ZA Registry Consortium

A resilient Internet doesn't happen by accident. It takes continuous investment, planning and preparation. At the Africa Cybersecurity Indaba 2026, ZARC's Co-CEO, Neil Dundas, discussed the importance of strengthening the infrastructure that keeps South Africa connected. From DDoS attacks and network failures to international connectivity disruptions, critical Internet infrastructure must be designed to withstand and recover from unexpected challenges. At ZARC, resilience is supported through geographically distributed DNS infrastructure, network diversity, anycast technology, continuous monitoring and robust security measures, including DNSSEC and Registry Lock. 💡 The goal isn't simply to prevent disruption. It's to minimise its impact and restore services when challenges arise. Building a stronger digital future means continuously improving the systems that businesses, institutions and individuals rely on every day. #ZARC #CyberResilience #DNSSEC #Cybersecurity #CriticalInfrastructure #DNS #DigitalTrust #DotZA

🌍 Digital sovereignty isn't about digital isolation. One of the key messages shared by ZARC's Co-CEO, Neil Dundas, at the Africa Cybersecurity Indaba was that true digital sovereignty goes beyond the physical location of infrastructure. The Internet is global and interconnected, and geographic diversity is essential to building resilient networks. What matters is having the technical expertise, operational independence and infrastructure capabilities to manage, secure and recover our critical digital resources. 💡 "Sovereignty is not simply about where infrastructure resides. It is about having the capacity to operate, protect and recover it." By investing in local expertise, reliable infrastructure and strong governance, South Africa can strengthen its digital independence while remaining connected to the global Internet. #ZARC #DigitalSovereignty #Cybersecurity #InternetGovernance #DigitalInfrastructure #DNS #SouthAfrica

Did you know that almost every online service you use relies on DNS? From online banking and government services to e-commerce and everyday communication, the Domain Name System plays a critical role in keeping our digital world connected. At the recent Africa Cybersecurity Indaba, ZARC's Co-CEO, Neil Dundas, highlighted why DNS must be recognised as critical digital infrastructure. With approximately 1.5 million registered domain names across the commercial .ZA namespaces, protecting this infrastructure is about more than keeping websites accessible. 🔐 It's about safeguarding South Africa's digital economy, supporting business continuity and maintaining public trust. At ZARC, we remain committed to providing secure, stable and resilient registry infrastructure that South Africans can depend on. #ZARC #DNS #CriticalInfrastructure #Cybersecurity #DigitalEconomy #DotZA #DigitalTrust

ZARC at ICANN 87 | Bali, Indonesia 🇮🇩 ZARC was proud to participate in ICANN 87, engaging in important discussions, policy sessions and technical workshops shaping the future of the global domain name industry. Our team attended key ccNSO and GNSO sessions, exploring topics such as ccTLD governance, Internationalised Domain Names (IDNs) and DNS abuse mitigation. Beyond the sessions, ICANN 87 provided valuable opportunities to connect with industry peers, strengthen existing partnerships and explore new opportunities for collaboration across the global domain ecosystem. 🤝 We look forward to building on these conversations and continuing to contribute to a secure, stable and resilient Internet! #ZARC #ICANN87 #ICANN #DNS #ccTLD #DNSAbuse #InternetGovernance #DigitalInfrastructure #DotZA

Cybercriminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated, using fraudulent domain names and deceptive websites to impersonate trusted organisations, mislead users and potentially steal sensitive information. Recently, ZARC's abuse monitoring team investigated a suspected impersonation scheme involving a domain mimicking the University of the Free State's student admission portal. Following investigations and engagement with the accredited registrar, the domain was placed on clienthold status, preventing it from resolving. This case highlights the importance of proactive abuse monitoring, collaboration and responsible action in protecting South Africa's digital landscape. 💡 Spot a suspicious website impersonating a trusted organisation? Report it to [email protected]. Read our latest article to learn more about how ZARC investigates brand impersonation and works to maintain a safer, more trusted .ZA namespace. 🔗 Read more zarc.web.za/neutralizing-a-h… #ZARC #Cybersecurity #BrandImpersonation #DNSAbuse #OnlineSafety #DigitalTrust #DotZA #CyberAwareness

