INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Registering a .gov domain is about to get a lot more difficult as the US government will soon start requiring notarized signatures as part
of the registration process beginning on March 10th.The reason behind this is to prevent wire and mail fraud that could lead to .gov
domains, which are usually considered secure as they're registered by government agencies, from being registered by unauthorized
organizations or individuals.The US General Services Administration (GSA) oversees the DotGov program that operates the .gov top-level
domain (TLD) and makes these domains available to government organizations in the US.In an update on its website, DotGov explains why it
requiring notarized signatures on all authorization letters when submitting a request for a new .gov domain
This is a necessary security enhancement to prevent mail and wire fraud through signature forgery in obtaining a .gov domain
This step will help maintain the integrity of .gov and ensure that .gov domains continue to be issued only to official U.S
well as fill out an online form after receiving their .gov registrar account.The authorization letter must use official letterhead
stationary and it also has to include a signature from an organization's authorizing authority according to the DotGov program
Beginning on March 10th though, this letter will need to come with a notarized signature to prevent organizations or individuals from
registering a .gov domain without the proper authorization.The change to how .gov domains are registered comes after independent security
researcher Brian Krebs revealed in November of last year that almost anyone can register a .gov domain by using fake information on the
However, if someone is caught doing so, they could be indicted for wire or mail fraud.The .gov domain was first created in 1985 and for the
past 35 years, users have associated it with legitimate government websites, which is why DotGov's new requirements make a lot of sense in
helping to keep .gov sites secure.Via BleepingComputer
