.IE Annual Report 2022

Business and Market Review During 2022, Team Xavier carried on building the foundations and growing based on the stepping stones laid during 2021. The team expanded with two data analysts and one data engineer, as we faced new challenges. Our progress is summarised below. We are building internal data analytics, by providing our internal customers with easy-to-use and easy-to- understand dashboards to monitor the pulse of the .ie namespace and the registry operations. This includes internal transactional data from the operations of .ie and discovered data from our explorers. The ultimate goal is the creation of self-serving analytics capabilities within the organisation where anyone can find the answers to their questions using internal data. In 2022, we continued our exploration of the .ie database following on from 2021, when we shared a deep look into a variety of metrics publicly visible for domains, focusing on web security (HTTPS) and email security. In terms of Web Security, it’s refreshing to discover that most of the domains support modern TLS versions like 1.2 and 1.3, but it’s concerning to observe so many domains supporting TLS 1.0 which was deprecated in March 2020. Results are shared with stakeholders on our blogs on our website. Cybersecurity We created a data product called .IE Domain Scorecard that gives a score from F to A to any domain based on a set of security features detected using active probing. This product is for internal use only at this stage, but we have been sharing our methodology and findings with our ccTLDs colleagues and with the relevant Irish government department, with positive responses so far. Our objective is to shift the needle towards better outcomes: high adoption of security features in the .ie namespace. Outreach As part of our work in cyber security, we have been looking for feedback from our colleagues in the ccTLD space, members of the technical community in Ireland and the Irish government about the .IE Domain Scorecard and other efforts. This outreach has been mostly in the form of presentations at different events and conferences. Predictive models We are enhancing the understanding of the .ie domain namespace by creating and using predictive models. Adopting a current practice among the European ccTLDs that identify if a domain is actively used or has a holding web page, and an industry categorisation based on content, we are currently working on using predictive models to identify domains with high-risk of non-renewal. Incorporating DataOps practices To sustain our data collection and analysis, we embraced the adoption of cloud technologies for data storage and processing. By using AWS in conjunction with tools like Terraform to create analysis infrastructure on demand, we are entering new territory in the DevOps / DataOps space. DNS analytics As the registry for .ie, we operate and manage the DNS infrastructure to keep .ie connected and working for all users. With that responsibility comes the opportunity of collecting and analysing the DNS traffic observed for .ie. By adopting an algorithm created by our colleagues at .nz, we can identify the most popular .ie domains on a daily basis, along with other indications of activity and usage, which inform some of the initiatives mentioned above. In 2022, we have been busy working, exploring and building for the future. “By actively looking into the .ie database beyond registration, into services enabled on those .ie domains, we gain a better understanding on how we can help Ireland to thrive online.” Sebastian Castro Principal Data Scientist, .IE Data analytics and visualisation Our strategic objective for .IE is to create a centre of excellence in three areas; providing data metrics and data visualisation; providing online self-assessment security tools; and supporting undergraduate applied research on Internet-related topics. .IE is the trading name of IE Domain Registry CLG / Annual Report & Review 2022 20