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Security and Stability Advisory Committee (SSAC)

The SSAC is a volunteer group of specialists in the technical security field that provides advice and insight to the ICANN community and the Board.

SAC123 | Executive Summary for SSAC Report on the Evolution of Internet Name Resolution

[PDF, 439.88 KB]

This report highlights the growing complexity and ambiguity in name resolution due to the emergence of alternative naming systems that use DNS-like syntax but operate outside the traditional DNS infrastructure.

Main Takeaways

  • Ambiguity in Name Resolution: Alternative naming systems, such as Ethereum Name Service and Tor’s .onion, can lead to situations where the same name exists in both the DNS and an alternative system, causing potential name collisions. This ambiguity can create fractured user experience with resolution - which can undermine the trust users place in Internet identifiers.
  • Reduced Visibility of Domain Names: Technologies like QR codes and URL shorteners obscure domain names from end-users, making it harder for users to verify the authenticity of the services they access.
  • Referential Integrity: The report emphasizes the importance of referential integrity—the principle that a domain name should consistently resolve to the same resource. The proliferation of alternative naming systems threatens this consistency.

Recommendations

  • Recommendation 1: ICANN should continue monitoring developments in alternative naming systems and provide regular updates to the community. Additionally, efforts should be made to facilitate coordination among different naming systems to preserve the stability and security of the global namespace.