LOS ANGELES - The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) organization (org) has published a minor revision to the Registry Service Provider (RSP) Handbook. This revision, Version 1.2.1., addresses issues in Version 1.2 of the RSP Handbook that ICANN org discovered as it prepares for the launch of the RSP Evaluation Program on November 19, 2024, a press release stated by ICANN. 

The changes in this version cover two questions regarding Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC) key signing key (KSK) rollover; one question regarding Proxy RSP reporting; and the inclusion of a missing ICANN org service-level target (SLT).

Questions MAIN.1.16 and DNSSEC.4.14 of the technical questionnaire required a Main RSP and a DNSSEC RSP to attest to annual KSK rollovers for each of the generic top-level domains (gTLDs) under their management. The purpose of these questions was to ensure the regular practice of KSK rollovers in the event of an emergency. After careful consideration, ICANN org changed these questions to accept free-text-form responses, because other strategies could allow RSPs to demonstrate that they are prepared for a KSK rollover. Additionally, doing an annual KSK rollover for every gTLD under management may not be operationally practical in certain scenarios.

Question PROXY.7.6 of the technical questionnaire asked Proxy RSPs to describe their integration with ICANN's Bulk Registration Data Access system, Registration Reporting Interfaces System, and Zone File Access (ZFA) system. However, ZFA is not applicable to Proxy RSPs based on the current Standard Amendment Language Registration Validation per Applicable Law with Proxy. ICANN org has removed ZFA from the information being sought in this question.

Finally, the RSP Handbook did not list ICANN org's SLT for the Legal Compliance Check conducted during applicant onboarding to the RSP Portal. ICANN org now has provided this information in the list of SLTs already included in the RSP Handbook.