Internet Grows to 288 Million Domain Names in Q4 of 2014

 

The increase of four million domain names globally equates to a growth rate of 1.3 percent over the third quarter of 2014. Worldwide registrations have grown by 16.9 million, or 6.2 percent, year over year.

 

The .com and .net TLDs experienced aggregate growth in the fourth quarter of 2014, reaching a combined total of approximately 130.6 million domain names in the domain name base for .com and .net. This represents a 2.7 percent increase year over year. As of Dec. 31, 2014, the base of registered names in .com equaled 115.6 million names, while .net equaled 15.0 million names.

 

New .com and .net registrations totaled 8.2 million during the fourth quarter of 2014.  In the fourth quarter of 2013, new .com and .net registrations totaled 8.2 million.

 

During the fourth quarter of 2014, Verisign's average daily Domain Name System (DNS) query load was 110 billion across all TLDs operated by Verisign, with a peak of 146 billion. Compared to the previous quarter, the daily average decreased 3.7 percent and the peak decreased 54.0 percent. Year over year, the daily average query load increased 33.5 percent and the peak query load increased 47.1 percent.

 

The DNS is a critical component of the Internet; however, its security is often overlooked. Implementing DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC) into the DNS can help to minimize attack surfaces and enhance security postures. This quarter’s back page article, “Understanding and Enabling the Full Benefits of DNSSEC” highlights the role and benefits of DNSSEC in the DNS.

 

Verisign publishes the Domain Name Industry Brief to provide Internet users throughout the world with statistical and analytical research and data on the domain name industry. Copies of the 2014 fourth quarter Domain Name Industry Brief, as well as previous reports, can be obtained at VerisignInc.com/DNIB. .