We're pleased to announce that ZARC's Co-CEO, Neil Dundas, will be speaking at this year's Cybersecurity Indaba on Thursday, 29 October 2026! Neil will be joining an insightful panel discussion on: 🔐 Telecommunications, Digital Sovereignty & Critical Infrastructure Topic: Securing Africa's Digital Backbone: Building Resilient, Sovereign and Trusted Digital Infrastructure 📅 Thursday, 29 October 2026 📍 Ubuntu Hall | Cybersecurity Indaba As Africa's digital landscape continues to evolve, securing critical infrastructure, strengthening digital sovereignty and building resilient, trusted systems have never been more important. We look forward to the discussions and valuable insights on shaping a more secure and connected digital future for Africa. #ZARC #CybersecurityIndaba2026 #Cybersecurity #DigitalSovereignty #CriticalInfrastructure #DigitalInfrastructure #DigitalTrust #Africa

📸💻 Behind the scenes of DNS Advanced Training! A week of learning, troubleshooting, collaboration and putting technical knowledge into practice! Our DNS Advanced Training brought together passionate IT professionals for five days of hands-on learning at COZA House, exploring advanced DNS concepts, strengthening practical skills and sharing valuable industry knowledge. From working through complex configurations to solving real-world DNS challenges, it was great to see participants exchanging ideas, asking questions and learning from one another. 👏 A big thank you to our trainers and participants for making the week such a success! We're proud to continue supporting technical skills development and strengthening South Africa's DNS community. 🇿🇦 Take a look at some of our favourite moments from the week! #ZARC #DNSAdvancedTraining #DNSTraining #DNS #DigitalSkills #TechTraining #DotZA #SouthAfrica

The legal side of artificial intelligence that every digital citizen should understand. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has changed the way we work, communicate and create. Within seconds, we can generate professional emails, draft legal documents, develop marketing campaigns, create realistic images and even replicate a person’s voice. But as AI becomes increasingly integrated into our daily lives, an important question emerges: zarc.web.za/ai-created-it-yo…

🎓🌐 That's a wrap on DNS Advanced Training! After five days of intensive learning, hands-on practical exercises and plenty of technical challenges, our DNS Advanced Training participants wrapped up the week with a certificate ceremony at COZA House! Throughout the week, participants explored advanced DNS concepts, including DNSSEC, TSIG, dynamic updates and delegation synchronisation, strengthening their technical knowledge and practical skills. 👏 A huge congratulations to all our participants on successfully completing the course! Thank you for your enthusiasm, dedication and engagement throughout the week. A special thank you to our trainers @MarkJElkins and @Johan Stenstam for sharing their expertise, guidance and knowledge, and to everyone involved in making the training a success. We're proud to play a part in developing technical skills and strengthening the DNS community in South Africa! 🇿🇦 @dotZADNA #ZARC #DNSAdvancedTraining #DNSTraining #DNS #DNSSEC #DigitalSkills #TechTraining #SouthAfrica

🔐 Cybercrime doesn’t just steal data. It steals your bottom line. What does a cyberattack really cost a business? It could be a fraudulent supplier payment, interrupted operations, inaccessible financial systems, costly recovery efforts — or damage to customer trust that has taken years to build. This Cybersecurity Awareness Month, ZARC is looking at cybercrime from a different perspective: the balance sheet. 💻📉 Our latest article explores why cybersecurity isn’t just an IT responsibility, the important role Finance plays in cyber defence, and why protecting information ultimately means protecting the financial health and future of the business. Think before you click. Verify before you pay. Protect before you lose. zarc.web.za/cybercrime-doesn… #CybersecurityAwarenessMonth #CyberResilience #CyberSecurity #Finance #DigitalTrust #DomainIndustry #ZARC #ISO27001

Days 1 & 2 of Advanced DNS Training! 💻🌐 It’s been a busy start to the week at COZA House, with our participants getting hands-on with some of the more advanced elements of DNS. Over the first two days, students have worked through: 🔐 TSIG – exploring inbound and outbound zone transfers and verifying that transfers without the correct key fail. ⚙️ Dynamic Update – creating update keys, authorising them and working through secure DNS updates. 🔄 Delegation Synchronisation via DNS Update – checking what the agent holds for a zone, identifying what it is waiting for, publishing the required records and watching a delegation change make its way to the parent. Plenty of practical learning, testing and troubleshooting — and we’re only two days in! #ZARC #DNSTraining #AdvancedDNS #DNS #DotZA #TechTraining #DigitalSkills #SouthAfrica

Ready to transfer your CO.ZA domain? 🌐 A domain transfer should be a smooth administrative change — not a reason for your website, email or other online services to go offline. With the right preparation, you can move your domain to a new accredited registrar while keeping your digital presence running as normal. Our latest article covers what you need to know before making the move, including: 🌐 Keeping your DNS configuration stable 🔐 Checking transfer restrictions and account access 📧 Protecting your website and email services 🛡️ Managing DNSSEC correctly ✅ Verifying your domain and security settings after the transfer A well-managed transfer should be quiet by design. 🔗 zarc.web.za/how-to-transfer-… #ZARC #COZA #DotZA #DomainTransfer #DomainNames #DNS #DNSSEC #InternetInfrastructure #DigitalSecurity #SouthAfrica

