Alphabet’s Jigsaw has announced a new app called Intra. The app, which is now available for Android devices, helps protect people from DNS manipulation which might otherwise prevent them from accessing certain websites, social media platforms, or messaging apps.
Due to the political nature of Jigsaw, the firm has decided to pitch Intra as a defensive tool against “repressive governments” that may seek to stifle to flow of information during turbulent, or peaceful, times.
Discussing DNS and its flaws, Jigsaw said:
“The Domain Name System is like the phone book of the internet: it’s how computers know what servers are connected to certain domains. But the connection between your computer and the Domain Name System is usually unencrypted, meaning people can intercept that traffic and manipulate it. Intra works by encrypting your connection to the Domain Name System, so no one can manipulate it or see what websites you’re trying to visit.”
For those running Android Pie, DNS protection is switched on by default meaning those users get the same protection that Intra offers out of the box, but, as we know all too well, many people will be stuck on older versions of Android for years to come, for those people, Intra is able to offer them more DNS protection.
To use the app just download it from the Play Store and switch it on, that’s all you need to do to get started and gain the additional security. Out of the box, Intra is set to use Google’s public DNS but this can be changed to one of your liking.
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