DANEenabled

DANEenabled is a designation used to describe the capability of a computer system, application, or network service to perform DNS-based Authentication of Named Entities (DANE) validation for Transport Layer Security (TLS) connections. When enabled, clients rely on DNSSEC-protected TLSA records to verify or constrain the server's presented certificate, rather than relying solely on traditional certificate authorities.

How it works: For a given domain and service (for example, https or mail.example.com via TLS), the client queries DNS for TLSA records associated with the service. The DNS responses must be signed and validated via DNSSEC to be trusted. The TLSA data specify how to match the server's certificate (selector and matching type) and how to relate that certificate to the trust framework (usage). If the TLSA data validate, the TLS handshake proceeds according to the DANE-defined binding; otherwise the connection may be rejected or subject to policy.

Adoption and use cases: DANE is most widely associated with mail servers using STARTTLS to ensure end-to-end protection. Web browsers and general HTTPS clients have more limited support. DANEenabled deployments require DNSSEC-enabled resolvers and correctly published TLSA records. Many operators use DANEenabled alongside traditional PKI to add an extra layer of verification or to enforce TLS across untrusted networks.

Considerations: Implementing DANEenabled creates dependency on DNSSEC deployment and correct DNS records. It can improve security when issues with certificate authorities arise, but misconfigurations can lead to TLS failures. Privacy can be affected, as DNS queries may reveal domain names to resolvers; operational complexity and key management are additional factors.

See also: DNSSEC, TLSA, DANE, Transport Layer Security, DNS-based Authentication of Named Entities.