Verifying that domains registered in new gTLDs such as .bank and .insurance are genuine and not some sort of scam, and to gain the trust of potential registrants and internet users, is an issue to overcome for such gTLDs. For .bank and the pending .insurance, to be operated by fTLD Registry Services, the job has been given to Symantec Corporation.

In this role, Symantec will add a layer of protection to the new domains by verifying the eligibility of companies requesting domain names, making sure the person requesting the domain name is authorized by the company and ensuring the name requested by the company complies with fTLD’s policies.

“The cornerstone of consumer trust in ‘.bank’ and ‘.insurance’ is ensuring that only verified members of the banking and insurance communities are permitted to register domain names,” said Craig Schwartz, managing director of fTLD. “Symantec is the market leader in verifying the authenticity of organisations and we are confident in their ability to uphold our strict standards.”

fTLD announced they selected Symantec following a public request for proposals process in April 2014. Symantec is an information protection expert that helps people, businesses and governments seeking the freedom to unlock the opportunities technology brings – anytime, anywhere.

fTLD is owned, operated and governed by members of the global banking and insurance communities. For more information, see ftld.com.