The deadline was originally set to 30 November 2023. To ensure sufficient grounds for decision-making the deadline was extended to 31 January 2024.

We will now summarize the comments and evaluate them. Once the evaluation is done, the conclusion will be published on our webpage.

More information about the request for comments

All of the affected municipalities are listed in the Domain name policy for .no, appendix B. In addition to this list, oslo.no will also be affected.

The change has no practical consequence for those administrating domain names for Norwegian municipalities.

What is DMARC and SPF?

Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC) is a protocoll which gives the subscriber of a domain name the possibility to protect the domain name against unauthorised use of unknown email servers. DMARC is described in the technical document RFC7489.

It is recommended to use DMARC with one of the underlaying standards Sender Policy Framework (SPF) (RFC 7208) and Domain Keys Identified Mail (DKIM) (RFC 6376).

For domain names that are not used for sending email, the standard recommends that you use Sender Policy Framework (SPF) to indicate that no email is sent from the domain name.

What will Norid add?

In the zone file for each of the domain names Norid will add two TXT posts. One for SPF and one for DMARC. These will look like this:

<municipal>.no.              IN     TXT         "v=spf1 -all"

_dmarc.<municipal>.no.      IN      TXT        "v=DMARC1; p=reject; sp=none"

This will contribute to prevent abuse of these domain names, without affecting email distribution from sub domains.

DMARC and SPF is recommended by the authorities

DMARC is a recommended IT-standard for the Government and the municipalities in order to prevent emails with a forged sender address. The Norwegian Digitalisation Agency (Digdir) has included DMARC as a recommended standard in the reference catalogue for IT standards (in Norwegian only).

DMARC is also recommended by The Norwegian National Security Authority (NSM) as a protection mechanism for transfer of email between email servers.

We want comments on whether we should cancel the reservation on all or some of these domain names and thus make them available for general registration.

You can read the consultation document here (In Norwegian only)

Here you can see the list of interested parties who have received the consultation document directly.

Please send your comments to info@norid.no. Anyone can contribute with comments. All comments will be published on Norids webpages.

The deadline was originally set to 30 November 2023. To ensure sufficient grounds for decision-making the deadline has been extended to 31 January 2024.

No new names are being added to or removed from the appendix as part of this update. You can read the details here.

When the organization a domain name is registered to is deleted from the Central Coordinating Register for Legal Entities, or the subscription is not extended by the expiration date, our system automatically initiates a process to delete the domain name.

In the current routine the subscriber receives a letter as the final notification, if the cause for deletion has not been resolved after email notification.

For a period of 6 months starting 1 November, however, we will not send any letters, only email notifications. Apart from this, the deletion processes will run as normal, with the same deadlines.

After the six month period we will evaluate whether we should resume with letters or continue with notifications by emails only.

Why is Norid doing this?

On average we send out about 7000 letters each month as part of the deletion processes. This leads to big climate emissions that could be avoided. Norid aims to operate sustainably and climate friendly. We will therefore stop sending these letters for six months to see if this has any effect on the renewal rates, and thus if we can cut the letters permanently in the future.

There is no doubt that online shopping is increasing in popularity. According to Statistics Norway, a total of NOK 75 billion was traded online with Norwegian bank cards in the first quarter of 2023. This is an increase of 17 percent compared to the previous year 1:

The large sums make online shopping attractive for fraud attempts. Figures from the police's criminal case register show that the number of reports of economic crime increased by just over 14 per cent from 2021 to 2022, an increase which is largely due to online fraud 2. The fraudsters are becoming more professional, and it has become more difficult to expose the fake websites. In the past, bad language and strange logos were clear signs of fraud, but now it can be almost impossible to tell the difference between a real and a fake website.

Many consumers have been fooled by fake online stores that apparently sell popular items. After you've ordered and prepaid what you want to buy, the item never shows up - or you get fake products.

The Norwegian Consumer Authority

According to our survey, 43 percent of those who shop online always check whether secure payment is offered, such as credit card, Klarna or PayPal. 49 percent state that they always or very often check an online store's reputation and ratings before making a purchase.

Only 18 percent of the respondents say that they always check the domain name of the online store. But it may be a good idea to take a second look at the website address of the store you consider to shop from.

For some fake shops, the website address consists of a well-known brand or product together with words such as "cheap" or "sale", for example supercheapparajumpers.no or www.raybansale.net.

The Norwegian Consumer Authority

It may also be a good idea to note which top-level domain the online store uses. Different top-level domains set different requirements for those who want to register domain names. Top-level domains with few or no identification requirements, and which also offer free registration, tends to attract questionable activities.

The Norwegian top-level domain requires that everyone who wants to register a domain name must identify themselves, by providing either an organization number registered in the Register of Business Enterprises, or a national identity number registered in the National Population Register. However, this does not guarantee that you cannot be defrauded by a Norwegian domain name. But the requirement means that there is a real person or business behind every Norwegian domain name.

You can look up who holds the domain name here

When the organization a domain name is registered to is deleted from the Central Coordinating Register for Legal Entities, or the subscription is not extended by the expiration date, our system automatically initiates a process to delete the domain name.

The current routine is that the subscriber receives a letter as the final notification, if the cause for deletion has not been resolved after email notification.

In week 6, 7, 8 and 9 (the whole month of February), however, we will not send any letters, only email notifications. Apart from this, the deletion processes will run as normal, with the same deadlines. As of week 10 (6 March), letters will be sent out again as usual.

Why is Norid doing this?

On average we send out about 7000 letters each month as part of the deletion processes. This leads to big climate emissions that could be avoided. Norid aims to operate sustainably and climate friendly. We will therefore stop sending these letters for four weeks to see if this has any effect on the renewal rates, and thus if we can cut the letters permanently in the future.

For each domain name subscription Norid assigns or extends, ordered by a registrar, the registrar pays a subscription fee to Norid. As of 1 April 2023, this fee increases from 60 NOK to 65 NOK excluding VAT.

We will update the domain name policy on 1 April 2023 with the new price.

Our society is becoming increasingly dependent on the internet. This heightens the security requirements for all actors that take part in delivering our digital foundation. The domain name system is a fundamental function, necessary for the internet infrastructure to work. For Norid as a registry it is therefore very important to ensure the security and the availability of the registry service and the domain name system for the Norwegian top level domain names.

In June we achieved a ISO 27001 certification (PDF) which covers all of our services, systems, locations and employees. ISO 27001 is an international recognized standard which describes best practice for how companies protect their information values, address risk management and continually improve the work with information security.

 – We are very proud to have passed the certification. It is a result of our systematic and continuous work with information security, something which involves all employees in the organisation, says Hilde Thunem, managing director in Norid.

