The host running a BIND 9.x implementation must use an interface that is configured to process only DNS traffic.

Configuring hosts that run a BIND 9.X implementation to only accept DNS traffic on a DNS interface allows a system to be configured to segregate DNS traffic from all other host traffic. The TCP/IP stack in DNS hosts (stub resolver, caching/resolving/recursive name server, authoritative name server, etc.) could be subjected to packet flooding attacks (such as SYNC and smurf), resulting in disruption of communication. The use of a dedicated interface for DNS traffic allows for these threats to be mitigated by creating a means to limit what types of traffic can be processed using a host based firewall solution.