According to a study commissioned by ICANN TLDs with extensions from internal networks could collide. The findings might affect the entire program. The new gTLDs.HOME and.CORP could possibly fly from the program. A study commissioned by ICANN to have found out that the TLDs may be problems with the domain name system could cause. On Tuesday, she released investigation classified the two TLDs as « high risk ». The study’s authors fear that the TLDs with domain extensions from internal networks could collide. ICANN recommends that applications by.HOME and.CORP that’s why for the time being to put on ice.

At the beginning of the year the security and stability Advisory Committee (SSAC) concerns, suggested that there may be conflicts with domains, which are not listed in the public DNS. Especially companies like to use these non-public TLDs for their internal networks. The SSAC according to « these private namespaces leaked » but sometimes in the public DNS, for example when old software would use or the network is configured incorrectly. Questions on these private networks could then reach the public DNS root server and thus interfere with the new TLDs. Additional problems may be caused by duplicate certificates. Many companies have issued their own certificates on their internally defined TLDs.

When a name duplication could the holder of the respective twin TLD to use these certificates. Security experts have been warning for some time that this gap could also be used for targeted attacks. In may, ICANN had given therefore commissioned a detailed study to examine the risk of name collisions. In its result, the authors distinguish three risk groups: low risk (about 80% of all applications), undetermined risk (about 20 percent of the requested TLDs) and high risk (two applications:.)HOME and.CORP). In a working paper, ICANN has formulated recommendations for each of the three risk groups. For the TLDs with low risk is how the introduction procedure wont go forward. Although with some additional security measures, but should not affect the timing of the application process. Further studies in order to be given for the group with an indeterminate risk. ICANN is hoped to better assess the possible risks by the results of this investigation. Based on the findings, the necessary measures should be made to continue with the introduction of TLDs. ICANN anticipates a duration of about three to six months for the preparation of studies. During this time the TLDs to may still not go online. The applications to.HOME and.CORP should be frozen, however, first completely. As long as the applicants can demonstrate that the use of TLDs is safe. ICANN but points out that the recommendations were only proposals and encouraged the community to engage with an online form in the solution process. What impact is still unclear, the results of the study on the new gTLD program will have. The trade portal DomainIncite compared the risk of name collisions with the Millienium bow on Tuesday afternoon and predicted that the entire new gTLD program will be delayed for months. Dominik Schleidgen, InterNetX