DNS is one of the most important – yet least understood – components of the Internet. Without DNS, everything stops. In this session, you’ll get a thorough but approachable walkthrough of how DNS actually works, why it’s so critical, and how it can be misused.

We start from the beginning – from hosts.txt to DNSSEC – with real-world incidents, technical explanations, fun facts, and deep dives for the curious. You’ll learn about zones, TTL, root servers, primary/secondary servers, caching, MX and SRV records, and why DNS tunneling is a headache for both network admins and security teams.

We’ll also cover common mistakes, classic vulnerabilities, and how to better protect your systems – including DNSSEC, split DNS, and configuration best practices.

This is the session for anyone working in IT who’s never quite dared to admit they don’t fully understand DNS. Yet.