Strengthening Organizational Cyber Defense: A Narrative Review of DNS Security Integration within the CIS Controls Framework
Noah K. Bamfo, Christian Avornu, Abigail Nanayaa Otchill · International Journal of Innovative Research in Computer and Communication Engineering · 2025
As cyber threats increasingly exploit weaknesses in foundational internet protocols, the Domain Name System (DNS) has emerged as both a critical enabler of connectivity and a frequent target for adversaries. This narrative review explores the strategic integration of DNS-layer security within the Center for Internet Security (CIS) Critical Security Controls (v8), assessing how DNS protections can enhance organizational cyber defense. Drawing on academic literature, industry reports, and best practices, the review thematically analyzes the relevance of DNS security to selected CIS Controls, highlighting its role in early threat detection, data protection, network visibility, and incident response. While DNS security offers significant benefits—such as cost-effectiveness, policy enforcement, and compliance support—the review also identifies key challenges including encrypted DNS visibility, integration complexity, performance concerns, and skills gaps. Future directions emphasize the need for automation, privacypreserving inspection, identity-aware DNS policies, and broader adoption of secure DNS practices. Ultimately, this review underscores that integrating DNS-layer protections into existing security frameworks is a practical and scalable approach to strengthening cyber resilience in a rapidly evolving threat landscape.