Why does DNS Matter?
• VeeShield™ – Managed DNS-layer security platform for schools, SMBs and public sector.
DNS stands for Domain Name System.
Think of DNS as the Internet's phone book. Humans prefer names like:
www.microsoft.com
www.google.com
www.amazon.com
But computers communicate using IP addresses such as:
20.112.52.29
142.250.190.14
DNS translates the website name you type into your browser into the IP address needed to locate that server.
How DNS works
You enter www.microsoft.com in your browser.
Your computer asks a DNS server: "What is the IP address for this domain?"
The DNS server looks up the answer.
The IP address is returned.
Your browser connects to the website.
Common DNS Record Types
Record PurposeA Maps a domain name to an IPv4 address
AAAA Maps a domain name to an IPv6 address
CNAME Creates an alias to another hostname
MX Directs email to mail servers
TXT Stores verification and security information
NS Identifies the authoritative name servers
Example
If you type:
www.veemost.com
DNS might return an IP address such as:
192.0.2.123 (example only)
Your browser then connects to that IP address to load the site.
Why DNS Matters
Makes websites easy to remember.
Enables email delivery.
Supports load balancing and redundancy.
Plays a major role in cybersecurity (DNS filtering, DNSSEC, anti-phishing).
A simple analogy: if the Internet were a giant city, DNS would be the directory assistance service that tells you the address of every business before you drive there.
Now add AccessIQ ...
• AccessIQ – Identity & Access Intelligence Platform integrating with Cisco ISE.
In an AccessIQ + Cisco ISE deployment, DNS is one of the key infrastructure services that allows identity and access decisions to work correctly.
Here's how they fit together:
Cisco ISE's Role
Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) acts as the network access control (NAC) platform. It determines:
Who the user is
What device they are using
Whether the device is compliant
What network resources they may access
Examples:
Employee laptop ~ Full corporate access
Contractor device ~ Limited VLAN
Unknown device ~ Guest network
AccessIQ's Role
An Identity & Access Intelligence Platform such as AccessIQ typically sits above or alongside ISE and provides:
Identity correlation
Risk analysis
Visibility into users, devices, and applications
Access governance
Automated policy recommendations
Security intelligence and reporting
Instead of only answering "Can this device connect?", AccessIQ helps answer:
"Who actually owns this device?"
"Should this user still have access?"
"Is this behavior normal?"
"What applications is this user trying to reach?"
Where DNS Comes Into Play
1. Device Discovery
When a new endpoint connects:
Device receives an IP address via DHCP.
DNS records identify hostnames.
ISE and AccessIQ use hostname information to classify devices.
Example:
IP: 10.1.25.44
Hostname: ALAN-LAPTOP
DNS helps map the IP to a recognizable endpoint.
2. Policy Decisions
AccessIQ can use DNS-related information to determine what resources a user is attempting to access.
Example:
User attempts:
salesforce.com
office.com
github.com
AccessIQ can correlate these DNS requests with:
User identity
Device identity
Location
Security posture
to generate risk scores or policy actions.
3. Security Analytics
Many modern identity analytics platforms examine DNS traffic because it often reveals:
Malware command-and-control activity
Data exfiltration attempts
Shadow IT usage
Phishing domains
Example:
Normal:
teams.microsoft.com
Suspicious:
x7k2a9f-malicious-domain.net
AccessIQ can alert ISE or security systems when anomalous DNS behavior is detected.
4. Dynamic Access Control
AccessIQ may identify risky behavior from DNS activity and trigger Cisco ISE actions such as:
Move endpoint to a quarantine VLAN
Force re-authentication
Restrict network access
Require multifactor authentication
Flow:
Plain Text
# User Logs In
# Cisco ISE Authenticates
# AccessIQ Analyzes Identity
# DNS Activity Monitored
# Risk Assessment
# Cisco ISE Adjusts Network Access
5. Asset Visibility
Many devices appear only as IP addresses initially.
DNS helps AccessIQ build context:
# Plain Text
10.20.30.15
# dns lookup
# hvac-controller-01.company.com
Now the platform knows it's potentially an IoT or building-management device and can apply appropriate access policies.
A Real-World Example
Suppose an employee authenticates through Cisco ISE:
Employee's laptop connects to Wi-Fi.
ISE validates user credentials via Active Directory/Azure AD.
AccessIQ correlates:
User account
Device certificate
DNS activity
Historical behavior
The user starts resolving unusual foreign domains.
AccessIQ flags elevated risk.
Cisco ISE automatically places the device in a restricted VLAN.
Without DNS visibility, AccessIQ would know who the user is but would have less understanding of what they're actually trying to access.
In One Sentence
Cisco ISE controls network access, AccessIQ provides identity intelligence and risk analytics, and DNS supplies critical context about the devices and destinations involved, enabling smarter access decisions and stronger security
• VeeShield™ – Managed DNS-layer security platform for schools, SMBs and public sector.