The Internet is our primary arena for communication and branding, as well as a rapidly expanding marketplace for buying and selling goods and services. Online retailers in Norway had a total turnover exceeding NOK 35 billion in 2020, an increase of as much as 38 percent compared to 2019 1. The same figures for 2021 are not available at the time of writing this, but surveys of the population's use of the internet show that the share of online shoppers are greater than ever 2. The Internet is also the primary channel of communication between public agencies and the nation’s inhabitants and businesses, e.g. for tax returns, employer's National Insurance contributions, and access to public services.

This development means that anyone offering anything, be it goods, services or information, must be online. There are many ways to establish an online presence, from services on your own domain name to a multitude of social media. However, there is great variation when it comes to people's trust in the various channels. Therefore, it is important for businesses to be conscious when deciding  which channels to be present in, and how they use the channels.

The use of websites increases

For Norwegian businesses, their own website is the most frequently used channel for one-to-many communication, and the use has increased over the last years 3. In a survey from 2021 that Ipsos has carried out on behalf of Norid, as many as 74 percent of the companies answer that they use their own website to some extent or more. The survey shows a significant increase in companies that say that they use their own website to a very large extent, from 28 percent in 2017 to 39 percent in 2021 4.

A business may choose to register its own domain name and create a website using that domain. Most Norwegian businesses (85 percent) have registered at least one domain name 5. With its own domain name, the business itself – the domain holder – is free to set the rules for the content and decide what the domain name is to be used for. As many as 81 percent of Norwegian businesses state that their domain name is important for promoting their company or the services they offer 6.

Solid trust in the Norwegian top-level domain

Technically speaking, all domain names work the same way, regardless of which top-level domain they are registered under. That means that the choice of top-level domain is primarily a question of which identity a company wants to be associated with, and which "neighbourhood" they become part of – that is, which other domain names are under the top-level domain, and how they are being used. There is a clear consensus in Norway that domain names under .no is the most recognizable in the Norwegian market, and it has a definite identity as a quality domain 7. This, in turn, add value to all Norwegian domain names, something which is reflected in how people prefer to shop from a Norwegian domain name if all other factors are equal 8.

One of the factors influencing the type of neighbourhood a top-level domain fosters, is the requirements imposed on those wanting to register domain names. Anyone who wants to register a Norwegian domain name must identify themselves, by providing either an organization number registered in the Register of Business Enterprises, or a national identity number registered in the National Population Register. This requirement means that there is a real person or business behind every Norwegian domain name.

There is solid support among Norwegian companies and in the general population for these requirements. The support has increased and as of 2021, 82 percent of the companies completely agree with the requirement for identification 9.

In Norway we have also decided to put a cap on the number of domain names each domain holder can register. The idea behind this requirement is to make sure there are good names available for future domain holders, too, but it also serves as an obstacle for those who want to register a large number of disposable domains to spread spam or malware. Of course, these requirements don’t necessarily mean you can trust everything that comes from a Norwegian domain name, but they contribute to making .no a good neighbourhood.

Increased digitalisation of the society brings with it new threats. When more people than usual choose to shop online, the risk of being swindled by fake online stores also increases, and the fraudulent methods in which someone pretends to be a public authority, your bank or Posten Norge, become increasingly sophisticated. At the same time, a survey from the Norwegian Centre for Information Security shows signs of increasing awareness of digital security in the population. Among other things, slightly more Norwegians than before state that they check that a website or e-mail is safe before they use it 10.

Norid runs a lookup service where members of the public can enter a domain name and receive information about the registration, the domain name holder and contact details for the domain. The lookup service strengthens trust in Norwegian domain names as it makes it possible to check who is responsible for the domain name. If it is registered by a business, you will find the business name and organization number. If the domain name is registered by a private individual, the information is protected for privacy reasons, but it is still possible to contact the subscriber.

Although users can take precautions, it is an important principle that the subscriber is responsible for what a domain name is used for 11. Norid does not control the content of websites and does not have the mandate to react to content or other uses that may appear to violate the law. If a domain name is used for illegal activity, it is basically up to the police, the prosecution and any other authorities to pursue this 12. However, the requirement that subscribers must be found in the Register of Legal Entities or the National Register if they are to have a Norwegian domain name makes it easier for the authorities to direct the measures towards the person responsible. It is possible for a subscriber to let others use their domain name. Still, the subscriber is held criminally liable for the use 13.

Social media has a low score on trust

From being a marginal phenomenon, social media has in a short period of time developed into a strong competitor to the established media, and a lot of people use these channels on a daily basis. Second to business’ own website, Facebook is the most popular channel of communication for Norwegian businesses.

The enormous presence, however, is in stark contrast to the level of trust people have in these channels as a source of information. As many as one out of three indicate that they have low or very low trust in Facebook, whereas around one out of four say the same about Snapchat and Instagram 14.

The trust is even lower when it comes to social media’s handling of personal data. It is common knowledge that information about everything we do online, and especially how we use social media, is collected in a large scale to provide us with customized content and advertising. If a company creates a page on one of the social media platforms, it will usually involve a fairly comprehensive handling of personal data. In the Data Inspectorate's latest population survey, only ten per cent answer that they have trust in how social media stores and uses personal information, a significantly reduction from previous years 15.

The trust in social networking sites has fallen by five percentage points since 2014. The low level of trust probably has several reasons. First and foremost, in recent years we have seen that large, American technology companies have been confronted by, among others, politicians, the press and interest groups to a much greater extent than before. More and more people are realizing the enormous power a couple of Silicon Valley companies possess, a power they have gained by gathering as much information as possible about as many people as possible and selling advertising space based on this information.

The Privacy Survey 2019/2020

At the end of 2021, this question became even more relevant, after the Norwegian Data Protection Authority carried out a risk assessment of the privacy consequences associated with creating a Facebook page. They concluded that it entails too high a risk for the rights and freedom of those who visit the site without the Norwegian Data Protection Authority, as owner of the site, being able to implement sufficient measures to reduce the risk 16.

The Norwegian Data Protection Authority’s decision is only made on its own behalf, and does not mean that it is forbidden for other companies to use Facebook. However, it is a reminder that companies must assess the risk in the light of the common European privacy law (GDPR). 21 Norwegian public agencies are in the process of making such an assessment 17 and The Norwegian Board of Technology has removed its Facebook page 18. The issue is of course just as relevant for private companies. Norid has also made such an assessment and concluded that the benefit of being on Facebook does not outweigh the risk for us and our visitors. We have therefore removed our page.

It will be interesting to see if these privacy challenges will have any consequences for how Facebook and other social media providers choose to offer their services to European companies and users in the future.

Read more in our guide «Online precense - where and how?»

As the Internet takes an ever more critical role in society’s infrastructure, it is becoming increasingly more important to ensure that information is not falsified or ends up in the wrong hands. DNSSEC is an important contribution to more secure communication online.

When you look up a domain name, a search for an IP address is initiated in order to contact the server hosting the service you are looking for. The original domain name system does not ensure that the return for a lookup actually comes from the right source. This means it is possible for attackers to falsify returns and direct a user to another IP address than the one associated with the domain name. For example, a user may be directed to a website that looks like the online retailer they intended to visit, but instead, the website is located on a server controlled by scammers.

