New Google App Aims to Prevent DNS Manipulation Attack

Google's cyber unit has introduced a new app dedicated to protecting users from state-sponsored censorship.

• By Sydny Shepard
• Oct 04, 2018

Google's Alphabet owned cyber unit, Jigsaw, has revealed Intra, a new app aimed at protecting users from state-sponsored censorship. 

Intra aims to prevent DNS manipulation attacks. According to TechCrunch, whenever you visit a website, the easy-to-remember web address is converted to a less-than-memorable IP address - often over an unsecured connection. This makes it very easy for oppressive governments to intercept web address requests and either kill them in their tracks to stop sites from loading, or redirect o a fake website.

Intra says that by passing all your browsing queries and app traffic through an encrypted connection to a trusted Domain Name Server, you can get to the right site without interference. 

"Intra is dead simple to use. Just download the app and turn it on," Jigsaw said. "That's it."

Jigsaw has already seen some successes in parts of the world where internet access is restricted or monitored. The government in Venezuela reportedly used DNS manipulated to prevent citizens from accessing news sites and social networks.

The app users Google's own trusted DNS server by default, but users can also funnel their browsing requests through Cloudflare, which also hosts its own publicly accessible secure DNS server. 

Jigsaw says they will integrate the app into Android Pie, which already allows encrypted DNS connections. But Jigsaw is also making the app available for users in parts of the world with weaker economies that make upgrading from older devices near-impossible so they can benefit from the security features.