ICANN accelerates quantum-proofing of DNS as quantum computers near deployment
ICANN officials say work to make DNS resistant to future quantum attacks is being fast-tracked, with timelines now possibly within five years.
At ICANN’s annual gathering in Bali, chief technology officer John Crain announced that the organization is accelerating efforts to protect the domain name system from quantum decryption, revising earlier estimates of a ten-year horizon to possibly three-to-five years. The proposed solution involves larger cryptographic keys for DNSSEC, which could exceed current DNS packet size limits and may require a shift from UDP to TCP—a transition expected to take a few years to implement.
Parallel work with the IETF and other bodies is under way to address these technical challenges. In related governance news, Number Resource Organization chair Jia-Rong Low outlined upcoming reforms to the Internet Coordination Policy 2, expanding its scope to cover the full lifecycle of regional internet registries, with a draft slated for review by the end of 2026. ICANN’s principal security scientist Siôn Lloyd reported that “Category 1” top-level domains such as.bank and.doctor experience 45 % more abuse, prompting the development of two new policies to tighten registrar responsibilities and regulate automated registrations. The combined initiatives aim to safeguard both the technical and policy foundations of the internet.
Why it matters
Securing DNS against quantum attacks and tightening domain abuse rules are crucial for maintaining internet reliability and user safety.
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