DNSSEC offers a solution to this problem. When a domain name is secured by DNSSEC, all returns to domain queries will be signed cryptographically. This makes it possible to verify both that the response comes from the right source, and that it has not been changed along the way.

The webinar presents how the implementation of the DNSSEC security mechanism has been handled by the Nordic top-level domains .no., .se, .dk, .fi and .is, and how the status is when it comes to the spread of this technology in the Nordic region. ICANN will also contribute with an overview of the global picture.

To register for the webinar: https://features.icann.org/event/icann-organization/dnssec-nordics

More about DNSSEC in Norway, https://www.norid.no/en/om-domenenavn/veiledere/sikrere-norske-domenenavn-med-dnssec/

About ICANN, https://www.icann.org/

Society is becoming more and more dependent on the Internet. This increases the requirements for security for all actors in the value chains, including the registrars. These are companies that have entered into an agreement with Norid to assist domain subscribers in ordering domain names and follow up subscriptions further on behalf of the subscribers.

Norid has a responsibility to design the registration scheme in an appropriate manner and within the framework set by Norwegian authorities. The new registrar agreement mainly continues established practice and division of responsibilities, but places higher demands on the registrars' compentence and information security, and on the reseller having a minimum of activity related to the domain business. In addition, a requirement has been introduced that the retailer must annually inform his customers of what information is registered in Norid's database about the subscriptions they handle, so that the subscriber can check that the contact information and technical information about their own domain names is correct and up to date.

The use of domain names under .no is a central part of the digital communication in the society, and the focus on quality and security at all levels becomes increasingly important. The introduction of a revised registrar agreement with increased security requirements helps to promote the quality of the registrar industry as a whole. The fact that the new agreement seems to have been well received by the registrars also bear witness to a forward-looking and conscious industry.

Elise Knutssøn Lindeberg, Security Director, Norwegian Communications Authority

Competition among registrars

The registrars compete to offer the best possible help to the subscribers when it comes to ordering and maintaining the domain subscriptions. Most resellers offer various additional services related to the use of the domain name, including web hosting, email and tools for creating web pages. These are services that have value for the subscriber, but it is not a requirement from us that they must offer such services.

Mapping the domain market shows clear customer segments with specific needs, which influence which registrar they choose. The market shares of the registrars vary depending on which customer segments make up the market. We distinguish between the total market, the market for the largest companies in Norway, and the high-traffic market.

The total market consists of around 827,000 Norwegian domain names (as of October 2021) and is dominated by a few registrars with large market shares. The ten largest actors in total have 80 per cent of the total market. Many of these actors offer a simple standard package with domain name, email, and website hosting.

The 500 largest companies in Norway have a total of around 8,000 domain names. These are customers who need registrars who can take overall responsibility for managing the domain names as part of the customer's brand. The market shares are more evenly distributed in this market than in the total market, and several medium-sized registrars are among the larger actors here.

Another customer segment is subscribers who offer services that have to handle high network traffic. The two hundred most trafficked websites in Norway largely use registrars with so-called "high-end" solutions that handle high performance requirements. Also in this market, there are mostly medium-sized registrars among the larger actors.

No major changes in the market

There were 335 registrars when the process of a new registrar agreement began in June 2021. They had the choice between adapting the business to new requirements or winding up the business with Norid. After the deadline for entering into the new agreement expired at the end of August, 268 registrars - eight out of ten - had chosen to continue the business with Norid. The number of registrars has been stable at around 340 over the last ten years.

Not surprisingly, it is mainly registrars with low activity who have chosen to close down the registrar business. The average number of domain names in the portfolio of registrars who did not join is 49. The highest number of domain names is 648. All the 50 largest registrars continue.

The reduction in the number of registrars has not led to major changes in the distribution of market shares in the total market. The ten largest actors in the total market had a total market share of 80 per cent in June. In September, this had increased to 81 per cent, which is natural as the number of «other registrars» has been reduced from 325 to 258. The second largest actor in the market has increased its market share due to this, but the competitive situation is so to speak unchanged.

When it comes to the markets for the largest companies in Norway or the most trafficked websites, the market distribution is identical in June and September.

– Today we have fewer registrars than before this shift, but can state that the competition between registrars within different customer segments still works, and that the registrars in total provide a broad and varied offer to customers, says Hilde Thunem, Managing Director in Norid.

More about the scheme with registrars, https://www.norid.no/en/nytt-domenenavn/forhandlerliste/om-domeneforhandlere/

Current registrar agreement, https://teknisk.norid.no/en/bli-forhandler/forhandleravtalen/#Avtaleteksten

More about the transition to a new registrar agreement, https://teknisk.norid.no/en/bli-forhandler/forhandleravtalen/overgang-til-ny-forhandleravtale/

In order to make the separation between the domain subscription terms and the registrar terms and conditions clearer, we will update the subscription terms in the domain name policy for Norwegian domain names after the transition period for the new registrar agreement is over.

Read more here: Oppdatering av regelverket for .no 24. august 2021

Did you ever wonder about what actually happen when you ask for a domain name and get to the website that you are looking for? And not least how this system can work seamlessly for all countries and all top-level domains in the world?

You may become a little wiser if you take a look into this information from the European organization for national top-level domain registries, like Norid for Norwegian domain names.

We see this type of scam from time to time, and the method is always the same: The target company holds the domain name mycompanyname.no. The seller claims that they hold the same or very similar domain name under other top-level domains, e.g.  mycompanyname.co or mycompanyname.shop. They insist that the target company needs these domain names to avoid search engines mismatch and that others take advantage of their brand, and that they must decide on this promptly because the seller has other customers who are interested in the same domain names.

The vast majority of Norwegian companies choose the Norwegian top-level domain for their main domain name. Some Norwegian companies may benefit from having domain names under other top-level domains than the Norwegian, but this is an issue they must consider inhouse and take into account which markets they will hit with different top-level domains. The registrar can be a useful partner for this kind of discussion.

In addition to market considerations, an important aspect is to take a look at the «neighborhood» that the company will be a part of online, which means to have a look at which other domain names are registered under the top-level domain in question, and what they are used for. It is much more attractive for new customers if a big share of the domain names is used for customers’ homepage, than if many of the domain names only point to other top-level domains, or worst case are registered for spamming, scamming or for spreading viruses and malware.

Useful reading

Online presence – where and how? Guide on good and less good neighborhoods on the Internet.

List of registrars for Norwegian domain names

During 2020, a total of 132,080 new Norwegian domain names were registered. This is the highest number of new registrations we have had since 1999. The growth in new registrations has also resulted in an increase in the total number of domain names. Net growth increased by as much as 36 per cent from 2019 to 2020, in comparison, the increase was only 1.4 per cent from 2018 to 2019.

