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When the internet suddenly shows you something unexpected, the issue often isn't with the websites themselves or even your browser. The root cause lies in your DNS queries. We usually think of DNS as invisible magic: type an address — get the website. But in 2026, intercepting and spoofing the responses from the "internet’s address book" remains one of the trickiest attacks. This article breaks down the anatomy of DNS hijacking, real attack vectors and cases, explains how and why a VPN tunnel hides your DNS queries, where DNSSEC helps and where it doesn’t. Plus, there’s plenty of hands-on advice: checklists, tests, monitoring, solutions for home and business. No fluff, just straightforward, human-friendly explanations with honest highlights.

What Is DNS Hijacking? Explained Simply

Why DNS Is the Internet’s Address Book

DNS matches friendly names to numeric addresses. Think of it as a phone book, but for websites and services. You type a domain name, your computer asks a resolver, which then queries root and authoritative servers to find where to direct you. If someone spoofs the answer — you end up somewhere else. It's like trusting a taxi driver who suddenly takes a wrong turn to a fake address. Scary? Absolutely. And very real.

Why do attackers love DNS so much? Because it only takes one fake response to redirect you to a phishing clone of your bank, download an "update" that’s actually malware, or send your credentials to a malicious server. Plus, DNS often travels unencrypted, making it easier to eavesdrop on and manipulate. Though encryption of DNS became standard by 2026, classic attack paths haven't disappeared.

Where the Attack Originates

Interception can happen anywhere along the chain—from your device to the authoritative DNS server. At home, a compromised router can be the entry point. At a café, a "friendly" Wi-Fi with a tricky captive portal. At your ISP, political redirects or basic monetization of NXDOMAIN queries. In corporate networks, it could be a compromised local resolver or cached data poisoning. On the global internet, there’s BGP hijacking that reroutes traffic to a targeted resolver. The landscape is full of opportunities for creative attackers.

This isn’t theory. DNS interceptions consistently surface in analyst reports and bug bounty cases. Honestly, many incidents never hit public awareness—they get contained by SOC teams through incident response. Almost everyone has a weak spot.

The Consequences of Compromise

Impact ranges from "annoying" to "company-wide headaches." At minimum, you'll face intrusive ads and malfunctioning services. A mid-level scenario involves phishing logins, cookie theft, and malvertising. The worst includes bypassing update policies, implanting backdoors by spoofing repository domains, cache poisoning within internal segments, and cascading effects throughout your infrastructure. The scariest part? The invisibility: users believe they’re on the real site, while it’s a forgery—encrypted with TLS using a dubious certificate bought under a look-alike domain.

And yes, money. Losses from Business Email Compromise involving MX record and DNS response spoofing are already reaching seven-figure sums. In 2026, this is not just a trend; it’s harsh reality.

Anatomy of the Attack: How DNS Query Interception Works

Point A: Device and Resolver

You might think the browser handles DNS, but usually it’s the operating system. Your OS sends a query to the resolver configured via DHCP or network settings. If malware changes these settings, the first step of the attack is done: your device uses an attacker’s resolver instead of a trusted one. Even if the site uses HTTPS, attackers can manipulate redirects, CDN behavior, and fake login pages to make phishing look real.

A tricky detail: some apps have their own DNS stacks. VPN clients, corporate agents, browsers, and mail clients often use DNS directly or via DoH. This improves privacy but can cause conflicts—incorrect resolver order leads to unexpected leaks and policy failures.

Point B: Transport and Spoofing

Classic DNS uses UDP on port 53—unencrypted, simple, fast. This makes it easy to intercept and spoof. On public Wi-Fi, when you request a domain, a fake resolver can respond faster and steal the race. Add NAT, unstable networks, and relays—attackers have plenty of room to maneuver.

With DoT, DoH, and DoQ, transport encryption makes DNS more private. But not everywhere or always. Corporate traffic often terminates at inspection proxies, and ISPs might block DoH endpoints at their perimeter. Attackers still exploit misconfigurations: if an app falls back to plain UDP, the door’s open.

Point C: Cache and Poisoning

Cache speeds resolution but is also a weak spot. Cache poisoning tricks resolvers into remembering false answers—then hundreds of clients get misled. Kaminsky-style attacks forced industry-wide fixes, but the concept persists: attackers predict query parameters to insert false records.

This is especially risky when internal recursive resolvers cache poisoned data. One successful spoof means a local “truth” lasting minutes or hours. The longer the TTL, the worse the fallout.

