REPORTAGE: THE DNS DISASTER – Orange’s Cybersecurity Mirage: The DNS Disaster They Didn’t See Coming
When Orange fell victim to a Cyberattack, their response was swift but questionable: they parachuted in CrowdStrike, a firm with its own troubled history. Known for botched Falcon software updates and ongoing legal battles, CrowdStrike itself only secured its critical DNS records and servers in 2023—years after persistent industry warnings.
Yet, even then, their fix was flawed. Locking down top-level DNS isn’t enough—a lesson Orange, and many others, have yet to grasp.
The DNS Blind Spot: A Crisis Hiding in Plain Sight
DNS remains one of the most overlooked attack surfaces in Cybersecurity. Organisations spend millions on endpoint detection, firewalls, and threat intelligence while leaving one of the most critical elements of their digital infrastructure—DNS records—vulnerable!
Hackers know this. Exploiting DNS weaknesses allows them to:
* Hijack domains for phishing and malware distribution.
* Intercept sensitive traffic through DNS poisoning and cache manipulation.
* Manipulate brand trust by redirecting users to fraudulent sites.
Orange’s breach is just another case study in how billion-dollar Cybersecurity budgets mean nothing when fundamental gaps remain wide open.
CrowdStrike’s Own DNS Failures
CrowdStrike should understand this better than anyone. Yet, it took them years to address their own DNS security flaws. Even now, their approach reflects a widespread industry misconception that securing high-level DNS alone equates to full protection. It doesn’t.
A company’s Cybersecurity is only as strong as its weakest link—and DNS, for too many, remains the Achilles’ heel.
Throwing Money at the Problem Won’t Fix It
Orange is now deep in remediation efforts, but will they fall into the same trap as others? If they believe that partial DNS security equates to full protection, they’re merely throwing money at the problem while leaving the door wide open for attackers.
Cybersecurity isn’t about spending more—it’s about securing every link in the chain. Until companies acknowledge that DNS is a frontline defense, not an afterthought, the next breach isn’t a possibility—it’s an inevitability.