Pandemic related

Looking more closely at what has happened, it is clear that the net growth of domain names has increased dramatically after the pandemic hit Norway in March 2020. From May 2020, the net growth is noticeably higher than the 2019 and 2018 levels, and apart from lower net growth in September, this increase has continued till now.

The total number of domain names increased by as many as 26,655 domain names in the period March 2020–March 2021. In comparison, the number increased by 17,213 in the corresponding period the year before, and 14,343 two years before. As of 25 March 2021, we list a total of 816,921 Norwegian domain names.

It is reasonable to believe that the severe increase is related to the lockdown of society and the resulting need for change that the pandemic caused for both companies and employees.

Similar trend elsewhere in Europe

We also see a similar trend in the rest of Europe. According to the latest quarterly report from CENTR (Council of European National Top-Level Domain Registries) from 2020, which covers the status and trends of global top-level domains and European country code top-level domains, the median growth for European country code top-level domains reached the highest level registered since 2014.

The strong growth was driven by increased demand for new domain names and a reduction in the number of deleted domain names. According to CENTR, the underlying reason for the surges in demand is related to the lockdowns across Europe as a result of the pandemic. For many small and large businesses around Europe, being present online was no longer considered a bonus, but rather a need for survival.

In Norway as well the lockdown has undoubtedly led to more companies seeing the value of online presence. For Norid, it is interesting to gain more knowledge about the background for the evident increase in new domain name registrations. Thus we have asked some domain name holders who have recently registered domain names about the background for the registration.

Aiming towards the Norwegian market

Åsmund Bakke in Jondal has registered the domain name folgefonni.no.

 – The reason for registering folgefonni.no is that we are creating a new visual profile/website now more aimed at the Norwegian market as a consequence of the pandemic. In 2019, 85 per cent of our customers were foreign, in 2020 90 per cent were Norwegians. Thus we have to adjust. In that context, our domain name folgefonni-breforarlag.no is a bit long, and we wish to have a shorter domain name in addition (which points to the same website), he says. As a curiosity, he adds that they have chosen i-ending, which is the old spelling, to show that they continue old traditions with glacier guiding on Folgefonna.

Realizing the farmer dream

Øyvind Sætre says that he and his wife have registered several domain names and companies after the pandemic hit us. He underlines that the pandemic is not the only cause, but that it has clearly been a catalyst. He was employed by an IT company that were struggling as a result of the pandemic.

 – At the same time, my wife received a message from her family that she could take over the family farm in Vikjabygda in Sogn. In addition, we noticed a great focus on being self-supported and on direct sales of food from farmers. We therefore both chose to apply for agricultural-related studies at Innandet University College. (…) As mentioned, we have set up more companies in order to have prospects to choose from, but now we are in the process of taking over the farm. Maybe this would have happened anyway, but I think the pandemic did its part to make this happen.

Their best choice for a domain name for their effort is bondedraumen.no (English translation: farmersdream.no).

Online store as a supplement to skin care salon

The domain name dinegenpleie.no was registered by Christina Aas last autumn. She experienced a loss of customers in the skin care salon as a result of the pandemic and plans to start an online store for skin care products to increase the income base.

Important to be present online

 – With the lockdown of society and large parts of Norwegian working life at home, it is clear that it is becoming more important to be present online, says Hilde Thunem, Managing Director in Norid.  – The pandemic has acted as a catalyst that has forced restructuring and new business ideas, she adds.

In addition, of course, domain names are registered regardless of the pandemic and lockdown. Linda Nygård will use the domain name asias.no as a mapping tool for people with Asperger's which is under development.

 – This was planned before the pandemic, but it is clear that there has been even greater focus on this work during this period, she says.

Kim-Andre Hansson Husås in Meråker Multiservice has registered sisselsspiseri.no on behalf of a customer for whom they are building a website. His customer had the domain name sissels-spiseri.no before and wanted to be more visible online and exclude typos in the domain name. He says that this customer has experienced an increase in demand lately, especially from customers wanting to find menus and prices online, which he believes is due to the fact that people simply stay more at home.

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Register for Internet forum 2021.

Norway has long been at the forefront when it comes to offering digital services. When large parts of Norwegian working life were to be run from home, services and infrastructure were tested as never before. Fortunately, the National Communications Authority was able to conclude that the digital foundation passed the test – this time 1.

We must state that Norway has a digital foundation that has provided solid coverage and quality, also during the "express digitalization" we have experienced in 2020. Overnight, almost all social functions had to use digital platforms and video-based services as the only form of communication, all of it over the Internet. With this sharp increase in traffic and the changing user patterns we experienced both nationally and internationally, there is every reason to point out and recognize the resilience of the digital infrastructure, also on DNS and the Internet. Owners of infrastructure and other market players have been both prepared and have showed adaptability. Thus, there was no sign of crisis in the electronic communication sector in 2020. However, awareness and focus on the criticality of robust and secure electronic communication has increased throughout society, and we will use this to continue the work to preserve and build trust in the digital services that we all are dependent on.

Elise Knutssøn Lindeberg, Security Director, Norwegian Communications Authority

For Norid, which operates important national Internet infrastructure, the focus in the first months was to maintain stable operations. And we were not alone. Internet services are the result of a complex interaction between many actors and systems in a digital value chain, and the interaction is completely dependent on all parts of the infrastructure working.  

Growth in Norwegian domain names 

The increased online activity this year has not only led to increased traffic. In the period March–August 2020, Norid saw a marked increase in the number of Norwegian domain names compared with 2019 and 2018. 63,000 new domain names were registered from March to August in 2020, which is the highest we have had in the corresponding period since 2012. 

The growth in new domain names has also resulted in an increase in the total number of domain names. As of 31 December, we listed a total of 805,539 Norwegian domain names, which means a net increase of approximately 23,000 domain names. In comparison, annual growth was around 17,000 in both 2018 and 2019 2. It is reasonable to believe that the sharp increase is related to the first closure of society and the need for restructuring that the pandemic triggered for both companies and employees. 

More important than ever to be present online

The close-down of society has undoubtedly led to more companies seeing the value of being present online. For example, the corona measures through 2020 have clearly affected Norwegians' patterns of action. Figures from Statistics Norway show a clear increase in e-commerce 3. Many companies have been able to maintain and further develop their operations thanks to the Internet, and the increased need for a digital presence may be the background for some of the growth we are seeing in new domain names. 

At the same time, the closure has had major negative impact for Norwegian business and industry. The announced wave of bankruptcies has so far been long overdue. Figures from the National Enterprise Register show that there have been significantly fewer bankruptcies in Norway in 2020 than in 2019 4. However, the bankruptcies had affected about 18,300 employees as of 8 December 2020, 2,300 more than at the same time in 2019. There were thus larger companies that went bankrupt in 2020 compared with 2019 5. In addition, the support schemes that were implemented towards the end of the year were less general and more restrictive than the first schemes introduced. According to Finansavisen 6, we may have to wait until the spring of 2021 before we see the real effect of the corona crisis on Norwegian business. 