Point D: Infrastructure

If attackers gain control over registrar accounts or DNS hosting, they can change NS, MX, A, or CNAME records—this is no longer query interception, it’s rewriting reality. Similarly with BGP: hijacking routes to anycast resolvers reroutes part of the internet to fake servers. Thankfully, RPKI and route filtering reduce risks, but human error remains a factor.

The takeaway? DNS hijacking isn’t a single trick—it’s a multi-layered toolkit. Its strength lies in complexity.

Types of DNS Hijacking: From Home Routers to BGP

Home Router and DHCP Compromise

A favorite method for mass campaigns is exploiting weak passwords and outdated firmware. Changing DNS settings via DHCP causes all devices on the network to suddenly resolve through the attacker’s server. From there, familiar attacks unfold: phishing pages for banks, wallets, marketplaces; fake update screens; aggressive ads. Meanwhile, the user just shrugs and thinks, "Internet's slow, but it works."

Protection is possible: change admin passwords, enable auto-updates, disable remote WAN access, configure routers to use DoT/DoH to trusted resolvers, block UPnP, and most importantly—control which DNS is handed out by DHCP. A simple check: compare assigned DNS addresses against known trusted ones.

ISP-Level Hijacking

Motivations vary: legal censorship, monetizing NXDOMAINs, or misconfigured policies. The result is the same: the ISP replaces responses or redirects queries to its own resolvers. Sometimes without malicious intent, sometimes with. In some regions, ISPs block DoH and force clients to use "native" DNS.

What to do? Use a VPN that hides DNS queries inside a secure tunnel routed to a trusted resolver. Also enable DoH/DoT/DoQ on your device or app. In corporate networks, run private recursive resolvers with DNSSEC validation and technically block ISP DNS (via IP tables, ACLs, and routing through the tunnel).

Cache Poisoning and Kaminsky-Like Tricks

Cache poisoning affects groups, not just individuals. By 2026, standard DNS stacks have made attacks harder—random ports, unpredictable identifiers, limits. But risks remain from misconfigured resolvers, outdated versions, and third-party modules.

Experience shows that the most common trigger is an admin’s quick fix—temporary forwarding, incorrect ACLs, overly generous TTLs. Add new protocols rolled out without careful canary testing, and you get windows for mischief.

BGP Hijacking and Anycast Resolvers

BGP hijacking is heavy artillery aimed at rerouting parts of the internet to fake resolver endpoints. Anycast improves resilience, but if an attack succeeds, it’s regional and unpleasant. The good news: with growing RPKI and stricter filters, such attacks are easier to spot and shorter in duration.

Still, for critical domains and services, build multi-layered defenses: independent resolvers, anomaly monitoring, consistency checks from various regions, and client-side DNSSEC validation.

Real 2026 Cases and Vectors: Lessons Learned

Malware Altering DNS at the OS Level

Cheap but effective tactics modify system network settings and the hosts file. Trojanized installers and malicious browser extensions are common tools. The user thinks they installed a helpful tool but actually got a biased resolver. The beauty for attackers is persistence: until you reset settings or reinstall the OS, the interception remains.

How to fight back? Integrity checks, endpoint detection (EDR), group policies, blocking unsigned extensions, regular DNS configuration audits. Also, train users: if they spot any suspicious "update," press pause and alert security.

Public Wi-Fi and Captive Portals

Cafés and airports with Wi-Fi and captive portals are classic. The portal intercepts your first request and redirects to a login page, which seems legitimate. But it’s easy to spoof DNS, block DoH, and funnel everything through a "friendly" resolver. A couple of clicks and you’re on a fake payment page.

The answer: always use VPN on untrusted networks, auto-connect on unknown Wi-Fi, verify that DNS resolution happens within the tunnel—not outside. Avoid unknown access points; excess ads and "free bonuses" are red flags.

Registrars and DNS Hosting Under Fire

When attackers control registrar or DNS hosting accounts, they alter the "map": NS, MX, A, or CNAME records, roll back keys, remove DNSSEC. This leads to legitimate-looking but unauthorized domain control. It looks normal outwardly but is a silent domain hijack.

Protection involves MFA, role separation, critical change notifications, external audits, and tracking DNSSEC chains. Strong access policies at registrars and providers aren’t luxuries—they’re necessities.

