Nominet has launched a consultation on the introduction of a new service. The proposed new service is aimed at businesses and would potentially offer shorter domain names registered at the second level, as well as one of a package of security features. The new service would sit alongside the existing .uk portfolio, including .co.uk which already has more than 10 million domains registered.
Nominet states that the proposals have the potential to reduce the risk of fraud and cybercrime, while reassuring consumers that a business had a verified UK presence and reinforcing the overall security and stability of the .uk domain name space.
Proposed features of the new service, and areas of focus for the consultation, include:
· Enhanced security capabilities, including routine monitoring and notification to registrants of viruses and malware, as well as a digital signature known as DNSSEC which minimises the risks of a domain name being hijacked. Under the proposals, domain names affected by malware would be suspended if registrants fail to take action to rectify those issues.
· A verified UK presence requirement for registrants in order to be eligible for the new domains.
· A staged release process for the domains, with registered rights holders’ applications considered in the first phase, then unregistered rights holders. All those using existing .co.uk, .org.uk etc domain names would be granted unregistered rights under the proposed plans.
· The new domains would potentially be sold via registrars that can meet the required data quality and service levels.
The consultation will remain open until 7 January 2013. You can view the proposals and respond to the consultation either by completing an online form at www.nominet.org.uk/go/directuk or by downloading the consultation and e-mailing your comments to direct@nominet.org.uk
Lesley Cowley, CEO of Nominet, said:
‘With the UK internet economy estimated to be worth £121 billion and increasing, the matters of security, ease of use, and choice are becoming ever more important. This new secure domain space would boost the growth of the UK internet economy. We are aware that it represents a significant change to the landscape of the.uk internet and we are committed to taking all points of view on board.’
