Reverse DNS Lookup

In today's Internet driven world, a good DNS lookup tool can be essential. DNS stand for domain name server. The presumed anonymity that the Internet seems to offer can encourage abuse. The ability to detect the identity of a fellow web user can go a long way in deterring some of these abuses. An IP, or Internet protocol address, is basically a series of numbers that are separated by periods. These numbers are utilized whenever a web user is trying to access a site or send an e-mail. An Internet protocol address look up is basically the ability to translate the name of a web site into these numbers. A reverse DNS lookup goes the other direction. The piece of the puzzle that is missing is not the numbers, but the name. This type of research involves translating numbers into the name of the web address. Look up services that offer the user both forward and reverse capabilities are both numerous and popular on the World Wide Web. 

When a computer user is being plagued by excessive span or a suspected hacker, the reverse DNS lookup can help to uncover the identity of the possible offender. These domain names operate on a server and have directories that connect the number with the name. Domain name registries and registrar tables are the sources that enable search services to accomplish these traces. Some lookup services are better than others, but the user can generally find the information that they are looking for, however, it is not uncommon for malicious users to find loopholes that complicate things. There are, of course, many web visitors and e-mail sources that are completely innocent of trying to cause harm to another person's system. These individuals are usually very easy to trace since they are not trying to hide in the first place. Those with malicious intent, such as spammers and hackers, will often go to great lengths to hide their identities and consequently can be a little more difficult to trace for even the best DNS lookup tool. The various disguises that are available for such offenders could include the use of anonymous proxies that hide genuine Internet protocol addresses. Hackers and spammers are skilled at keeping their IP addresses concealed. The Bible talks about the names of the saints that are written down in the book of life. "He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels." (Revelation 3:5)

While the accuracy of a domain name that has been ascertained through a DNS lookup tool can and should sometimes be taken a grain of salt, it may still yield enough information that will allow the user to move forward. The way to determine the name of the particular individual behind a domain name is through something called the Whois database. ICANN, or the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, requires that information about the group or individual who registers a particular domain name be available in the Whois database. Clever offenders may be able to find a way around this and still conceal their identities. But if the search for this information is successful, contact with the individual or group should be possible. The intent behind the Whois database is to make a reverse DNS lookup, or any kind of domain name or Internet protocol tracing, both possible and fruitful. While there may be a variety of reasons that a computer user would need to uncover the domain name of a specific Internet protocol address, system security is certainly one of the motivations. A major benefit of the Whois database is that it can help prevent malicious users from remaining anonymous. 

In short, a forward look up involves inquiring about a domain name such as "whoareyou.com." The successful end results of such a search would yield a series of numbers that make up the Internet protocol address. A reverse lookup would begin with an Internet protocol address and hopefully end with the correct domain name, or something like "thereyoouare.com." Other types of searches might include the MX record look up which starts with a domain name and yields the IP address that is attached to the e-mail associated with that domain. A domain name server record look up begins with a domain name and uncovers all of the records that belong to that name. 

Since spamming, hacking, and malicious e-mails have become a major problem for Internet users, the DNS lookup tool has become extremely essential. A benefit of this tool has been in the development of anti spam filters and software. By looking at the domain name, this software can often identify and block the most likely sources of spam material. Lists of domain names that can be identified as safe can also help to block many sources of spamming or phishing attacks. A downside to spam filters is that they are not fool proof. It is possible for even the best anti spam or anti phishing software to occasionally block a perfectly safe e-mail. For this reason, many systems will quarantine a suspicious e-mail in a junk e-mail file. The computer owner can check out the source of this suspicious e-mail and opt to delete it if the computer owner is not familiar with or does not trust the source. All in all, the reverse DNS lookup performs a very important function for computer users who are concerned about the security of their system.