Cameroon now features among few African countries with an operational Domain Name System Security Extensions-enabled (ccTLD) following the publication of its first signed .cm zone file without a Delegation Signer (DS) record.
This significant achievement which took place today, 08 April 2025, is the outcome of a productive partnership between ANTIC and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), following the selection of .cm in February 2024 as one of the seven African ccTLDs to benefit from DNSSEC support under the "Coalition for a Digital Africa" initiative.
The online event witnessed the participation of some ICANN officials led by Mr. Pierre Dandji Nou, Vice President, Stakeholder Engagement – Africa, President of the Internet Society- Cameroon Chapter and President of the Cameroon Internet Exchange Point Association (CAMIX). Speaking on behalf of ANTIC’s Director General during the event, ANTIC’s Director of Normalisation and Cooperation, Mr. Albert Kamga, noted that the implementation of the DNSSEC for the .cm ccTLD represents a significant milestone in enhancing the cybersecurity posture of Cameroon’s digital ecosystem.
The initiative will assist Cameroon in achieving its goal of establishing a robust and trusted DNS infrastructure aligned with global best practices for managing the '.cm' domain, thereby fostering a safer and more resilient Internet for users, he added.
According to ICANN statistics, as of early 2025, only about 35% of African ccTLDs have initiated DNSSEC implementation. The inclusion of .cm under the Coalition for a Digital Africa therefore positions Cameroon as a regional leader in DNS security.
With continued support from ICANN and the dedication of national stakeholders, Cameroon is poised to become a reference in secure Internet resource management in Africa.
However, the project is far from over, as ANTIC looks forward to collaborating with the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) to validate the '.cm' zone signature and fulfill other commitments related to securing its subdomains.
