act under the Radio Equipment Directive55), and the objective to implement cybersecurity
rules for motor vehicles for all new vehicle types as from July 202256. They would, moreover,
build on the proposed revision of general product safety rules, which do not directly address
cybersecurity aspects57.
1.6
Greater global Internet security
A set of core protocols and supporting infrastructure ensures the functionality and integrity of
the Internet worldwide58. This set includes the DNS and its hierarchical and delegated system
of zones, starting, at the top of the hierarchy, with the root zone and the thirteen DNS root
servers59 on which the World Wide Web depends. The Commission intends to develop a
contingency plan, supported by EU funding, for dealing with extreme scenarios
affecting the integrity and availability of the global DNS root system. It will work with
ENISA, the Member States, the two EU DNS root server operators 60 and the multistakeholder community, to assess the role of these operators in guaranteeing that the Internet
remains globally accessible in all circumstances.
For a client to access a resource under a particular domain name on the Internet, its request
(typically for a Uniform Resource Locator, or URL) needs to be translated or ‘resolved’ into
an IP address, through reference to DNS name servers. However, people and organisations in
the EU increasingly rely on a few public DNS resolvers operated by non-EU entities. Such
consolidation of DNS resolution in the hands of few companies61 renders the resolution
process itself vulnerable in case of significant events affecting one major provider, and makes
it more difficult for EU authorities to address possible malicious cyberattacks and major
geopolitical and technical incidents62.
With a view to reducing security issues related to market concentration, the Commission will
encourage relevant stakeholders including EU companies, Internet Service Providers and
browser vendors to adopt a DNS resolution diversification strategy. The Commission also
intends to contribute to secure Internet connectivity by supporting the development of a
public European DNS resolver service. This ‘DNS4EU’ initiative will offer an alternative,
European service for accessing the global Internet. DNS4EU will be transparent, conform to
55
Directive 2014/53/EU
Follows
the
UN
Regulation
adopted
in
June
2020;
http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/trans/doc/2020/wp29grva/ECE-TRANS-WP29-2020-079-Revised.pdf
57
Revision of current general product safety rules (Directive 2001/95/EC); proposed adapted rules are also
planned on liability of producers in the digital context within the scope of the EU liability regulatory framework.
58
‘The public core of the open internet, namely its main protocols and infrastructure, which are a global public
good, provides the essential functionality of the internet as a whole and underpins its normal operation. ENISA
should support the security of the public core of the open internet and the stability of its functioning, including,
but not limited to, key protocols (in particular DNS, BGP, and IPv6), the operation of the domain name system
(such as the operation of all top-level domains), and the operation of the root zone’; Recital 23 Cybersecurity
Act.
59
https://www.iana.org/domains/root/servers
60
The i.root-servers operated by Netnod in Sweden and k.root-servers operated by RIPE NCC in the
Netherlands.
61
Consolidation in the DNS resolver market – how much, how fast how dangerous? (), Evidence of decreasing
Internet entropy – the lack of redundancy in DNS resolution by major websites and services ( )
62
There is also evidence showing that DNS data can be used for profiling purposes, with an impact on privacy
and data protection rights.
56
10