As the window to secure a Brand Top-Level Domain opens in April 2026, many organizations are rethinking how they manage digital identity and DNS risk.
A Brand TLD provides a controlled, brand authentic namespace that strengthens trust, eliminates lookalike risk, and reduces exposure across customer-facing channels. We’re also seeing growing attention on DNS as a critical, yet often under-governed layer of enterprise security and brand protection.
This month’s update highlights why Brand TLDs change the game and how you can mature your DNS security posture.
2026: The Year of Brands TLDs
The next ICANN application window is approaching fast, and with it, a new wave of Brand Top-Level Domains along with hundreds more generic TLDs. Organizations that own their Brand TLDs are taking control of their digital identity, improving security, and redefining trust online.
Authentic Web, together with Pitch.law have teamed up supporting enterprises to prepare, apply and operate your TRUSTED and SECURE brand authentic space.
Start Building Your Brand TLD Plan
Brand TLDs Are Back! They Matter More Than Ever
Brand-owned namespaces (think .audi., .ibm, .aws, .google) are foundations of TRUST and SECURITY.
At a time of rising phishing, DNS risk, domain portfolio bloat and cost, combined with a noisy, risk-filled internet, owning your brand authentic namespace delivers a digital anchor of trust advantage.
Over 500 brands applied for their own TLD in 2012. The second ICANN application round starts in April 2026. You don’t want to miss this one.
Partner Spotlight: Pitch.law
Authentic Web has partnered with Pitch.law (Legal & ICANN and IP monitoring specialists), we are combining forces to bring clients a modern technology approach with executive level service that is unmatched in the industry.
The expertise that powered hundreds of applications is now matched with Brand TLD usage insights and a modern control system to power your Band TLD strategy and Go-To-Market that you need to succeed.
DNS Security Compromises In the Wild: The Hazy Hawk Example
DNS-based impersonation attacks continue to target global enterprises, with ‘Hazy Hawk’ like attacks becoming more frequent. These attacks rely on misconfigured DNS records, dangling CNAMEs, and orphaned infrastructure to impersonate brands at scale, often without detection until meaningful and costly damage has occurred.
Brand TLDs directly reduce this exposure. By consolidating all digital assets under a closed, brand authentic namespace with automated DNS security controls, organizations eliminate entire classes of DNS and supply chain vulnerabilities that attackers exploit. No guesswork, all automated and the DNS attack surface shrinks.
The secure digital brand identity of a Brand TLD protects your organization and customers.
Domain Name Asset Manager Built for the Brand TLD Era
As organizations evaluate Brand TLD strategies, one challenge immediately emerges: legacy registrar systems were designed for a different era that do not support the modern security, and compliance control requirements to efficiently manage today’s complex DNS landscape, much less as control systems for a Brand TLD namespace.
Authentic Web unifies domain, DNS, and Brand TLD operations with a modern control system.