The Domain Name System (DNS) is central to the proper functioning of all IP based communications both across the internet and within business networks. DNS returns an IP address for a network resource when given a domain name, making it more convenient for users to access internet resources. For instance, users type www.google.com into their browser address bar rather than typing in an IP address such as 216.239.59.147.

On July 8 2008 details of a serious new DNS vulnerability were published and a security advisory was issued by the Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT). This new vulnerability, known as “DNS cache poisoning”, is extremely serious and can compromise basic business internet services such as e-mail or web-based applications.