IE-Annual-Report-&-Review-2024

Business Review Accredited Registrars .IE Registrar Accreditation Framework – our response to NIS2 at “the end of self-regulation”. .ie Registrar Accreditation Framework Our traditional Accreditation Process has ensured that Registrars have the experience and technical capabilities to provide registration services to customers and to implement .ie registration policies. During 2024 we designed and developed an updated, modern Accreditation Framework for our registrars, in response to the EU cybersecurity directive (NIS2), which heralds the end of self-regulation for the majority of the Registrar channel. Containing 13 metrics with a weighted scoring methodology, it was designed and developed by our internal data analytics team (team Xavier), advised by our internal NIS2 subject matter experts, in consultation with the Registrar channel. In November 2024, we soft-launched the new framework, and it went live in April 2025. Development of the Framework The development of this new framework was driven by the forthcoming NIS2 legislation in Ireland, which mandates enhanced cybersecurity standards and identity verification obligations. In response, the framework was developed to support Registrars in meeting these new legal obligations and to encourage the adoption of best practices in both the domain industry and emerging cybersecurity standards. Its primary aim was to ensure the ongoing safety and security of the .ie domain namespace. As this was the framework’s inaugural year, no predefined performance benchmark was applied. Instead, partnership levels were determined based on relative performance among peers. Framework Structure The framework was structured around four key pillars – Security, Operations, Activation, and Performance – and comprised 13 individual metrics, including: ▶ .ie Scorecard: Evaluated DNS, email security, and web security based on globally recommended best practices. Each active .ie domain was scanned for DNS records, HTTPS security settings, and web content. ▶ Conversion Rate: Measured the percentage of applications that converted into successful registrations. ▶ Auto-validation: Recognised registrars that supported automatic validation for returning customers and companies providing valid CRO numbers, thus reducing manual intervention. ▶ Growth Ratio: Measured a registrar’s contribution to .ie growth, based on the percentage of new domain creates relative to the total domain base (DUM). ▶ ICANN Accreditation: Reflected adherence to ICANN’s service and quality guidelines for TLDs. Registrars were eligible for the following partnership tiers based on the size of their domain portfolio and their overall score: ▶ Gold Partners: Top 10 qualifying registrars (minimum 500 domains) ▶ Silver Partners: Ranked 11th – 30th (minimum 500 domains) ▶ Bronze Partners: Ranked 31st or higher (minimum 200 domains) ▶ Accredited Partners: All other registrars This tiered system provides a transparent and performance-based structure that rewards excellence while promoting continuous improvement. Chart 6: Registrar Accreditation Framework – SOAP metrics S ecurity Scorecard light on DNS Domain lifetime value Conversion rate Domain with active email Scorecard light on wesite security Renewal rate ICANN accreditation Domain with active website Scorecard light on email security Growth ratio ISO 27001 Market share % of new creates Auto-validation for returning customers O perations A ctivation P erformance IE Domain Registry CLG t/a .IE / Annual Report & Review 2024 29