ICANN

ICANN stands for Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers.

ICANN is a non-profit organisation that owns the company IANA (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority). IANA’s mission is to manage the root server containing all top-level domain names in the world, such as .dk, .com, .org, .de, .no etc.

Until October 2016, IANA was principally under the auspices of the US Department of Commerce, but following a long reorganisation process it is now controlled by ICANN.

ICANN is built on a multi-stakeholder model, in which international trade associations, NGOs, civil society groups, national governments and private companies all have a voice.

The ICANN organisation consists of network and name supporting organisations (NSOs) and advisory committees.

ICANN holds three large week-long conferences each year, which serve as the organisation’s working sessions. The NSOs and advisory committees participate in these meetings.

In March 2017, ICANN will hold a working session in Copenhagen. Read more here.

DIFO’s work in ICANN

DIFO actively participates in ICANN’s work and the annual conferences.

The international work in ICANN is of great commercial importance for DIFO, as this is where we gather and share ideas, experience and knowledge about challenges, solutions, methods and products that can develop the internet sector and domain administration, both nationally and globally.

ccNSO

DIFO is a member of the ccNSO group (country code Name Supporting Organisation), a support group comprising representatives of various ccTLD administrators. Through this work, DIFO plays a role in shaping various recommendations to ICANN.

At each ICANN conference, the ccNSO group holds a two-day meeting to discuss political and administrative issues relating to DNS.

The ccNSO group also hosts Tech Day, a one-day event on technical issues relating to DNS, such as DNSSEC, data validation, the ISO 27001 standard etc.