Identifying metadata can flow undetected at any Internet connection. DNS encryption helps and can be switched on with Fritzboxes.

(Image: Andreas Martini)

Fritzbox: How to protect your privacy while surfing Encrypt internet diary Two DoT profiles Consider things Short server test Conclusion Article in c’t 22/2020 read With FritzOS 7. 20 has found a little noticed function on current Fritzboxes: the encrypted query of domain names, DNS-over-TLS (DoT for short). That sounds like one of the many special functions for network freaks, but DoT is important for every user: When used correctly, it protects against a method of mass surveillance that secret services and some providers use, for example.

The basis is metadata that accrues incidentally with every Internet access; if you get your hands on it, you can read the surfing behavior of the user like open diaries. Some providers sell this to advertisers as surf profiles.

The context in a nutshell: Almost all Internet programs, for example web browsers, mail clients, games or messengers, address their servers using machine-readable IP addresses. But people prefer domain names that are easier to remember, such as ct.de. DNS servers (resolvers) do the conversion from names to IP addresses. Communication with the resolvers takes place largely in plain text and can therefore be easily logged. A man-in-the-middle can even manipulate the resolver’s DNS responses and lure his victim to malware-prepared servers using fake DNS entries.

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