By Ihab Shraim, CTO, CSC Digital Brand Services

From surges in AI-generated malware and phishing scams to the rise of supply chain attacks on third party vendors, organizations are gearing up for the new year by analyzing what internal and external threats they will need to prepare for and adapt to.

Here are my top predictions for how security teams will shift their strategies in 2025 to better protect their digital ecosystems from more advanced threats to domains and Domain Name Systems (DNSs).

Zero-Trust Models (ZTM) & DNS

As organizations adopt zero-trust security models, more will include continuous verification of DNS requests and queries. This reduces the risk of malicious bad actors bypassing traditional network perimeters and gaining access to critical infrastructure.

With hybrid work environments and growing cyberattacks on corporate exposed attack surfaces, ZTM will dominate enterprise security programs. Moreover, there will be stronger emphasis on the continuous authentication and stricter access control of various corporate networks in managed data centers and cloud environments.

Attack Surface Management (ASM) & Domain Portfolio Management

Organizations will expand their focus on attack surface management to protect their online presence (i.e. their global portfolio of domain names and brands online) by using AI and many other vulnerability assessment and penetration testing tools to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities across all assets exposed to the Internet. This approach ensures comprehensive visibility and protection for hybrid and multi-cloud environments.

Quantum-Resistant Algorithms related to Domain Names Management & DNS

As quantum computing keeps evolving, traditional encryption methods used in DNS will be vulnerable and risky. To address this, there will be a shift toward quantum-resistant algorithms to secure DNS queries and prevent future exploits of the imminent threats of quantum computing capabilities. Therefore, a shift towards post-quantum cryptography (PQC) to future-proof critical online infrastructure, including global domain name portfolios, will begin related daily domain management operations and securing DNS queries.

Attack Surface Management (ASM) & AI-Driven DNS Security

Organizations will expand their focus on attack surface management by using AI-Driven technologies to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities across all assets such as DNS. With the rise of AI and machine learning, DNS security will become increasingly automated. AI will help identify and mitigate cyberattacks such as DNS tunneling or DDoS attacks by analyzing large amounts of data to predict vulnerabilities. This will enhance real-time defense mechanisms against sophisticated targeted cyber threats.

Increasing sophistication in cyberattacks will drive the adoption of more robust DNS security protocols like DNS over HTTPS (DoH) and DNS over TLS (DoT) to safeguard domain data privacy and prevent man-in-the-middle attacks. As privacy regulations like GDPR evolve, DNS privacy will be a critical aspect of securing user data.

Government Regulations & DNS Compliance

Governments worldwide are expected to introduce stricter regulations regarding DNS security, requiring stronger measures to ensure the resilience and privacy of DNS infrastructure. These regulations may include mandatory encryption and monitoring to prevent cyberattacks.

Global privacy laws and frameworks like the EU Cyber Resilience Act and the NIS2 directive will push to adopt stricter cybersecurity and data protection measures, with strong penalties for non-compliance.

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