The uncertainty about the future of companies and jobs means that laid-off employees have had to look for other opportunities, and some may have chosen to try to realize a start-up dream. Figures from Statistics Norway show that 17,746 new enterprises were registered in the third quarter of 2020. This is as much as 19 per cent more than in the second quarter, and 16 per cent more than in the third quarter of 2019 7. 

The road from idea to fully registered company may take some time, so for several of the new companies, the domain name may have been registered first and the entry in the Enterprise Register afterwards. This is confirmed by Ståle Schumacher at Domeneshop AS, which is one of the domain name providers we have an agreement with. Domeneshop generally experienced increased activity with domain registration in the period March–August 2020, and says they noticed a tendency for many private individuals to order domain names, often with a comment that they should transfer the domain name to a new company when they received the organization number from the Enterprise Register. – It is obvious that there are many business ideas that are at an early stage, and then you want to secure the domain name first and then arrange the rest of the formalities afterwards. The first thing you need when starting a new business in 2020 is, of course, a domain name and an email address, said Schumacher. 

Everyday life online presents new challenges 

A new workday with the use of a home office makes it possible for many to maintain the business even if the employees cannot meet physically at the workplace. However, the use of a home office has some security challenges. Among other things, many ordinary home networks have weaker security than the company's own network. The National Security Authority was out early with recommendations that companies consider whether the new situation means that there is a need for changes in their own security routines 8. 

E-commerce is a widely used opportunity for scammers. When more people than usual choose to shop online, the risk of being scammed by fake online stores is more likely than ever. You should always be sceptical before shopping with unknown online stores, and you should be especially critical if you do not find any contact information for the company.

If you are unsure, our advice is to check who has registered the domain name. For Norwegian domain names, you can do this in our domain look-up service. Under the Norwegian top-level domain, everyone who wants to register a domain name must identify who they are by either an organization number in the Register of Legal Entities or a national identity number in the National Register. The requirement, which has solid support among Norwegian companies and the population in general 9, means that there is a real, responsible company or person behind all Norwegian domain names.     

We get together online 

Recommendations to keep social distance have put an end to many physical events. In several arenas, however, we see that people find online alternatives. Companies and organizations run a joint digital lunch, digital school became a regular routine for students all over the country within one week, and more and more artists and bands offer digital concerts. Norid has also had to find alternative ways of conducting seminars and events. An online conference entitled "Crisis opens up new opportunities" was originally planned as a physical event in November 2020, but has now been postponed until April 2021, and the conference will be held digitally regardless of how the pandemic develops in Norway in the coming months. A clear advantage of conducting an event digitally is that the threshold for participating will be lower, so we hope for the support of the times on Internet Forum 2021!  

Norid has been part of the Uninett Group for more than 25 years, first as a project and later as a subsidiary. Uninett develops and operates the digital foundation for education and research in Norway, and it was natural that the responsibility for running the registry for Norwegian domain names was added to this competence environment in the early days of the Internet.

In the more than 30 years that have passed since .no was established as the Norwegian top-level domain, electronic communications and the Internet have developed into something that permeates all parts of society, and the domain name system is a fundamental function of the Internet infrastructure. In 2020, it was decided that the ownership of Norid would be transferred from Uninett AS, which falls under the Ministry of Education, to the Ministry of Local Government and Modernisation, which is responsible for the field of ICT Policy in Norway. In this way, the Government strengthens the strategic ownership follow-up of the company.

– We look forward to completing the change of ownership and look forward to working with the new owner, says Hilde Thunem, General Manager of Norid. – We would like to thank Uninett for a long-standing partnership. The co-location in Teknobyen in Trondheim will continue, and we will also continue a professional collaboration with Uninett for the benefit of both parties.

The transfer process is underway. From 31 December 2020, the ownership of Norid is transferred to the Government through the Directorate for ICT and Joint Services in Higher Education and Research (Unit), from where the ownership will then transfer to KMD. The change of ownership does not lead to changes in the company structure, or agreements Norid has with partners or suppliers.

– We at Uninett AS are very proud to have contributed to creating an important part of today's internet through our subsidiary Norid's development and operation of the Norwegian top-level domain. Times are changing, and based on Norid's social responsibility, it is natural that the Ministry of Local Government and Modernisation will now become the new owner of the company. We look forward to further co-operation with both Norid and the company's new owner, says CEO of Uninett AS, Tom Røtting.

About Norid
Statutes (in Norwegian only)

Regardless of how the virus situation will develop in the months to come, the conference will be carried out digitally. The decision on postponing the conference has been taken to avoid the risk of infection for Norid’s staff as well as for our collaborators connected to traveling and digital production. The postponed conference in April will be carried out according to the agenda we have already.

The conference will be in Norwegian only.

Follow us for further updates in the months to come.

The EkomROS report aim to make actors in the field more conscious on the risk picture for the digital foundation wall in Norway. Target groups for the report are both actors in the ekom sector as well as in other sectors where electronic communication makes an impact for their own security and stand-by efforts. 

Nkom about the report (in Norwegian only)

The EkomROS 2020 report (PDF) (in Norwegian only)

The conference will be carried out within the original programme as a virtual event streamed live on YouTube on Wednesday 21 April 2021.

Maria Strømme from Svolvær is a physicist and professor in nano technology at Uppsala University. She has an extensive background as a scientist and developer, and is behind several inventions and patents.

Jørgen Tharaldsen is an experienced game entrepreneur and is now running the company Megapop. He thinks it is time to redefine the term gamification and see the endless opportunities that it carries.

Silvija Seres is a mathematician and a technology investor with a PhD from Oxford University. Her background is from technology- and business development. She has recently made an interesting podcast with Jørgen Tharaldsen, https://lorn.tech/lorn-pod/130-en-ny-definisjon-av-gamification/.

NAV experienced a record number of inquiries when the pandemic reached Norway, and they had to adjust and develop IT systems for new government schemes on the fly. CIO Jonas Slørahl Skjærpe shares how NAV handled the challenges and also asks if it is possible to be prepared for a new pandemic and new upheavals.

Mímir Kristjánsson is a journalist, author and politician. He serves on Stavanger City Council representing Rødt, and he is a clear voice in the public debate. At this year's Internet forum he will talk about the bane of working from home. Who benefits and who misses out when office workers bring their jobs home?

Author and philosopher Joakim Hammerlin from Nansenskolen (the Nansen Humanistic Academy) joins us again. This time he questions if we have been affected by what he calls digital dysphoria. When the corona crisis hit, we took cover in digital shelters: School and work meetings on Teams. Lectures and Friday drinks on Zoom. But while some found peace and quiet in a new and wonderful digital world, others were struck by advanced analog nostalgia. What did we gain and what might be lost from the digital-social revolution? Joakim Hammerlin asks the most basic of questions, with no digital tools whatsoever.

