Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) says key domain servers are slated to undergo routine maintenance over the next 48 hours, meaning Internet users across the globe may experience widespread network failures.
TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports ICANN, during the 48-hour time period, will carry out maintenance work by changing the cryptographic key that helps protect the Internet’s address book or the Domain Name System (DNS).
Global Internet users might experience network connection failures as the main domain servers and its related network infrastructure will be down for some time.
This has been necessitated to counter the rising incidents of cyber attacks, the ICANN said in a statement obtained by TNG.
In a statement, a communications regulatory authority said the global internet shutdown is necessary for ensuring a secure, stable and resilient DNS.
“To further clarify, some internet users might be affected if their network operators or Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have not prepared for this change.
“However, this impact can be avoided by enabling the appropriate system security extensions,” the statement read.
Internet users could face difficulties in accessing web pages or making any transactions in the next 48 hours. Also, users could face inconvenience accessing the global network if they use an outdated ISP.
Meanwhile, ICANN had noted only a handful cases where Net services might have been affected adversely since the upgrade started on Friday.
“It is now about 20 hours since the rollover and based on all information we have, everything is going smoothly.
“There have been only a small handful of reports of issues suspected to be caused by the rollover. In all cases it appears the impact was minor and the issues were quickly resolved,” an ICANN spokesperson said.
ICANN has announced in July 2016 to upgrade the cryptographic keys that are required to access security system of website names, called Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC).
When an internet user types a website on his browser, the broadband or Internet modem transmits that name to a system called resolver– which converts the website name in to numeric form containing code and server address of the website.
ICANN has asked all internet service providers to upgrade their software that resolves the website name in to digital code and directs the traffic to right server.
DNSSEC is an additional layer which validates the website name has been converted correctly.
The keys required to accesses the DNSSEC central server system called root zone were implemented in 2010 and hence were required to be upgraded for protection.
The transition was planned for October 11, 2017 but was deferred by a year due to unclear data received just before the rollover.
Before running the system upgrade, ICANN had estimated that more than 99 per cent of users whose system are validating DNSSSEC will be unaffected by the rollover.
The ICANN spokesperson said no one can know definitively which operators have enabled DNSSEC validation on their resolvers, and because no one but the operator can tell if a resolver with DNSSEC validation enabled was ready for the rollover.
“…no one could know exactly which users might be affected by the KSK rollover and where they would be,” the spokesperson said.
However, Internet service providers whose system did not perform DNSSEC validation function will not be impacted by the transition at all.
According to ICANN estimates are that about two thirds of users are behind resolvers that do not yet perform DNSSEC validation.
