The top-level domain (TLD) .SURF belongs to the category of generic TLDs (gTLDs) and is managed by Minds + Machines Group Limited, a domain name led industry investment firm. Launched on 29th of May 2014, this domain is aimed at everyone who is passionate about surfing, both for private individuals and for professionals in the field.
.SURF offers businesses, professionals, and individuals involved or interested in the surfing industry a niche TLD for marketing, connecting, and networking. .SURF can be registered by any entity, making it an accessible domain name extension for travel agencies, sports stores, bloggers, instructors, forecasters, meteorologists, resorts, and anyone who blogs about how to surf, where to surf, or what gear to use when surfing.
This domain does not follow the Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC) model. DNSSEC provides additional security to the DNS by adding cryptographic signatures to existing DNS records. What this means is that using .SURF does not require this extra layer of security.
However, it’s important to note that the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the organization that coordinates and maintains these domain names, recommends implementing DNSSEC where possible to provide additional security.
The management of the .SURF TLD requires compliance with a series of technical and operational standards and procedures, which are defined by the internet standards body, the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). These requirements include providing accurate and updated domain registration information, and adhering to dispute resolution policies.
The .SURF domain allows for Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs), this means that domain names with special characters corresponding to the scripts and languages of the world such as Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, and many others are allowed.
As with all gTLDs, the .SURF domain is subject to ICANN’s Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy (UDRP), which provides a mechanism for resolving disputes related to domain name registrations.
In conclusion, the .SURF TLD represents an excellent opportunity for businesses, organizations, professionals, and individuals involved in surfing. However, the lack of adherence to the DNSSEC model may be a factor to consider for parties concerned about the utmost level of security.
Sources Used :
- ICANN (https://www.icann.org/)
- Minds + Machines Group Limited (https://mmx.co/)
- IETF (https://www.ietf.org/standards/rfcs/)
- UDRP domain dispute resolution policy https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/help/dndr/udrp-en
- DNSSEC (https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/dnssec-what-is-it-why-important-2019-03-05-en)
