
Yes. Akamai supports DNSSEC (Domain Name System Security Extensions) to help prevent DNS spoofing and ensure DNS data integrity. DNSSEC helps verify that DNS responses come from legitimate sources.
DNS Delivery and Security Resources

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