NCC Group, the global information assurance specialist, has today announced its plans for .trust, a unique generic top-level domain (gTLD) that aims to provide a safer and more trustworthy Internet for both businesses and consumers.
A .trust domain will help protect an organization’s brand, reputation and sensitive customer information by enforcing the highest level of security and reliability. For consumers, it will provide a clear signal that a site is what it claims to be and is a safe place to do business, interact and share information.
Responding to the demands of the world’s online community, ICANN is currently operating a program to add thousands more gTLDs over the next few years. The majority of these new domains will be used to categorize companies and individuals into physical locations, industry segments or brands. In contrast, .trust has been created as a gated community to make the Internet more secure.
Rob Cotton, CEO at NCC Group said: “The Internet is a lawless world – ungovernable, unmanageable and insecure. Consumer confidence has gone, and businesses are at a loss at how to combat the risks.
“The new rollout of gTLDs is further changing the shape of the Internet.Cybersquatting and phishing were big issues with just 22 gTLDs, but with over 1,400 set to be introduced these problems are set to get exponentially worse. The cost for a business to protect its online presence and purchase all possible domain combinations will also be extortionate.
“The benefits to businesses of having a .trust gTLD are immediately obvious. It will act as a key differentiator, bringing back consumer confidence by protecting customers as they transact and interact online.
“The Internet is set to change forever, and at NCC Group we are committed to changing it for the good, making it a safer place and introducing trust.”
Applicants for a .trust domain will have to verify their identify, ensure their organization is secure by complying to a strict and specific code of security policies and assure their infrastructure remains safe by undergoing regular compliance scanning.
The policies have been developed by a coalition of industry and NCC Group experts, and adhering to them will help provide comprehensive protection from vulnerabilities that threaten to compromise integrity, availability and privacy.
Cotton continued: “End users will come to recognize .trust as an island of trusted brands in a new confusing namespace.”
Pioneer businesses in San Francisco have been involved in the process of developing the security protocols for .trust for several months, and some of these will be among the first to take up the .trust domain when it is available for registration towards the end of Q3. Ultimately, brands with high customer data security needs—including banks and retailers—are expected to find .trust most appealing.
About NCC Group
NCC Group is a global information assurance firm, passionate about making the internet a safer place and revolutionising the way in which organisations think about cyber security. Through an unrivalled and unique range of services, the company provides organisations across the world with freedom from doubt that their most important assets are protected and operational at all times. Listed on the London Stock Exchange, NCC Group is a trusted advisor to more than 15,000 clients worldwide. Headquartered in Manchester, UK, NCC Group has 20 offices across the world and employs over 1,000 of the brightest minds in information security, assurance and technology.
NCC Group delivers security testing, software escrow and verification, website performance, software testing and domain services.
