CIRA enhances security of .ca domain name

The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) has launched the DNSSEC tool to help enhance the security of the .ca top-level domain name (TLD).

Websites using the .ca TLD are now able purchase the service. At the end of a user’s domain name, a DNNSEC signature will appear, proving the website is secure.

This will create a ‘chain of trust’ that prevents against DNS spoofing, which is when hackers obtain control of a domain name and redirect users to a different site, as well as man-in-the-middle attacks, a form of digital eavesdropping on the communication between two web users.

According to CIRA’s 2014 internet factbook, 50 percent of Canadians prefer to deal with .ca than a .com when disclosing personal information online.

CIRA recommends users purchase this security tool alongside the domain name. It also advises that if the registrar does not offer the tool, users should request that it does.

Bryan Holland, president of CIRA, said: “The success of DNSSEC now depends on implementation at the system level by players throughout the internet ecosystem.

“The full implementation of this ‘chain of trust’ is required to improve the safety and reliability of the internet infrastructure that has become so vital to the economic and social fibre of our nation.”