Nominet planning more secure .uk domain

 

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By Stewart Mitchell

Posted on 1 Oct 2012 at 10:06

Nominet is proposing a new, shorter .uk domain with features designed to improve security and consumer confidence.

According to the UK's domain name registrar, the plans include tools to block sites infected with malware and the new addresses will only be available to companies with a verified UK presence.

The requirement for a verified UK presence could have significance for online shopper protection, while the registrar also said the .uk registered companies would be monitored for malware activity.

"The proposed new service is aimed at businesses and would potentially offer shorter domain names registered at the second level (www.yourbusiness.uk) as well as one of the most comprehensive package of security features available," Nominet said, adding that the proposals had the "potential to reduce the risk of fraud and cyber crime, while reassuring consumers that a business had a verified UK presence".

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

Nominet said it would include "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 failed to take action to rectify those issues, Nominet said.

The initial proposal, open to consultation until 7 January, suggests companies with existing .uk domains - .co.uk or org.uk, for example – would get first dibs on their domains.

"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," said Lesley Cowley, CEO of Nominet.

We're still waiting to hear back from Nominet with more details, but according to the BBC, the .uk addresses would be significantly more expensive than existing offerings – with wholesale prices at £20 a year compared to £5 for two years.

Local companies

Nominet's research showed that four out of five UK consumers prefer to buy goods from a .co.uk site, but there is currently no requirement for companies with a .co.uk address to have any presence in the UK.

The current proposals suggest companies would be sent a PIN code via the post to a UK address as part of the registration process, in order to prove their local connections. Only when the code is entered would the application be completed.