Today’s blog post focuses on security in the .au namespace. We look at the policies in place to protect the Australian namespace and address the significant steps that have been taken to support the delivery of stable, secure and reliable operations.

What keeps the .au namespace so secure?

Afilias AU complies with the policy requirements determined by auDA, the administrator and self-regulatory policy body for the .au ccTLD.

The .au namespace is regularly scanned for security threats and is protected against harmful activity by requirements such as auDA’s Information Security Standard (ISS) certification, which sets a baseline, adaptable regulation for .au accredited registrars. 

To help protect the privacy of individual .au registrants, there are certain policies in place such as the WHOIS Policy, to prevent confidential information from being obtained by unauthorised parties. The information that is available as the result of a WHOIS Lookup complies with Australian privacy legislation and therefore does not disclose certain personal details.

Meeting security standards

Security is at the forefront of .au registry day-to-day operations, and it is crucial that we have systems in place to ensure a secure presence for the .au namespace. Through obtaining ISO Certification 27001, in Information Security Management, we are ensuring that we meet international standards and comply with high levels of security.

The Afilias AU team adhere to policies and best practices set by the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD). These policies are available to the general public and provide information to mitigate cyber security incidents, as recommended for all Australian organisations.

Prevention is of high priority

Access to the .au registry is observed under strict provisions, using global monitoring tools and threat intelligence from various authorised sources.

Every element of Afilias’ registry system is engineered to prevent system hacks or break-ins, tampering with data, unexpected downtime or other disruptions to operations. It is through these processes that we are able to work toward the delivery of a secure and stable namespace for all Australians.   

If you have a question or would like to provide some feedback, remember you can reach us at blog@afilias.com.au