Gøril Forbord will preside over the conference.

The programme will last as from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm. Details to be published at the end om March. Presentations will be in Norwegian only.

Registration for Internet forum 2021

63,000 new domain names were registered from March to August this year, which is the highest we have had in the corresponding period since 2012. Although a significant number of domain names have been discontinued during the period, we still see a marked net increase. At the end of August, we listed a total of 795,000 Norwegian domain names, while the number at the same time last year was just over 774,000. The increase is almost 21,000 domain names, while the annual increase was around 17,000 both in 2018 and 2019.

Doubling from private individuals

One in four new registrations is from private individuals, while companies and other organizations are responsible for the rest. Ståle Schumacher at Domeneshop AS, which is one of the domain name providers Norid has an agreement with, confirms general increased activity with domain registration. They have also noticed a tendency that there are especially many private individuals who order domain names, often with a comment that they shall transfer the domain name to a new company when they receive the organization number from Brønnøysund Register Centre. – It is clear that there are many business ideas that are at an early stage, and then you want to secure the domain name first and then arrange the rest of the formalities afterwards. The first thing you need when starting a new business in 2020 is, of course, a domain name and an email address, says Schumacher.

The crisis package may have had an impact

The increase in the number of new registrations may have been affected by the Government's crisis package for entrepreneurs and growth companies. From mid-April, a corona-affected Norwegian business community could apply for support from Innovation Norway's extra pot, which was then close to NOK 5 billion. According to nrk.no (31 August), this year's limit for loans and grants from Innovation Norway has been increased to a total of 14 billion, of which 2.17 billion has been granted so far this year, which is more than three times as much as at the same time last year.

The Brønnøysund Register Centre confirms increased demand for the guidance service at their department in Narvik aimed at start-ups and running businesses after the new state schemes were established after the close-down last March. They also report that they have had a particularly increased demand this summer compared to normal summer activity. So far, they have not registered significant changes in the number of newly registered companies or enterprises this year compared to 2018 and 2019.

More domain statistics

We have already booked several very exciting speakers.

Maria Strømme from Svolvær is a physicist and professor in nano technology at Uppsala University. She has an extensive background as a scientist and developer, and is behind several inventions and patents.

Jørgen Tharaldsen is an experienced game entrepreneur and is now running the company Megapop. He thinks it is time to redefine the term gamification and see the endless opportunities that it carries.

Silvija Seres is a mathematician and a technology investor with a PhD from Oxford University. Her background is from technology- and business development. She has recently made an interesting podcast with Jørgen Tharaldsen, https://lorn.tech/lorn-pod/130-en-ny-definisjon-av-gamification/.

Ingrid Melve is an executive manager in Unit and have led national and international innovation projects within digitalization of higher education and new education platforms for many years.

Writer and philosopher Joakim Hammerlin from Nansenskolen makes a reappearance on the agenda. He asks the fundamental questions and he does it without any digital aids.

Magnus Ødegaard, lawyer and partner in Bing Hodneland, will lead us through the day.

This method is well known both in Norway and abroad. The domain name holder is contacted by a seller who offers the company’s domain name under other top-level domains than the Norwegian one. Say you have the domain name mycompanyname.no, then you are offered mycompanyname.com or mycompanyname.shop. The seller claims that he has other customers on hand who are interested in these particular domain names, and then warns about potential trouble if you don’t secure these domain names for your own company immediately. The result is a huge bill for services that you do not need.

We see this type of scamming irregularly, and it is no surprise that this happens just now when Norway as well as the rest of the world are still dealing with the COVID-19 crisis. In a situation like this many of us show less caution, and scammers know how to exploit such vulnerability.

Could it be a good idea to buy domain names under several top-level domains in any case, though? Today there are some 1,500 different top-level domains worldwide, either country codes, such as .no or .se, traditional generic top-level domains, such as .com or .net, or the new generic type, such as .shop or .gay. The vast majority of Norwegian companies chose the Norwegian country code for their primary domain name. Depending on which market the company is operating within, it may be relevant to register the company name and trademarks under one or more top-level domains other than the Norwegian one. However, this is an issue for careful consideration and decision and should not be influenced by a random, pushy seller. We recommend that you discuss the matter with your domain name provider.

Norway has been in the forefront on digital services for quite a long time. However, when major parts of society were forced to work from home, services and infrastructure were tested as never before.

Norid operates the domain name services (DNS) for the Norwegian top-level domain, which is part of the basic Internet infrastructure. The service is absolutely necessary for Norwegian domain names to work technically. It is well known that scammers know how to exploit a crisis situation, and we have therefore carefully monitored our services over the last months. Luckily we have not registered any type of irregular load. The number of DNS look-ups of Norwegian domain names is normally around 700 millions per day, and this level has remained stable these last months.

The number of domain name registrations has stayed the same

Several European top-level domain registries have experienced a growth in new domain names during the corona crisis. CENTR, The Council of European National Top-Level Domain Registries, reports a 20 per cent growth in new domain names in April 2020 compared to April 2019[1]. They assume that the reason probably is that many small businesses have been forced to establish themselves online in order to continue business when their physical shop was closed down.

The activity in domain name registrations in Norway has remained normal during the latest months despite the fact that many businesses have been closed, with little or no activity over several weeks. We also notice that our collaborating partners, the Norwegian Industrial Property Office and The Register of Business Enterprises/Altinn are experiencing a rush. People with start-up ideas are clearly not sitting on their hands waiting for better times. The impression is supported by the fact that we have had more requests than normal from businesses who want to become providers of Norwegian domain names.

[1] https://centr.org/news/blog/is-the-lockdown-driving-domain-registrations.html

One of the most common type of scam is an email with attachments or links. The purpose is usually to get us to buy amazing anti-corona products, transfer money, or submit credit card or bank account information. As a worst case scenario a scammer can take control of our computer or phone if we reply to the wrong email or click the wrong link.

We urge everyone to be very cautious of emails that arrive unexpectedly or that seem suspicious in any way. This particularly applies to unknown senders, but also to what seems at first glance to be trustworthy sources like government officials or banks. A person who is reasonably skilled can combine any sender name with a false email address, and so trick us into replying or clicking a link.

If you receive a suspicious email, our advice is that you carefully check the real sender address: Hover your cursor over the name of the sender and look at the domain name of the address hidden behind the name. The domain name is the part that follows the @ sign, i.e. 'norid.no' if the full address is info@norid.no. If this is a Norwegian domain name, you can find information about who the domain name belongs to in our lookup service.

Other actors also warn against increasing vulnerability in the ongoing state of emergency (links to Norwegian texts only):

• Nasjonal sikkerhetsmyndighet: Mer hjemmekontor – store muligheter, men også risikoer
• NRK: Fikk SMS fra «sjefen» – viste seg å være korona-svindel

The graph below shows the registration numbers for the period between 1 February and 17 March 2020.