Smart TVs and IoT as Open Doors

Smart TVs, cameras, and sensors all resolve domains and trust any DHCP server. A compromised router with a rogue DNS can quickly spread attacks across your network. Then lateral movement starts, with IoT devices anchoring persistence. Budget devices rarely update and often don’t support DoH/DoT. In 2026, this remains a weak point in home networks.

Mitigate by segmenting networks, restricting access, forcing their DNS through your recursive resolver or VPN gateway, implementing egress controls, and monitoring logs. Slightly more effort, but peace of mind.

Why DNS Hijacking Threatens Businesses and Individuals

Phishing 2.0 and Business Email Compromise (BEC)

When DNS leads you astray, phishing spikes. Employees see familiar domains, interfaces, even "green" TLS indicators. They enter credentials and confirm MFA. Boom—attackers get in. What follows is BEC: email chain replacements, fake invoices, altered banking info. Money moves out quickly.

The challenge: incidents look almost identical to legitimate logins unless you notice subtle clues—IP history, device fingerprint, geography. The answer lies in Bayesian anomaly detection, risk-based access, extra authentication factors, and limiting account exposure as much as possible.

Man-in-the-Middle for Updates and Supply Chains

If updates come from spoofed domains, attackers can serve "plausible" files close in size and name. If signature verification is off — hello, supply chain compromise. Even when signatures are checked, attackers find ways to make clients "temporarily" fetch from wrong CDNs or mirrors.

Defend with strict signature validation, key pinning for critical updates, internal artifact replicas, and DNS solutions like DNSSEC validation and integrity checks. Tedious? Yes. But it greatly lowers risk.

Combining with TLS-Stripping and SNI-Sniffing

In legacy networks, attackers still try to trick HTTPS redirection, spoof redirects, intercept SNI, and exploit similar domains. Even with HTTPS, fake look-alike domains pose risks if you reached them via spoofed DNS. Most users don’t double-check address bars, especially on mobile.

2026 sees growing adoption of ECH—Encrypted ClientHello—which encrypts the TLS handshake portion including hostname, reducing SNI exposure. Together with DoH/DoQ, it significantly blinds attackers. But ECH can’t fix fake domains themselves; domain registration policies, brand protection, and reputation filters are a must.

Legal and Compliance Risks

DNS spoofing and resulting data breaches can attract regulatory scrutiny. Violating data protection laws, failing audits, or supplier chain incidents all cost money and time. And reputation damage is hard to recover.

That’s why DNS protection strategies and event logging are now audit checklist essentials. Compliance means ensuring transparency from the client to authoritative servers.

The Role of VPN: What the Tunnel Protects and What It Doesn’t

How VPN Hides DNS Inside the Tunnel

A good VPN does one simple thing: it encrypts all traffic, including DNS queries, sending it through a secure tunnel to its exit node. There, queries resolve securely, usually on a trusted recursive resolver supporting DoT/DoH/DoQ and DNSSEC validation. This means your local ISP, café Wi-Fi, and sketchy routers can neither see nor spoof your DNS packets.

It’s crucial that "DNS through VPN" actually goes through the VPN. Not all clients are set up properly. A sign of a good client is no DNS leaks and explicitly configured resolvers inside the tunnel. If your client supports blocking outside DNS, enable it confidently.

When VPN Fails (and Why)

VPN won’t fix compromised registrars, hacked DNS hosting, or BGP hijacks targeting authoritative servers for your domain. It can’t stop you from typing credentials into a fraudulent look-alike domain if you land there yourself. It won’t stop malware changing DNS on your OS if the VPN client doesn’t intercept those calls. And it can’t help if an app bypasses the system DNS stack to send DoH queries outside the tunnel.

The takeaway: VPN is a powerful shield but must be paired with proper configuration, EDR, browser policies, filters, and DNSSEC validation on resolvers.

Split Tunneling, WebRTC, and IPv6: The Nuances

Split tunneling saves bandwidth and speeds local access but leaks DNS if queries go outside the tunnel—handing attackers a jackpot. Similarly, WebRTC can reveal your real IP and use system DNS if not strictly controlled. IPv6 is another story: some VPN clients poorly tunnel v6, letting DNS leak outside the VPN.

The prescription: either full-tunnel VPN or a strict, tested split policy blocking DNS leaks. Disable or limit WebRTC in browsers, including ICE gathering for public IPs. And don’t forget IPv6—it’s not "the future" anymore, but standard now.

