We have not issued an all-clear. The domain name system is name resolution software that lets users find computers on the Internet by name rather than a number. Microsoft's site domains failed to call their corresponding Web pages starting Tuesday night, and continuing sporadically across the Web through Wednesday afternoon. Microsoft contends the problem is a temporary DNS issue and not a security breach. But investigating the domain trail through a Whois request produces some interesting results.
Security experts say it's possible, but evidence is scant.
Graffiti, Not Vandalism Domain names alone wouldn't cause the sites' blackout, says Martin Fong, a senior software engineer at research institute SRI International . This is not DNS poisoning but just junk in the DNS record. When you type in a domain name, the name calls up the IP address with which it's associated, Fong explains. If it can't find the address, the site won't appear on your screen. But changing the domain name won't alter the IP address, he says.