Following a forewarning and instructions issued by the Israel Internet Association, alerting that about 5,200 Israeli domain names could be affected by a planned update of global DNS servers, potentially causing disruption to websites around the world, 93% of domain holders made the necessary adjustments and will not be affected
Several weeks ago, the Israel Internet Association (ISOC-IL), managing the the .IL domain name registry, reported that about 5,200 Israeli domain names could experience disruptions due to a planned action by global DNS software manufacturers. Leading companies – ISC Bind, CZ.nic Knot, NlNetLabs Unbound, PowerDNS, as well as open DNS providers such as Google 8.8.8.8, CloudFlare 1.1.1.1, and Quad9 9.9.9.9 – are preparing a change in the way DNS software operates.
The Israel Internet Association published a detailed technical document on its website (isoc.org.il), explaining the issue and instructing stakeholders (such as domain name holders and DNS server operators) how to prepare for the change, scheduled to be implemented on February 1, 2019. ISOC-IL also provided website operators information about a free tool designed to check the compatibility of their domain names and recommended the necessary steps to ensure seamless browsing.
The Israel Internet Association now reports that most of the domain names owners are aware of the issue, and 93% have made the necessary adjustments. Only about 360 Israeli domain names still need to implement the changes before the scheduled software update. That represents a 93% decline in the number of domain names that could have experienced disruption due to the planned update of the global DNS servers since most have adopted the recommendations and made adjustments during the past two weeks. Domain name operators who have not yet made the changes are required to do so or risk difficulty accessing them.
Yoram Hacohen, CEO, ISOC-IL, said: “We were pleased that by prompting stakeholders in the .IL domain and offering information and instructions regarding the planned update to global DNS servers (DNS Flag Day), we were able to prevent potential problems in 93% of the domains that could have experienced disruption. ISOC-IL will now proactively contact the DNS service providers listed in the .IL domain who have not yet adjusted their systems, recommending they do so immediately.”
The software update is due to changes introduced in recent years into the domain names system, including innovative services, such as information security. These infrastructure changes required websites to provide additional information to the DNS server, but not all websites have supported them. While DNS server manufacturers did implement alternative software workarounds to overcome these problems, these caused delays in the process of converting domain names into IP addresses, driving DNS manufacturers to seek a stable solution.
These workarounds will be revoked on February 1, and domain names that do not support the same extensions may become inaccessible.