DNS4EU, an EU-based DNS resolution service

Summary

DNS4EU, an EU-based DNS resolution service created to strengthen European Union’s digital sovereignty, has become reality. What is DNS? The Domain Name System (DNS) “translates” human-readable domain names into IP addresses and back, and is essential for accessing websites. Most users use DNS resolver services provided by their internet service provider (because they are automatically configured) or a public DNS provider like Google or Cloudflare. DNS4EU is meant to be a resilient, fast, reliable, secure, privacy-friendly and EU-based alternative for those. The goal of DNS4EU DNS4EU is an initiative co-funded by the European Union and supported by the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA), though the service is expected to be commercialised, “since it has to be sustainable without operational costs from the EU after 2025.” It is developed and managed by a consortium of private cybersecurity companies, CERTs, and academic institutions from 10 European Union countries, with Czech cybersecurity company Whalebone as its leader. “The DNS4EU initiative aligns with the EU’s strategic goal of enhancing its digital autonomy by providing an alternative to the existing public DNS services provided by non-european entities,” says the group. While DNS4EU is meant to be used by citizens, private and public sector organizations, and government institutions in the EU, its use is voluntary and has not been created to be a tool of censorship. “The EU will not have access to configuration, data, etc. On top of that, DNS4EU will not be forced on anyone. It will merely abide to local regulations required of internet service provider,” the consortium explained. DNS4EU for individuals and entities DNS4EU provides a public and free DNS resolver for end users, who can choose one of 5 options that combine various protections. Users can choose the “unfiltered resolution” option, but also decide they want the service to block access to known malicious and fraudulent websites and/or t...