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## PowerDNS DNSdist Defender

### Advanced DNS Security. Simplified.

Add a powerful, intelligent security layer to your DNS infrastructure. Built on top of [DNSdist](https://www.powerdns.com/powerdns-dnsdist?hsLang=en), Defender extends its capabilities with advanced threat detection, simplified configuration, and enterprise-ready features – turning your DNS into a fully functional DNS firewall.

[Let's Discuss](https://www.powerdns.com/contact-us?hsLang=en)

![DNSdist Defender](https://www.powerdns.com/hubfs/PowerDNS/images/DNSdist%20Defender.jpg)

DEFEND

BLOCK MALICIOUS DNS ACTIVITY INSTANTLY

**Protect Your Network from DNS Threats**

DNSdist Defender is designed to detect and mitigate sophisticated DNS-based attacks.

By analyzing DNS traffic patterns and automatically applying mitigation policies, Defender ensures your infrastructure stays secure without manual intervention.

Protection against **DNS tunneling and data exfiltration**

Mitigation of **pseudo-random subdomain (PRSD) attacks**

Defense against **DDoS, reflection, and amplification attacks**

Blocking of **command-and-control (C2) communication attempts**

SIMPLIFY

REPLACE COMPLEX DNS FILTERING WITH EASE

**Replacing Complexity with Simplicity**

Traditional DNS filtering in DNSdist often requires deep expertise in Lua and DNS internals. DNSdist Defender removes that complexity by providing a simple yet powerful YAML-based configuration, along with predefined and continuously updated security rules. An intuitive API layer built on top of DNSdist’s Lua capabilities further simplifies implementation, while seamless integration ensures compatibility with existing environments. This enables you to implement advanced DNS filtering and protection without the need for specialized scripting knowledge.

![police man 02-1](https://www.powerdns.com/hubfs/police%20man%2002-1.png)

RESPOND

STOP THREATS INSTANTLY

**Automated Threat Detection & Mitigation**

DNSdist Defender continuously monitors traffic and responds instantly to anomalies by leveraging dynamic rule generation based on real-time traffic behavior. It automatically blocks, rate-limits, or logs malicious queries, while a flexible policy engine supports a wide range of protocols, subnets, and actions. Dynamic blocks triggered by an attack are synchronized across all DNSdist instances, significantly reducing the impact on the load of both DNSdist and Authoritative Servers. All rules are executed with high performance and minimal impact on latency, ensuring efficient and reliable protection.

DISTRIBUTE

SHARE SECURITY STATE ACROSS ALL INSTANCES

**Extend DNSdist with Enterprise-Grade Security**

Designed for modern, distributed infrastructures, DNSdist Defender delivers features that enhance scalability and security. It supports Session Ticket Encryption Key Sharing (STEK), which enables the secure distribution of STEK keys across multiple servers. This makes TLS session resumption significantly more efficient in large infrastructures spanning multiple servers or data centers. To enable this, DNSdist Defender uses NATS, an open-source messaging technology, for distributed communication.

Curious to learn more? Want to dive deeper into PowerDNS DNSdist Defender? Check out the product sheet and our documentation for more details.

[Documentation](https://doc.powerdns.com/defender/latest/index.html)

[Product Sheet](https://www.powerdns.com/hubfs/pdf/product_sheets/PowerDNS_DNSdist_Defender.pdf?hsLang=en)

**DNSdist Defender Key Benefits** at a Glance

Enhances security with advanced DNS threat protection

Reduces complexity through simplified configuration and automation

Responds faster through real-time detection and mitigation

Scales efficiently across distributed environments

Provides further control with flexible policies and APIs

Interested in learning more about DNSdist Defender or receiving a quote?

[Contact Us](https://www.powerdns.com/contact-us?hsLang=en)