Internet address secure, Cheap Internet Service, Low Cost Internet Access

Think your internet address is as safe as houses? You will be in for a shock. Over the last few weeks 9 out of 13 root servers that provide the infrastructure for the internet domain names system have gone down due to hacker attacks. Although the remaining servers were capable of coping with naming resolutions, it was a scary time for all.

The system that manages the domains is run by a combination of not-for-profit bodies like universities, military sites and research institutes. Verisign, the American owner of the site registration business has responded to the increased security threat by proposing the handover of all domain resolution business to a commercial body. The argument is that the scalability and security of the domain resolution is under threat, and that only a for-profit company will be able to invest enough to ensure a smooth growth.

The scalability of email resolution is an issue, as email domain look-ups have risen by more than 245 per cent over the last 12 months. Unfortunately this growth is due to spam rather than real business, so there is no additional income for the internet providers to fund development. On that issue Verisign is right in asking for a solid investment program as without it, email communication would come to a halt over the next few years.

On the other hand, the actual number of new internet domains being registered has remained flat for a long time. In some countries domain numbers have even Dec

reased as the internet channel matures. The e-business survivors are swallowing the smaller fish and closing smaller operations, or getting rid of ones that are not needed, unifying the businesses under one big internet brand name, so there is less of a requirement for new domain names.

Source: Courtesy of Internet Works, author Eva Pascoe

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