DNS stands for Domain Name System.
Think of DNS as the Internet's phone book. Humans prefer names like:
www.microsoft.com
www.google.com
www.amazon.com
But computers communicate using IP addresses such as:
20.112.52.29
142.250.190.14
DNS translates the website name you type into your browser into the IP address needed to locate that server.
How DNS works
You enter www.microsoft.com in your browser.
Your computer asks a DNS server: "What is the IP address for this domain?"
The DNS server looks up the answer.
The IP address is returned.
Your browser connects to the website.
Common DNS Record Types
Record PurposeA Maps a domain name to an IPv4 address
AAAA Maps a domain name to an IPv6 address
CNAME Creates an alias to another hostname
MX Directs email to mail servers
TXT Stores verification and security information
NS Identifies the authoritative name servers
Example
If you type:
www.veemost.com
DNS might return an IP address such as:
192.0.2.123 (example only)
Your browser then connects to that IP address to load the site.
Why DNS Matters
Makes websites easy to remember.
Enables email delivery.
Supports load balancing and redundancy.
Plays a major role in cybersecurity (DNS filtering, DNSSEC, anti-phishing).
A simple analogy: if the Internet were a giant city, DNS would be the directory assistance service that tells you the address of every business before you drive there.
Now add AccessIQ ...
• AccessIQ – Identity & Access Intelligence Platform integrating with Cisco ISE.
In an AccessIQ + Cisco ISE deployment, DNS is one of the key infrastructure services that allows identity and access decisions to work correctly.
Here's how they fit together:
Cisco ISE's Role
Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) acts as the network access control (NAC) platform. It determines:
Who the user is
What device they are using
Whether the device is compliant
What network resources they may access
Examples:
Employee laptop ~ Full corporate access
Contractor device ~ Limited VLAN
Unknown device ~ Guest network
AccessIQ's Role
An Identity & Access Intelligence Platform such as AccessIQ typically sits above or alongside ISE and provides:
Identity correlation
Risk analysis
Visibility into users, devices, and applications
Access governance
Automated policy recommendations
Security intelligence and reporting
Instead of only answering "Can this device connect?", AccessIQ helps answer:
"Who actually owns this device?"
"Should this user still have access?"
"Is this behavior normal?"
"What applications is this user trying to reach?"
Where DNS Comes Into Play
1. Device Discovery
When a new endpoint connects:
Device receives an IP address via DHCP.
DNS records identify hostnames.
ISE and AccessIQ use hostname information to classify devices.
Example:
IP: 10.1.25.44
Hostname: ALAN-LAPTOP
DNS helps map the IP to a recognizable endpoint.
2. Policy Decisions
AccessIQ can use DNS-related information to determine what resources a user is attempting to access.
Example:
User attempts:
salesforce.com
office.com
github.com
AccessIQ can correlate these DNS requests with:
User identity
Device identity
Location
Security posture
to generate risk scores or policy actions.
3. Security Analytics
Many modern identity analytics platforms examine DNS traffic because it often reveals:
Malware command-and-control activity
Data exfiltration attempts
Shadow IT usage
Phishing domains
Example:
Normal:
teams.microsoft.com
Suspicious:
x7k2a9f-malicious-domain.net
AccessIQ can alert ISE or security systems when anomalous DNS behavior is detected.
4. Dynamic Access Control
AccessIQ may identify risky behavior from DNS activity and trigger Cisco ISE actions such as:
Move endpoint to a quarantine VLAN
Force re-authentication
Restrict network access
Require multifactor authentication
Flow:
Plain Text
# User Logs In
# Cisco ISE Authenticates
# AccessIQ Analyzes Identity
# DNS Activity Monitored
# Risk Assessment
# Cisco ISE Adjusts Network Access
5. Asset Visibility
Many devices appear only as IP addresses initially.
DNS helps AccessIQ build context:
# Plain Text
10.20.30.15
# dns lookup
# hvac-controller-01.company.com
Now the platform knows it's potentially an IoT or building-management device and can apply appropriate access policies.
A Real-World Example
Suppose an employee authenticates through Cisco ISE:
Employee's laptop connects to Wi-Fi.
ISE validates user credentials via Active Directory/Azure AD.
AccessIQ correlates:
User account
Device certificate
DNS activity
Historical behavior
The user starts resolving unusual foreign domains.
AccessIQ flags elevated risk.
Cisco ISE automatically places the device in a restricted VLAN.
Without DNS visibility, AccessIQ would know who the user is but would have less understanding of what they're actually trying to access.
In One Sentence
Cisco ISE controls network access, AccessIQ provides identity intelligence and risk analytics, and DNS supplies critical context about the devices and destinations involved, enabling smarter access decisions and stronger security
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