Is it safe to email DNS records?
Summary
What email marketers say9Marketer opinions
Email marketer from InformationSecurity.StackExchange.com states that if the data being emailed is strictly DNS record data that has no passwords or keys it is low-risk, sending authentication keys would be a major risk.
Email marketer from TechForums.com says that there isn't significant risk in sending DNS records via email but advises caution. Suggests confirming the recipient and using encryption if possible.
Email marketer from Reddit believes that while DNS records are publicly available, sending them over email does slightly increase the attack surface. He suggests that while the risk is low, more secure methods of communication are preferable, especially for sensitive records.
Email marketer from Web Hosting Talk states that there's generally no harm in emailing DNS records since they are publicly accessible anyway. However, he emphasizes that you should never email credentials to access your DNS settings.
Email marketer from ServerFault.com cautions against sending DNS management credentials via email but suggests sending just the records is fine, although not ideal.
Marketer from Email Geeks explains DNS records are inherently publicly available, though sending them in clear text via email might make them easier to exploit if an attacker accesses the email. This person also goes on to say that forwarding the email wouldn’t let them use the domain for their own purposes without DNS access. Also sending DNS records via email is fine, sending DNS hosting credentials via email is NOT fine.
Email marketer from Quora responds that while the DNS information itself is public, sending records via email presents a small risk. Secure protocols are favored for important data transfers.
Email marketer from StackExchange explains that emailing DNS records poses a minimal risk as they are not sensitive data. The main concern should be the access credentials to the DNS management panel, which should never be shared via email.
Email marketer from HostingAdvice.com recommends ensuring that any email communication of DNS records doesn't include passwords or private keys. The records themselves are relatively safe, but credentials are not.
What the experts say3Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks advises to not email your DKIM private key, but anything else is public already.
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that sending DNS records via email carries some risk, especially if those records include credentials or API keys. It's better to share the DNS information through a secure channel, but if you are sending the records themselves, it is relatively safe.
Expert from Email Geeks says it's fine to email DNS records, DNS isn’t entirely public, but it’s close enough nobody puts anything sensitive in it.
What the documentation says6Technical articles
Documentation from NIST advises that while DNS data is generally public, transferring it via secure channels is always preferable. Avoid sending sensitive DNS management information via email to prevent interception.
Documentation from ICANN outlines that DNS records are designed to be publicly available and distributed. While emailing them directly doesn't introduce major risk, avoiding transmission of private keys or credentials via email is critical.
Documentation from Cloudflare outlines that while DNS records themselves are not secrets, best practices dictate avoiding transmitting sensitive information through insecure channels like email. Cloudflare recommends using secure methods to share configuration information.
Documentation from DNSSEC explains that while DNS records are public, the risk of eavesdropping is there. Sending sensitive DNS keys or login info is not safe. However, sending plain DNS records is generally ok.
Documentation from DNSimple suggests that the risk in emailing DNS records is minimal if you're only sending the record values themselves. However, transmitting credentials or API keys through email is highly discouraged due to the risk of interception.
Documentation from Microsoft explains while DNS records are generally public, it's a security risk to send credentials or any sensitive information required to manage DNS zones via email. This document refers to internal security policies around data handling.