WireGuard vs OpenVPN: Practical Differences for DNS

Both protocols encrypt traffic well. WireGuard is simpler, faster, has a smaller codebase, and handles mobile transitions smoothly. OpenVPN is mature, flexible, sometimes more popular in enterprises. The DNS difference lies not in crypto but client policy: who resolves DNS, how fallback works, whether raw DNS outside the tunnel is blocked, and presence of a kill switch.

If configuring VPN yourself, focus on policy routing, client routing tables, blocking 53/UDP outside the tunnel, and manually specifying resolvers inside. A little effort fixes most leaks.

DNSSEC: Extra Armor Over VPN

What DNSSEC Signs and How to Validate

DNSSEC adds cryptographic signatures to DNS records. Resolvers verify answers come from authoritative zones and that the trust chain from root to domain is intact. If a signature doesn't match, the answer's rejected. It’s simple in concept but massive in scale: keys, zones, validators, rotations, TTL.

Clients don’t need to know keys; what matters is that resolvers enable validation. This way, even if traffic is intercepted or cache is poisoned, fake answers fail validation.

Where the Trust Chain Breaks

DNSSEC can’t help if attackers control an authoritative DNS zone or registrar and swap keys. Nor does it protect against look-alike domains: attackers legally registering similar domains can sign their records properly. Misconfigurations within zones—expired signatures, wrong keys—can cause false failures.

Automating key rotations, carefully choosing TTL, monitoring validation logs, and testing CDS/CDNSKEY processes reduce surprises. Less manual work means fewer errors.

Combining VPN, DoH/DoT/DoQ, and DNSSEC

The golden combo: a VPN tunnel wrapping a resolver with DNSSEC validation; encrypted transport via DoT/DoH/DoQ; plus QNAME minimization and aggressive NSEC handling for privacy. Providers have no visibility into your queries, attackers have almost nowhere to spoof answers, and cache poisoning attempts fail DNSSEC checks.

This setup suits both home and business. Just ensure clients don’t fall back to plain UDP during failures and that split tunnel exceptions are deliberate.

CDS/CDNSKEY and Zone Automation

Automating key publication and rotation through CDS/CDNSKEY helps avoid manual mistakes and expired signatures. It’s a must-have for big zones and highly recommended for medium ones. Combined with trust chain monitoring and alerts for NS and DS changes, you get a manageable and predictable DNSSEC setup.

Also, invest in team training: understanding the process is more than just ticking a checklist.

Modern DNS Privacy Protocols: DoH, DoT, DoQ, and ECH

What to Choose in 2026 for Home and Office

DoH encrypts DNS over HTTPS, blending in with regular web traffic and passing networks easily. DoT uses a dedicated TLS port, making firewall policies simpler. DoQ runs over QUIC, offering quick start and lower latency when packet loss occurs. In 2026, these are combined based on network profiles and client capabilities.

Home users find it easiest to enable DoH in browsers or the OS. Businesses deploy private recursive resolvers supporting DoT/DoQ with strict validation, and route remote traffic through VPNs to avoid third-party network blocks.

Policies and Observability for SOCs

Encrypting DNS doesn’t mean blind security teams. Resolvers still log queries with privacy considerations, and perimeter devices see volumes and flow directions. SOCs need enough visibility to detect unusual NXDOMAIN spikes, rare record type surges, and requests to domains in fresh malicious IOC feeds.

The goal: balance user privacy with risk monitoring, using policies, log anonymization, and storing only aggregated data necessary for detection.

QNAME Minimization and Aggressive NSEC

QNAME minimization sends only the minimal necessary query part to each hierarchy level, reducing metadata exposure. Aggressive NSEC caches negative answers to cut unnecessary queries. Together, they boost privacy and performance.

These techniques are invaluable under heavy loads and in hostile networks where every extra query is a potential observation point.

Encrypted ClientHello Paired with DoH/DoQ

ECH encrypts parts of the TLS handshake, including the hostname. Previously, SNI exposed your destination; now snoopers find profiling harder. Combined with DoH or DoQ, external observers face a blurred picture.

Adoption depends on servers and browsers but trends clearly favor it. We recommend enabling ECH wherever possible, especially for sensitive services.

