Internet users around the world could start experiencing connection failures over the next two days as some maintenance is carried out. Well, that’s one theory at least. Basically, the main domain servers and related infrastructure will be temporarily powered down by the Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) over the next 48 hours. The reason is that they need to change the cryptographic key that protects the Domain Name System (DNS) – which is what translates a domain name, such as metro.co.uk into an IP address so a computer can read it. DNS is the ‘address book’ of the internet and it’s the job of ICANN to make sure it’s kept as secure as possible. The internet is about to get an update Meanwhile, the hierarchical system this digital information courses through is known as the root zone. Which is serviced by several hundred servers in over 130 locations across the world. So, theoretically, it’s unlikely that people will see their internet drop out as there is always another server willing to pick up the slack if one is temporarily turned off. It’s also up to each country’s Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to make sure they’re prepared for a little bit of traffic juggling. ‘This is an important move and we have an obligation to ensure that it happens in furtherance of ICANN ‘s mission, which is to ensure a secure, stable and resilient DNS’ said ICANN Board Chair Cherine Chalaby. ‘There is no way of completely assuring that every network operator will have their ‘resolvers’ properly configured, yet if things go as anticipated, we expect the vast majority to have access to the root zone,’ he said. Losing the internet would not be fun Chances are though that at least some ISPs haven’t got their affairs in order. David Conrad, ICANN ‘s Chief Technology Officer, said: ‘It is almost certain there will be at least a few operators somewhere across the globe who won’t be prepared, but even in the worst case, all they have to do to fix the problem is, turn off DNSSEC validation, install the new key, and reenable DNSSEC and their users will again have full connectivity to the DNS .’ Which is basically tech-speak for switch it off, then switch it back on again. There’s probably nothing to worry about, though Although this is the first time this has happened, the organisation says it won’t be the last. ‘This is the first time, so naturally we are bending over backwards to make certain that everything goes as smoothly as possible, but as we do more key rollovers in the future, the network operators, ISPs, and others will become more accustomed to the practice,’ said Matt Larson, vice president of research at ICANN and the organisation’s lead figure overseeing the cryptographic key rollover. Fingers crossed.<doc-sep>Internet users across the globe may experience widespread network failures as the key domain servers are slated to undergo routine maintenance over the next 48 hours. Russia Today reported that global internet users might experience network connection failures as the main domain servers and its related network infrastructure will be down for some time. The Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) will carry out maintenance work during this time period by changing the cryptographic key that helps protect the internet's address book or the Domain Name System (DNS). This has been necessitated to counter the rising incidents of cyber attacks, the ICANN said. In a statement, the Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) 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," it added. 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.<doc-sep>If you face internet problems over the next 48 hours, you may do well to not sweat about it too much. That is because the Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) will be updating the cryptographic key that helps protect the Domain Name System (DNS), which can also be considered the world-wide web’s address book. The ICANN, which is based in Los Angeles, California, is responsible for maintaining the registry of domain names and IP addresses on the internet. What is a DNS? The DNS addresses can be considered as address book for the internet. The way it works is that it understands the web addresses we punch into the web browsers in our PCs and phones, for example, and then matches them in the database with the correct domains and internet protocol (IP) addresses—so that you are directed to the page you actually need to go. Every web domain is listed in this directory. And this is how all the web traffic is managed and directed correctly. What does the ICANN need to do? Keeping in mind the ever increasing and changing security threats on the internet, ICANN needs to update the encryption keys for the DNS addresses. This means that the DNS, and subsequently the webpages that it links to, will be unavailable during the process of updating. It will be as if those pages don’t exist, for that duration. Alternatively, some pages on a domain could still be accessible, but they will load very slowly. Will my internet be completely dead? No, ICANN’s process of updating the encryption does not mean that the entire internet will be unavailable, or that we will have a complete shutdown of the world wide web. It will happen in batches, and could see certain websites, web pages and web based services and resources being unavailable for a certain duration of time. Once the new security measures are updated and authenticated, things should be back to normal. It is interesting to note that most websites are cached as well, so the changes or the break in content during this update period could actually be noticeable in a couple of days post the encryption key update. As per ICANN’s estimates after initial tests, only 1% of the total internet users around the world are expected to be impacted by the shutdown. That would still calculate to more than 36 million people, at least, as per the numbers shared by the organization. The problem perhaps gets compounded when you aren’t able to access Netflix over the weekend. What should I do? Nothing at first—wait it out. If the websites and web pages are still not accessible, you could do well to restart the router installed at home—this will ensure that it accesses the DNS data updated by your internet service provider. If the problem persists, that could be because your internet company is still using outdated DNS, which means they need to wake up and smell the coffee.<doc-sep>
Internet users across the world may experience network failures for some time as key domain servers are slated to undergo routine maintenance and will be powered down. Connection issues may be faced for 48 hours due to the global internet shutdown. According to a Reuters report published in Russia Today, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which maintains the registry of domain names and IP addresses, will be changing the cryptographic key that helps protect the Domain Name System (DNS) or the internet’s address book. “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,” it said. Quoting an analyst from the Mobile Research Group Eldar Murtazin, the Russia Today report said internet users might face some difficulties for 48 hours. The problems will be regarding access to some resources, and slow loading of pages. The analyst also cautioned that some users with an outdated provider might have problems with access to the network. ICANN claims to have already carried out some preliminary tests that showed the process would create minimal problems. Arseny Shcheltsin, a specialist in digital economics, reassured people that there is nothing to fear, since the main software has already been successfully updated. The procedure for changing cryptographic keys has become necessary as a result of rising threats for the internet infrastructure. In a statement, the Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) said the global internet shutdown was necessary to ensure 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,” it added. (With agency inputs)