The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has introduced new uptime measurement capabilities in ICANN Domain Metrica, providing greater insight into how quickly mitigation occurs after domains appear on a reputation blocklist.
ICANN Domain Metrica provides data and analysis on domain name registration trends and potential Domain Name System (DNS) Abuse. By bringing together registration and abuse-related data, the platform helps the ICANN community, researchers, and other stakeholders better understand activity across the domain name ecosystem and identify trends over time.
When a domain is reported for potential DNS Abuse, how long it remains reachable matters: The faster it is mitigated, the less opportunity it has to cause harm. The new uptime measurement capabilities are the first step in a planned series of releases focused on measuring the mitigation of reported DNS Abuse.
Measuring Time to Mitigation
At the core of the release is a new metric called Time to Mitigation (TTM), which estimates the time between a reported domain's first and last successful DNS resolution.
TTM provides a practical way to assess how long reported domains remain reachable through the DNS. Alongside TTM, users can access related DNS resolution information, including:
- Current monitoring status
- First successful DNS resolution
- Last successful DNS resolution
- Observed mitigation outcome, where available
Together, these indicators provide a clearer picture of the lifecycle of reported maliciously registered domains, from their first observed DNS resolution through mitigation.
Available in Domain Search
The new metrics are integrated into Domain Search in ICANN Domain Metrica. Users can review monitoring data for individual reported domains as part of their existing investigation workflow, without having to move to a separate tool or report.
The feature is designed to support more consistent analysis of mitigation timing while establishing the measurement foundation for additional capabilities planned for Domain Metrica.
What's Next
This release is the first in a planned series expanding ICANN Domain Metrica's ability to measure mitigation actions. Future releases are expected to extend uptime metrics beyond individual domain search results, with planned capabilities potentially including visualizations on the Domain Metrica landing page, dedicated views for registrars and registries, and API access for users who want to incorporate the data into their own workflows, reporting, or analysis.
By making mitigation timing more visible and comparable, ICANN Domain Metrica will provide stakeholders with additional data to assess how reported DNS Abuse is addressed over time and support a more evidence-based understanding of mitigation activity across the domain name ecosystem.