On March 4, a traditional TechDay unfolded as part of the 79th ICANN meeting in San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico, where participants delved into the technical intricacies of domain name registries and exchanged the latest news.
The technical workshop was moderated by Dr. Eberhard Lisse, Head of the ccNSO Technical Working Group and Managing Director of Namibian Network Information Center, responsible for Namibia’s .NA top-level domain registry.
Throughout the four segments of the technical seminar, participants discussed the implementation of DNS infrastructure, new services, challenges in deploying and utilizing uniform electronic identifiers, opportunities for expertise sharing, and more. The seminar participants paid special attention to methods for measuring DNS Abuse, as well as introducing new ICANN projects, including ICANN Registry System Testing 2.0, designed to supersede the Pre-Delegation Testing service, and the Domain Metrica project, an evolution of the DAAR project.
The participants in the seminar addressing DNSSEC and security focused on topics related to digital trust, encompassing both the technical and the human aspects. Discussions also covered strategies to combat online misinformation, the ecosystem of trusted registries, and their potential role in countering various types of internet fraud. Furthermore, the seminar delved into issues regarding the connectivity between the conventional hierarchical domain name system (DNS) and the decentralized name system, known as BNS (blockchain name system). Participants explored the potential dependencies between these two namespaces and deliberated on whether they can coexist independently or be interconnected. Additionally, the discussions considered the technical conflicts and challenges that might arise from the parallel coexistence of these systems.
The seminar concluded with a presentation by Barry Leiba, a member of the newly appointed Leadership Team of ICANN’s Security and Stability Advisory Committee (SSAC). Leiba provided an overview of SSAC Report No. 123, dedicated to the evolution of domain name resolution in the internet space. Developed in the 1980s, the classic hierarchical DNS system suffers from certain limitations when it comes to developing decentralized alternatives in today’s world. The report emphasized the impact of decentralized addressing systems on trust and security across the global network. Leiba underscored the committee’s key recommendations to the ICANN board, emphasizing the ongoing need to monitor emerging alternative protocols utilizing the domain name space and efforts to mitigate the impact and reduce risks inherent in the coexistence of multiple namespaces and protocols.
ICANN 79 also featured sessions on the universal acceptance of domain names and email addresses, delving into the activities of the Universal Acceptance Steering Group (UASG). The announcement of the upcoming Global Day of Universal Acceptance on March 28 in Belgrade, Serbia, was made during these sessions. Notably, 133 applications from 65 countries were submitted for the event venue; 56 venues from over 50 countries made it to the short list: 51 national events and 5 regional events. As announced earlier, the Global Day of Universal Acceptance in Serbia will receive support from the Regional Coordination Group for Universal Acceptance of the CIS and Eastern Europe. Registration for the event is now open.
With the conclusion of the 79th ICANN conference, a comprehensive conference review will be released this week. Stay tuned for more detailed insights into the sessions by following our publications.
