Security News > 2022 > September > Dotless domains: Home to the Internet’s shortest URLs
You may be familiar with some of the shortest internet domains used by major companies, such as m.me and fb.
Although the vast majority of internet domains contain TLDs separated by one or more dots, turns out it's not a must for a domain.
In theory, for example, it would be possible for internet regulatory authorities to enable top-level domains like com to be a valid domain by itself and have valid DNS records resolving to a server.
In internal networks typically implemented by enterprises, it isn't unusual to have dotless domains reachable from within the company.
In 2013, the internet regulatory authority ICANN adopted a resolution banning dotless domain names and stating that their usage could be harmful as such domains are usually expected to resolve in a local context.
"Dotless domains would not be universally reachable and recommended strongly against their use. As a result, the SSAC recommended that the use of DNS resource records such as A, AAAA, and MX in the apex of a Top-Level Domain should be contractually prohibited where appropriate, and strongly discouraged in all cases."