- ICANN announced that the organization is deploying a new ICANN Managed Root Server cluster in Nairobi, Kenya.
- The new IMRS cluster will help improve DNS infrastructure in the region and provide higher bandwidth and data processing capacity.
- ICANN stated that there are five IMRS clusters in the world and three additional IMRS clusters will be installed in the next two years.
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, a global non-profit organization that coordinates the Domain Name System (DNS) and plays a key role in ensuring a global, interoperable, and secure Internet, announced that the organization is deploying a new ICANN Managed Root Server cluster in Nairobi, Kenya in cooperation with its regional partners to provide faster access to services on the Internet and better protection from cyberattacks for internet users in Africa.
Managed Root Server cluster
With the new IMRS cluster, ICANN is improving the DNS infrastructure in the region. ICANN stated that it is important to stimulate Internet access and strengthen Internet stability and it will reduce the impact of potential cyberattacks across Africa. The higher bandwidth and data processing capacity provided by the IMRS clusters helps alleviate the effects of a DDoS attack, which is one of the most common types of attacks.
The new IMRS cluster will also ensure that internet queries will be answered within the region from now on. Thus, it reduces the dependence on networks and servers in other regions. It also improves national and regional resiliency by helping root server traffic stay local. According to the announcement, currently, there are five IMRS clusters in the world, two in North America, one in Europe, one in Asia, and the newest one in Africa. Three additional IMRS clusters will be installed in the next two years. Göran Marby, President and CEO of ICANN said,
« Improving users’ access to the Internet in Africa, and their safety while using it, is part of ICANN’s mission to help make the Internet more secure, stable, and resilient across the world. The installation of this new IMRS cluster would not have been possible without the participation of the local community. We are grateful to the Kenyan government for its support and commitment to advancing Internet accessibility across Africa. »