What is DNSSEC and does my .com.au need it?

DNSSEC (Domain Name System Security Extensions) adds cryptographic signatures to your domain’s DNS records, so the answers that direct customers to your website and email can be verified rather than taken on trust:

• Without it - anyone positioned to tamper with DNS answers - a poisoned resolver, a hostile network - can quietly redirect your visitors and mail to servers they control, while the browser still shows your domain name.
• For a .com.au - auDA signs the .au zone itself, so the chain of trust already reaches your domain; enabling DNSSEC signs the final link.
• Adoption is rare - 98% of Australian small business domains do not enable DNSSEC^* - mostly because it is off by default everywhere and nothing visibly breaks without it.

If your registrar includes DNSSEC free, turning it on is minutes of work; if they charge for it, weigh the provider before paying for the feature.