Practical Defense: Checklists for Users and Companies

Home and Mobile Devices

- Activate VPN with verified "DNS through tunnel." - Enable DoH in your browser, disable unnecessary extensions, limit WebRTC. - Update your router’s firmware, set strong admin passwords, disable remote WAN access. - Configure trusted resolvers supporting DoT/DoQ if your router allows. - Confirm DHCP hands out only trusted DNS addresses.

- Enable "private DNS" on smartphones if supported; use apps that block DNS leaks. - Make it a habit: on public networks, VPN first, then everything else. It sounds tedious, but it saves you.

Small Business and Startups

- Deploy your own recursive resolver with DNSSEC validation, DoT/DoQ, and QNAME minimization. - Enable logging with anonymization; store aggregates to detect anomalies. - Block direct 53/UDP access at the perimeter except trusted exits. - Force all remote endpoints to connect through VPN, not directly. - Set alerts for NS, MX, and DS record changes on your domains.

- Enforce MFA for registrar and DNS hosting accounts. - Regular zone backups and documented change procedures. - Employee training: DNS-level phishing is hard to spot but can be learned.

Medium and Large Enterprises

- Build resilient resolver clusters, multiple upstreams, and multi-layered monitoring. - Enable RPKI route validation in your network infrastructure. - Integrate domain reputation feeds for proactive blocking. - Add DNS context to SIEM by correlating DNS logs with proxy, EDR, and email data. - Conduct regular tabletop exercises and red team attacks simulating DNS-based threats.

- Enforce strict split tunneling for developers and contractors as needed, otherwise use full tunnel. - Segment networks carefully, especially for IoT and printers. - Control zone changes via four-eyes principle, checklist audits, and notifications.

Cloud and Hybrid Networks

- Choose a strategy: centralized cloud resolvers with private endpoints or regional resolvers with unified policies. - Use DNSPolicy, sidecar controllers, and enforce no arbitrary DNS egress in Kubernetes. - Synchronize zones across multi-cloud, automate DNSSEC key management, and implement CDS/CDNSKEY. - Monitor Terraform/IaC changes closely, ensuring all DNS edits undergo code review.

- Verify all tunnels (site-to-site, client VPN) handle DNS correctly. - Regularly run DNS leak tests from all segments including ephemeral dev environments.

Testing and Monitoring: How to Detect Interception

DNS Leak Tests and Resolver Verification

The very first step: know who really answers your queries. Compare your visible resolver to the expected one. If using VPN, ensure queries exit via the VPN provider’s DNS and not the café network's. Run multiple tests in different apps since some use their own stack.

For businesses, schedule synthetic checks from various regions. This helps spot ISP redirects and unusual cache "optimizations."

PassiveDNS, Zeek, and RPKI Route Validation

PassiveDNS builds a map of observed domain resolutions, letting you quickly see domains resolving differently. Zeek provides rich network context, and SIEM integration spots anomalies. Enable RPKI validation and monitor suspicious prefixes on network perimeters.

Yes, this isn’t set-and-forget—but it pays off, especially when facing sophisticated attacks where every lateral move leaves a trace.

Alerts for NXDOMAIN and Rare Record Types

A sudden spike in NXDOMAIN indicates someone probing your domains or a DNSSEC chain break. Surges in TXT, NULL, or rare record types can hint at exotic tricks or configuration mistakes. Track TTL jumps and answer changes for critical domains to reduce mean time to resolution.

Tip: keep baseline responses for key domains and check consistency from multiple global points. Discrepancies warrant investigation.

Incident Playbooks

If you suspect DNS hijacking, act fast. Your playbook should include switching to backup resolvers, enforcing DoH/DoT/DoQ, blocking 53/UDP at the perimeter, auditing DHCP settings, rolling back zone changes, contacting registrars and DNS hosting. Collect forensics: resolver logs, network captures, event timelines.

One more thing: pre-agree escalation channels and responsibilities. When chaos hits, time slips away.

12-Month Strategy: Implementation Roadmap

Quarter 1: Audit and Basic Hygiene

- Inventory domains, registrars, and DNS hosting. - Enable MFA, role separation, and notifications. - Audit resolvers and policies: enable DNSSEC validation, QNAME minimization. - Set up basic dashboards showing who resolves what and flag anomalies.

- Pilot VPN with strict DNS policies in tunnel. - Train staff on public Wi-Fi risks, phishing, and updates.

Quarter 2: Protocols and Policies

- Scale DoT/DoQ deployments; disable raw 53/UDP for clients. - Refine split tunneling policies: bans, exceptions, enforcement. - Pilot ECH where infrastructure supports it. - Implement alerts for zone changes and NXDOMAIN anomalies.

