FW: Unicode Security and Domain Names



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-----Original Message-----
From: root@unicode.org [mailto:root@unicode.org] On Behalf Of announcements@unicode.org
Sent: Friday, August 06, 2010 12:30 PM
To: announcements@unicode.org
Subject: Unicode Security and Domain Names

The Unicode Consortium has released three important specifications 
related to Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) and Security.

UTS #46: Unicode IDNA Compatibility Processing
http://www.unicode.org/reports/tr46/


UTR# 36: Unicode Security Considerations
http://www.unicode.org/reports/tr36/


UTR# 39: Unicode Security Mechanisms
http://www.unicode.org/reports/tr39/



UTS #46: Unicode IDNA Compatibility Processing

Client software, such as browsers and emailers, faces a difficult 
transition from the version of international domain names approved in 
2003 (IDNA2003), to the revision approved in 2010 (IDNA2008). The 
specification in this document provides a mechanism that minimizes the 
impact of this transition for client software, allowing client software 
to access domains that are valid under either system. The specification 
provides two main features: One is a comprehensive mapping to support 
current user expectations for casing and other variants of domain names. 
Such a mapping is allowed by IDNA2008. The second is a compatibility 
mechanism that supports the existing domain names that were allowed 
under IDNA2003. This second feature is intended to improve client 
behavior during the transitional period.

UTR# 36: Unicode Security Considerations

Because Unicode contains such a large number of characters and 
incorporates the varied writing systems of the world, incorrect usage 
can expose programs or systems to possible security attacks. This is 
especially important as more and more products are internationalized. 
This document describes some of the security considerations that 
programmers, system analysts, standards developers, and users should 
take into account, and provides specific recommendations to reduce the 
risk of problems.

UTR# 39: Unicode Security Mechanisms

Because Unicode contains such a large number of characters and 
incorporates the varied writing systems of the world, incorrect usage 
can expose programs or systems to possible security attacks. This 
document specifies mechanisms that can be used to detect possible 
security problems.



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Received on Tuesday, 31 August 2010 22:00:55 UTC