Afilias Enables DNSSEC for Several Latin American and Caribbean Top Level Domains

Afilias, a provider of Internet infrastructure services, today announced that it has enabled Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC) for five country code Top-Level-Domains (ccTLDs) in Latin America and the Caribbean region.

The latest top level domains that have been enabled with DNSSEC support include: .AG (Antigua and Barbuda), .BZ (Belize), .HN (Honduras) .LC (St. Lucia), and .VC (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines). 

“Among the fastest growing regions of the world in terms of Internet usage, the number of Latin American and the Caribbean Internet users has increased by more than 100 fold over the last ten years,” said Dr. Patrick Lay of NIC AG, representing Antigua and Barbuda. “By deploying DNSSEC we are able to demonstrate our leadership in the Caribbean marketplace as a forward-thinking registry operator that is ready to help the Internet’s security foundation evolve for the next decade of research and development.”

DNSSEC protects the DNS from cache poisoning exploits which can allow malicious entities to intercept an Internet users’ request to access a website, and redirect or eavesdrop on the user without their knowledge, and with no ability to reassert control. DNSSEC introduces digital signatures to the DNS infrastructure and ensures that DNS responses came from their authoritative source.

“.BZ is a popular alternative where businesses are moving to call their online home,” said Juan Carlos Namis of University Management Ltd. “It is important that we provide a secure and stable environment for them and deploying DNSSEC, along with our registry provider Afilias, will allow our domain to be among the select group of early adopters that are embracing the security protocols required for the future.”

Afilias’ signing of these ccTLDs is part of its “Project Safeguard” initiative, bringing the number of secured TLDs on its registry platform to seven. Afilias’ Project Safeguard includes plans to rollout DNSSEC across its registry and DNS platforms and also incorporates an education and training program for Registrars to facilitate their adoption and implementation.

The company plans to enable DNSSEC for the other TLDs, supporting a total of 13 before the end of the year.

Related Reading: Four Ways to Prepare Your Organization for DNSSEC

Disclosure: Ram Mohan, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for Afilias, is a regular SecurityWeek columnist.