[council] SSAC Report on Dotless Domains - Public Comment Period Open

[Glen de Saint Géry <Glen@xxxxxxxxx>]

https://www.icann.org/en/news/public-comment/sac053-dotless-domains-24aug12-en.htm
SSAC Report on Dotless Domains
Comment/Reply Periods (*)

Important Information Links

Comment Open:

24 August 2012

Comment Close:

23 September 2012

Close Time (UTC):

23:59 UTC

Public Comment 
Announcement<https://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-24aug12-en.htm>

Reply Open:

24 September 2012

To Submit Your Comments (Forum)<mailto:sac053-dotless-domains@xxxxxxxxx>

Reply Close:

14 October 2012

View Comments Submitted<http://forum.icann.org/lists/sac053-dotless-domains/>

Close Time (UTC):

23:59 UTC

Report of Public Comments

Brief Overview

Originating Organization:

ICANN

Categories/Tags:


 *   Top-level Domains
 *   Security / Stability

Purpose (Brief):

This purpose of this public comment period is to bring to your attention of the 
SSAC's report on dotless 
domain<https://www.icann.org/en/groups/ssac/documents/sac-053-en.pdf> [PDF, 183 
KB] and to solicit your input on ICANN's implementation of the recommendations 
in this report.

Current Status:

Open for public comment

Next Steps:

Comments will be collected and incorporated into a briefing paper for the ICANN 
board.

Staff Contact:

Kurt Pritz

Email:

kurt.pritz@xxxxxxxxx<mailto:kurt.pritz@xxxxxxxxx?subject=More%20information%20on%20the%20SSAC%20Report%20on%20Dotless%20Domains%20public%20comment%20period>

Detailed Information

Section I: Description, Explanation, and Purpose


Dotless domains are domains that consist of a single label (e.g. 
http://example<http://example/> as opposed to example.tld or mail@example as 
opposed to mail@xxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:mail@xxxxxxxxxxx>) and there is an A/AAAA or 
MX records in the APEX of a TLD zone.

On 23 February 2012, the ICANN Security and Stability Advisory Committee (SSAC) 
published SAC 053: SSAC Report on Dotless 
Domains<https://www.icann.org/en/groups/ssac/documents/sac-053-en.pdf> [PDF, 
183 KB]. In this report, the SSAC stated that dotless domains would not be 
universally reachable and the SSAC recommended strongly against their use. As a 
result, the SSAC recommended that the use of DNS resource records such as A, 
AAAA, and MX in the apex of a Top-Level Domain (TLD) should be contractually 
prohibited where appropriate, and strongly discouraged in all cases.

On 23 June 2012, the ICANN Board adopted a 
resolution<https://www.icann.org/en/groups/board/documents/resolutions-23jun12-en.htm#1.3>
 tasking ICANN to consult with the relevant communities regarding 
implementation of the recommendations in SAC053.

Section 2.2.3.3 of the Applicant Guidebook essentially prohibits the use of 
dotless domains, stating that the only permissible DNS Resource Records for the 
apex in a TLD zone (i.e., the TLD-string itself) are: SOA, NS, and related 
DNSSEC records. The same section also states, "An applicant wishing to place 
any other record types into its TLD zone should describe in detail its proposal 
in the registry services section of the application. This will be evaluated and 
could result in an extended evaluation to determine whether the service would 
create a risk of a meaningful adverse impact on security or stability of the 
DNS."

One option under consideration to implement the SSAC's recommendation could be 
to amend the base new gTLD agreement to prohibit A, AAAA and MX records in the 
apex of the TLD.

Do you have any input for ICANN to consider in relation to ICANN's 
implementation of SAC 053: SSAC Report on Dotless 
Domains<https://www.icann.org/en/groups/ssac/documents/sac-053-en.pdf> [PDF, 
183 KB]?

Section II: Background

On 23 February 2012, the ICANN Security and Stability Advisory Committee (SSAC) 
published SAC 053: SSAC Report on Dotless 
Domains<https://www.icann.org/en/groups/ssac/documents/sac-053-en.pdf> [PDF, 
183 KB]. In this report, the SSAC stated that dotless domains would not be 
universally reachable and the SSAC recommended strongly against their use. As a 
result, the SSAC recommended that the use of DNS resource records such as A, 
AAAA, and MX in the apex of a Top-Level Domain (TLD) should contractually 
prohibited where appropriate, and strongly discouraged in all cases.

Section III: Document and Resource Links

SAC 053: SSAC Report on Dotless 
Domains<https://www.icann.org/en/groups/ssac/documents/sac-053-en.pdf> [PDF, 
183 KB]

Section IV: Additional Information

None




(*) Comments submitted after the posted Close Date/Time are not guaranteed to 
be considered in any final summary, analysis, reporting, or decision-making 
that takes place once this period lapses.


Glen de Saint Géry
GNSO Secretariat
gnso.secretariat@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://gnso.icann.org