🚨 ONLY 1 SPOT LEFT! 🚨 Our DNS Advanced Training Course is almost fully booked! If you’re looking to deepen your DNS knowledge and build on your existing technical skills, this is your last chance to secure a place. 📅 5–9 October 2026 ⏰ 09:00 📍 COZA House, Midrand 🎟️ Only 1 spot remaining! Don’t miss out — get in touch with us to secure the final spot. training.dns.net.za/ #ZARC #DNSTraining #DNS #AdvancedDNS #DotZA #TechTraining #SouthAfrica

Final call for DNS professionals! There are just 2 places left for ZARC’s DNS Advanced Training Course happening next week, 5–9 October 2026. Designed for professionals with existing DNS knowledge, the course provides five days of advanced technical and hands-on training covering DNS security, monitoring, DNSSEC, TSIG, access controls, DNS Forwarding, Split-DNS and more. If you’ve completed the DNS Introductory Course or have practical experience managing DNS systems, this is your opportunity to build on your skills and deepen your technical expertise. 📍 COZA House, Midrand 📅 5–9 October 2026 👥 Limited to 12 participants – only 2 spots remain Registrations close once the final places are filled. Register here - training.dns.net.za/ #ZARC #DNSAdvanced #DNSTraining #DNSSEC #DNSManagement #InternetInfrastructure #CyberSecurity #DotZA

1.5 MILLION .ZA REGISTRATIONS! ZARC has reached a major milestone in South Africa’s digital journey. 1.5 million domains represent millions of businesses, organisations, ideas and digital identities connected to Mzansi. A milestone for ZARC. A milestone for .ZA. A milestone for Africa’s digital ecosystem. 1.5 million and counting. 🚀 #ZARC #DigitalIdentity #DigitalSouthAfrica

Want to become a CO.ZA Registrar? 🌐 Becoming an accredited registrar is about more than offering domain registrations. It requires the right technical infrastructure, secure systems, clear customer processes and a strong understanding of the .ZA domain ecosystem. Our latest article breaks down how to become a CO.ZA Registrar in 6 key steps — from establishing your operating model and understanding registry policies to EPP integration, DNS security and applying for accreditation. Ready to take the next step? 🔗 zarc.web.za/how-to-become-a-… #ZARC #COZA #DotZA #DomainNames #DNS #Registrar #InternetInfrastructure #SouthAfrica #DigitalEconomy

Ready to take your DNS knowledge to the next level? ZARC’s DNS Advanced Training Course takes place from 5–9 October 2026 at COZA House, Midrand. This intensive 5-day course dives deeper into advanced DNS management and security, covering DNSSEC, DNS monitoring, TSIG, access controls, KASP, automated key rollovers, CDS & CSYNC, Split-DNS and more. 📅 5–9 October 2026 📍 COZA House, Midrand 🎓 Certificate of Attendance 💻 Hands-on practical training ⚠️ Only 2 spots left! Secure your place before registrations close. Register for DNS Advanced Training - training.dns.net.za/ #ZARC #DNSTraining #DNS #DNSSEC #CyberSecurity #InternetInfrastructure #DotZA #TechTraining

🇿🇦 Happy Heritage Day, South Africa! 🇿🇦 Today we celebrate the rich cultures, traditions, languages and stories that make South Africa uniquely ours. Just as our heritage connects us to where we come from, our digital identity connects us to the world. At ZARC, we’re proud to play our part in supporting and protecting South Africa’s digital home — the .ZA namespace. 🌍💻 Here’s to celebrating our diversity, embracing our shared heritage and continuing to build a proudly South African digital future. Happy Heritage Day! 🇿🇦 #HeritageDay #ZARC #DotZA #ProudlySouthAfrican #DigitalSouthAfrica #SouthAfrica

Protecting South Africa's digital ecosystem—one domain at a time A recent phishing campaign attempted to impersonate RTMC/NaTIS using a fraudulent .co.za domain to deceive users into submitting payment information. Following detection, swift action was taken to suspend the malicious domain and coordinate with the relevant parties. The associated destination domain had already been disabled by its sponsoring registrar, ensuring the phishing infrastructure was no longer operational. This case highlights the importance of rapid collaboration across the domain name ecosystem in protecting Internet users from online fraud. Cybersecurity is a shared responsibility. Always verify website addresses before entering personal or financial information. #CyberSecurity #DNSAbuse #DotZA #InternetSafety