Statistics for Norwegian domain names are now available in a new graphic interface. The graphs are dynamic and can be downloaded as .xlsx- or .csv-files.

We are happy to receive feedback and suggestions for other relevant graphs.

On 17 November this year's internet forum will take place, this time at Thon Hotel Vika Atrium, right next to Aker Brygge in Oslo. Save the date now, and stay tuned for updates on theme and speakers.

We frequently see that a company chooses its name without having secured the proper domain name beforehand. Then they find out that the domain name is already registered by someone else. The start-up company may think that it will be easy to get it anyway, but this is not always the case. And if they do get the chance, it can be expensive to buy it. They may then be left with a domain name which is less optimal, i.e. less intuitive and user-friendly for its web based services.

Our advice to all who plan a new name is very simple: Keep the cards close to your chest until the domain name is registered. Once the domain name is secured, you can register the company in the Brønnøysund register centre (Norwegian chamber of commerce) and tell the world about your plans.

More about names and the registration process: /en/nytt-domenenavn/grunder/

The municipalities are free to decide which name or names they will use. The registration is done via a registrar, as with any other domain name. 

Here are some examples of possible domain names:

• tromso.suohkan.no/tromsø.suohkan.no/romsa.suohkan.no
• tromso.gielda.no/tromsø.gielda.no/romsa.gielda.no
• snasa.tjielte.no/snåsa.tjielte.no/snåasen.tjielte.no

Find a registrar

Find your current domain names

The main principle is that we shall only collect data that we need, and that the domain holder shall be informed about which data is being processed by Norid. Starting on 5 May, we will collect less data about the holder than what we currently do.

New lookup service for Norwegian domains

Norid runs a lookup service (whois) where the public can enter a domain name and receive information about the domain delegation, the holder, the technical contact and the technical setup, and who the registrar is.

The publically available lookup service increases the confidence in Norwegian domains:

• It is easy to find the right point of contact when a domain causes technical issues
• It makes it possible to find the person responsible for the delegation
• It makes it possible to contact the domain holder
• It contributes to preventing illegal content online

The service is important to many actors that need to find the person responsible for a domain name. At the same time, the new data protection act means that the amount of information available to the public must be reduced. Norid has consulted with the Data Protection Authority, and will be launching a new version of the lookup service on 22 May.

In 2012 ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) allowed anyone who wished to and fulfilled the requirements, to register top level domains. There are strong conflicts of interest connected to this, and over the years there have been many discussions between different stakeholder groups to find working compromises, a discussion that is still ongoing. Especially the question of whether country names should be allowed as anything other than national top level domains. Should it be possible for a commercial party to register for instance .norway?

Norid is promoting Norway’s interests internationally together with Norwegian authorities, and works for a reliable and robust domain name system which is administrated in an open and democratic way. Annebeth B. Lange has worked with internet and domain questions for many years, first in the Norwegian Communications Authority (Nkom), and for the last ten years in Norid. – It has been important for me to ensure that there are resources left for countries where the Internet is not as widespread as in Norway, says Annebeth Lange about the area of work that she is honoured for.

– It is great that Annebeth Lange, as a representative of Norid, is getting honoured in this manner. It shows that representatives even from small nations can make a difference on the international arena, through active participation. Nkom is responsible for promoting Norwegian interests within domain name administration in ICANN, and has a very good cooperation with Norid, benefitting greatly from their active participation. I would also like to take the opportunity to congratulate Annebeth Lange with this much deserved award from CENTR, says Ørnulf Storm, Head Of Section at the Norwegian Communications Authority.

Norid was also one of three finalists in the category for marketing campaigns with the service navnesok.no, developed by Norid, The Brønnøysund Register Center and The Norwegian Industrial Property Office. With the service navnesok.no anyone with a good idea can check a domain name, company name, and trademark within the same search. This service did not win, but received honourable feedback.

CENTR (Council of European National Top-Level Domain Registries) was hosting CENTR Awards for the third time. Projects or individuals who have made a difference in the domain field are rewarded. This year’s winners in six categories were announced during a ceremony in Brussel on 3 October.

This is what happens:

• As from 5 October 2017 all Norid employees will have their email address on the format firstname.familyname@norid.no. Additional usernames, for example hmg@uninett.no, will continue as username@norid.no after the transition.
• firstname.familyname@norid.no will be the sender address for all outgoing email.
• However, all employees can receive emails to their old addresses after the transition as well.
• All old emails will be kept.

CENTR (Council of European National Top-Level Domain Registries) is hosting CENTR Awards for the third time. Projects or individuals who have made a difference in the domain field are rewarded. This year’s winners will be announced during a ceremony in Brussel on 3 October.

Considerable contribution to secure top level domains for new countries

Fundamental changes are happening on the domain marked. A thousand new top level domains have been launched during the last couple of years after ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) in 2012 allowed anyone who wished to and fulfilled the requirements to register top level domains.

Among the new top level domains there are among other things generic concepts (.top, .club), city names and other geographical terms (.berlin and .amsterdam) and trademarks (.statoil, .bbc).

There are strong conflicts of interest connected to this, and there have been discussions between different interest groups over many years to find working compromises, a discussion that is still ongoing. Norid’s special advisor Annebeth B. Lange has during this process worked to secure that country names and other territories remain a national or local resource. She is now nominated as «Contributor of the Year» for her tireless contribution.

Her message the whole time has been that there should be country codes and country names left for new countries, and that it will be confusing for an ordinary web user if a commercial party for instance could register .norway.

Annebeth B. Lange has worked with internet and domain questions for many years, first in the Norwegian Communications Authority (NKOM), and for the last ten years in Norid. During this whole time she has had an extensive international involvement, and during the last few years especially in connection with the processes surrounding new top level domains.

Simplifies picking a name for entrepreneurs

With the service navnesok.no anyone with a good idea can check a domain name, company name, and trademark within the same search. Previously entrepreneurs had to visit three different websites in order to search the same relevant registers. With navnesok.no it has become easier and quicker to check whether a name is available or in conflict with other names already registered. This check is important to secure personal rights, but also to avoid conflicts where others have the right to a name.

The service also recommends an order for the registration process: The domain name first, then the company name and then any trademark rights. With this order it is possible to avoid others taking a newly registered company name as a domain name.

The Brønnøysund Register Center and The Norwegian Industrial Property Office are both very happy with the nomination. – Even after only a few months, navnesok.no is very frequently used and obviously fills a need, says head of department Bernt Boldvik in The Norwegian Industrial Property Office.

Communications director Mette Siri Brønmo has represented The Brønnøysund Register Center in this collaboration. – This service means a simplification for the users, something we think many have missed, she says.

All together there are 17 candidates on the shortlist divided into five categories. The winners will be announced at a ceremony in Brussel on 3 October.

