DNSSEC on Shared Hosting: Is the Extra Load Worth It?

Have you enabled some security feature and thought "Is this really doing something?" I remember the first time I started using DNSSEC as an add-on for my shared hosting plan. If you are not entirely sure if DNSSEC is really worth using, don't feel alone.... you aren't the only one thinking this way.

What Does DNSSEC Do?​

DNSSEC literally adds a digital signature to your DNS records. This means that users can verify that the DNS information that they are receiving is legit and has not been modified by some kind of hacker. Sounds good? In theory, yes, but with shared hosting, the implementations haven't gone unnoticed.

I still can picture enabling DNSSEC on a cheap shared hosting plan, and thinking "Is this actually providing additional security for my website or is it simply a just harebrained feature that takes time?"

Why DNSSEC Can Be Valuable​

However, there are some solid benefits to DNSSEC, particularly if your shared hosting provider has handled the entire process well.

Benefits:

• Better protection against false DNS responses
• More trust for users of your website
• Additional security on login and payment pages

Have you ever thought someone could hijack your domain? DNSSEC helps lower the chance of that happening.

Overhead: The Scary Part​

This is where it gets tricky. Shared hosting already has limited resources so additional DNS overhead can be a small issue.

Possible Issues

• DNS is more complicated to manage.
• Responses are a bit larger which can slow things down a little.
• A small error in settings could break your domain.

I once let an error on a DNSSEC record and couldn’t receive emails for a while. Not fun. So... is DNSSEC worth it?

Honestly, it depends on your host and your website.

DNSSEC makes sense if:

• Your host conveniently and automatically provides DNSSEC
• Your website has any sort of sensitive or important data
• You want the best DNS security available

DNSSEC might not make sense if:

• You move domains or hosts frequently
• You have a difficult provider to set up DNSSEC
• You want your hosting to be simple, easy, and low maintenance

In Short

• Business or login sites? Worth it.
• Simple blogs? Probably not necessary.
• Stores or membership sites? Frequently a good idea.