- Automate IaC for DNS and enforce code review of all changes. - Define SLO metrics: resolve time, error rates, upstream stability.

Quarter 3: Automation and IaC

- Implement CDS/CDNSKEY, key rotation, and emergency test environments. - Update VPN clients, browser configs, and mobile profiles. - Integrate SIEM/SOAR for automatic reaction to critical events. - Conduct regular synthetic checks from cloud and office locations.

- Review IoT segmentation; enforce DNS channels via controlled resolvers. - Monitor IPv6 routing and DNS over v6.

Quarter 4: Training and Red Teams

- Host red team drills simulating hijacking in test environments. - Refine playbooks and communications. - Final compliance audit and risk metrics report for leadership. - Plan next year: optimize costs and enhance UX without weakening security.

Sounds ambitious? It is. But tackling this step-by-step closes 80% of practical risks and makes the remaining 20% manageable.

FAQ: Your Quick Questions Answered

Basics

  • Q: Is one VPN enough to forget about DNS hijacking? A: No. VPN hides traffic inside a tunnel, but doesn’t protect against registrar compromises, fake domains, or BGP attacks outside your perimeter. You still need DNSSEC validation, browser policies, EDR, and monitoring.
  • Q: What to enable at home: DoH or DoT? A: Either is better than raw 53/UDP. DoH is easier in browsers; DoT or DoQ work great if your router supports them. Plus VPN on untrusted networks.
  • Q: Will DNSSEC protect against phishing clones? A: Unfortunately no. DNSSEC proves authenticity within a zone, but look-alike domains can legally sign their records. Reputation filters, brand protection, and user vigilance help here.
  • Q: How to quickly detect a hijack? A: Compare your actual resolver against expected ones, run DNS leak tests, check resolver logs, watch NXDOMAIN spikes and suspicious geographic query patterns. On suspect networks, immediately enable VPN and strict DNS policies.
  • Q: Should I enable ECH? A: Yes, where supported. Together with DoH/DoQ it reduces visibility and complicates traffic profiling. Not a magic fix, but a strong defense layer.
  • Q: Which VPN protocol is better for DNS—WireGuard or OpenVPN? A: Both are reliable. The key is client policy: blocking DNS leaks, full tunnel or strict split, blocking outside 53/UDP, kill switch. Pick what fits your setup best.

Practice and Deployment

  • Q: Should small business run its own resolver? A: Ideally. A private recursive resolver with DNSSEC validation and DoT/DoQ offers control, logs, and reliability. If not feasible, choose a trusted public resolver accessed via VPN with policy checks.
  • Q: What to do if you suspect cache poisoning? A: Flush caches, switch to backup resolvers, enable aggressive NSEC, monitor DNSSEC chains, route through VPN, gather forensic evidence, and escalate.
  • Q: How to protect IoT and Smart TVs? A: Network segmentation, forcing DNS through controlled resolvers or VPN gateways, banning direct external access, and regular firmware updates. This greatly reduces attack surface.
  • Q: Why keep DNS logs if using DoH/DoQ encryption? A: Logs on your resolver help spot anomalies and indicators of compromise. Encryption protects traffic in transit, but observability is key for incident detection. Balance through anonymization and retention limits.
  • Q: Contingency plans for registrar compromise? A: MFA, restricted access lists, emergency contacts, pre-agreed recovery procedures, zone backups, continuous monitoring, and rapid fallback to backup providers.

Common Mistakes

  • Q: Most common VPN mistake? A: Leaving DNS "loose": split tunneling without control, WebRTC enabled in browsers, forgotten IPv6 leaking queries outside the tunnel. Fix with policies and leak tests.
  • Q: Is enabling DoH in a browser enough? A: Better than nothing, but not a foolproof solution. Other system apps may bypass it, so a full VPN with DNS checking is best on public networks.
  • Q: Does blocking 53/UDP make sense? A: Yes, on clients and perimeter when you provide alternatives like DoT/DoH/DoQ. It reduces leaks and unauthorized resolvers.

Summary

DNS hijacking is still out there. But armed with a VPN configured properly, DNSSEC validation, modern DoT/DoH/DoQ protocols, and solid monitoring, we don’t just reduce risk—we make attacks costly, brief, and noticeable. No magic button exists, but discipline, architecture, and practice work far better.