Simpler to chose a name for entrepreneurs

With the navnesok.no service someone who wants to start his own business can check domain name, company name, and trademark in one single search on one web page. Earlier, an entrepreneur would have to visit three different search pages at three different entities to be able to check the relevant registers. The process on checking whether a name is available or in conflict with a name already registered has been greatly simplified with the navnesok.no service. This kind of check is important both to secure one's own rights, as well as to avoid getting into conflicts where others have registered rights to a name.

The service also recommends a set order for the registration process: Domain name first, then company name and trademark. When doing the registrations in this order it is possible to avoid the very unfortunate situation that someone else has grabbed the domain name for a newly registered company, before they have the chance to register it. 

The service is jointly developed by Norid, the Brønnøysund Register Centre and the Norwegian industrial Property Office.

Ensuring top-level domains for new countries

Annebeth B. Lange is nominated as Contributor of the year for her substantial effort to ensure that country and territory names remain national or local resources in the ongoing global process on new generic top-level domains. The process was initiated in 2012 under ICANN, with the purpose of offering more commercial opportunities in the domain name system by opening for registration of .whatever. Today some 1,200 new generic top-level domains are up and running in addition to the "old" ones, such as .com, .org and the like.

When this process started, Lange was the one who pointed at the need of making exceptions for country and territory names from commercial registration. She has been working tirelessly to ensure that new countries that may be established would have their country code and country name available for registration. She also called attention to the consequences if a commercial actor is permitted to register for example .norway.

Annebeth B. Lange has been working with internet and domain issues for years, starting at the Norwegian Post and Telecommunication Authorities (now the National Communication Authority), and as Head of legal at Norid for the last ten years. Through the years she has had an extensive international commitment, lately especially with the new generic top-level domains process. She is now honoured for her effort with a nomination as Contributor of the year.

More about the CENTR Awards and the nominations: https://www.centr.org/events/centr-awards.html

The registry system (EPP and the EPP client), PID automaton, applicant declaration system, registrar web, whois and DAS will be unavailable in short periods during the maintenance window.

The name service (DNS) will not be affected.

When Norid takes over, all the domains under herad.no and kommune.no will be subject to the domain name policy for .no. This means, among other things, that each domain has to be associated with a registrar, and the municipality must accept the terms of the domain name policy.

Registrars that are already responsible for municipal domain names have been asked to contact their customers and assist with the practicalities that are necessary due to this change. Municipalities that do not use a registrar, will receive information directly from Norid.

• Adjusted routines for confiscation of domain names
• The letter ï (i-umlaut) is added to the list of permitted characters
• Youth Businesses and Student Businesses no longer have specially assigned organization numbers
• Clarification that a domain name cannot be deleted while it is involved in a complaints process

Norway is among the best in the world when it comes implementing this technology. Almost six out of ten Norwegian domain names are now secured with DNSSEC, and this shows that the technology has become part of the standard delivery here. The high usage in Norway gives a good foundation to build a brand new security functionality.

We have taken a close look at the material, and looked into how the numbers divide themselves among the registrars, and which important and frequently used Norwegian web pages that still have not been secured.

Read the whole article here

The services will be fully operational again no later than Monday 7 November 2016 at 07:00 CET.

Read the arcticle here.

Many entrepreneurs do not have the knowledge of how important a domain name is for their business, and that they must be quick to get the name they want. Some will start their process by registering their company, which can lead to someone else snatching the domain name. This may end up costing a lot of time and money both.

Startup seminars around the country

Tønsberg, Ringebu, Steinkjer, Kvæfjord, Tromsø; these and more are places we have visited during the last year as part of a team of advisers on starting and running a company. Topics range from what type of company to choose and company registration, to financing, trade marks and marketing – and domain name registration. The target group for the arrangement Starte og drive bedrift-dagen is local entrepreneurs who are at the starting line with their own company. The event is run by the Brønnøysund Register Centre with the Norwegian Industrial Property Office and Norid as partners.

Norid message here is the importance of shaping your online identity, and how a domain name should be the basis for web pages and email as well as for profiling in social media.

Facebook and Instagram not sufficient

Facebook and other social media have an enormous impact, and can be a quick and cheap start. But social media cannot meet all needs. An entrepreneur who needs to build a professional and serious profile for his new company will need a website to complement his Facebook page, and the good, old email is still a simple and orderly tool for professional customer handling and other business matters. A domain name is not free, but it is very cheap.

Student entrepreneurs had to hurry

Ungt Entreprenørskap Norge (organization that educates student entrepreneurs) arranged the Norwegian National Championship for Student Entrepreneurs in June with 24 very strong finalists. However, a few of them had forgotten to register a domain name for their company or product, thus some got a very busy afternoon getting their domain registration in order.

The way to do it for them is for one person to register the domain name as a private individual and then transfer it to their company when that has been registered. The latter is crucial for these entrepreneurs, as they work two or more in a team. It is very important that the domain name is i a joint property for the company, and not a private property for one of the owners.

Exactly according to the manual

In May Astrid Låte on Stord registered the domain name dittkrydder.no (yourspice). She had been laid off her job, and had worked on different ideas for her own business connected to food. She kept her cards close to her chest regarding her specific business idea, but she was very conscious about securing a domain name. The choice was dittkrydder.no, which passed the counter as domain name number 50,000 registered by Norwegian private individuals.

Smart start – a video on starting business

A guide: Be present online ( PDF, 162 KB)

This usage of .bv requires a dispensation from certain parts of the Norwegian Domain Regulations. On 21 June, The Ministry of Transport and Communications advised that such dispensation should not be granted. The collaboration between Norid and SIDN on .bv will therefore be concluded.

The top-level domain .bv (Bouvet Island) has been an unused domain resource since its creation in 1997. Norid has carefully considered possible ways to develop and use this resource, but the conclusion has been that there are no sustainable ways to utilize .bv for Norwegian users directly. However, the fact that the Bouvet Island is uninhabited, and that .bv thus has no local Internet community, grants the freedom to look into new and innovative ways to develop the top-level domain.

BV in the Netherlands is equivalent to AS in Norway (Inc. in the UK), and the Dutch registry SIDN has considered offering .bv on the Dutch market based on this. This would have indirectly gained the Norwegian Internet community a new basis of income that Norid could have invested in added quality of service for .no.

– We comply with the decision made by the ministry, and have withdrawn the application for dispensation. From Norid’s perspective, we regret that we don’t get the opportunity to use this domain resource. SIDN runs one of the world’s largest top-level domains, and they are highly recognized internationally for their professional operations. A collaboration would have given the opportunity for valuable exchange of knowledge and experience that would have benefitted the Norwegian community, says Norid’s General Manager, Hilde Thunem.

Roelof Meijer, CEO of SIDN, comments: – We regret that the excellent collaboration with our colleagues from Norid on this opportunity has come to an end this way. A successful implementation would have benefitted the Dutch as well as the Norwegian Internet community.

More information: Hilde Thunem, hilde.thunem@uninett.no, phone 414 49 885

Timeline with an overview of the process and the relevant documents (in Norwegian only)