However, Security Expert Warns That Land Grab for New Domains Will Make It Impossible For Conventional Web Filters to Keep Up With Predicted Growth of the Web

Bloxx, the enterprise web filtering specialist, today welcomed the recommendations announced by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to extend the currently available top level domains (IDN ccTLDs)[1]. The move would, along with the longer IP addresses available under IPv6, protect the Internet for all perceived domain name and world population growth rates.

ICANN has set up the IDNC WG to introduce, in a timely manner and in a manner that ensures the continued security and stability of the Internet, a limited number of non-contentious IDN ccTLDs, associated with the ISO 3166-1 two-letter codes (both the official code list of ISO 3166-1 and the list of reserved ISO 3166-1 code elements). As early as January next year, anyone can then apply for one of these new, inexhaustible domain names made available through opening up top level domain possibilities (rather than the currently acceptable .uk, .fr, .de etc).

In parallel to this, the widespread adoption of IPv6 lengthens the available IP addresses, which at the current rate would expire in 2010[2]. With IPv4, there were 4.2 billion possible IP addresses, moving to IPv6 has increased this to 340 trillion, trillion, trillion.

“The recommendations from ICANN will future proof the Internet so that it can be used and enjoyed for many generations to come,” says Bloxx Managing Director, Eamonn Doyle. “However, we predict a land grab for these additional top level domains which will see a dramatic increase in the number of registered domains and URLs. This will be a significant challenge for first and second-generation web filtering suppliers whose products depend on keeping a URL database up-to-date.” 

“The problem with first and second generation web filters is with the growth and turnover of the web, as soon as a URL database or “blacklist” is updated, it is out of date – these new recommendations mean this problem has never been more relevant,” explains Doyle. “Third-generation filters, such as Bloxx Tru-View Technology, analyse and categorise sites on the fly and make an informed decision as to what risks are associated with accessing them, and are now clearly the only viable way to manage user access to the web.”