Executive Summary
The Registrar Data Escrow (RDE) program is an ICANN initiative designed to enhance protection of registrants by requiring ICANN-accredited registrars to escrow critical registration data so that it can be released to ICANN upon termination of the registrar’s accreditation agreement. ICANN has performed tests of the RDE system, including a “process test” and “stress test” designed to ensure effectiveness of the program’s technical specifications and test the data-release procedures used by escrow agents in the event of registrar termination.
Both the “process” and “stress” tests were concluded satisfactorily, leading to some enhancements to data-release procedures, such as redundant authentication of release requests by out-of-channel means (i.e., telephone verification by an ICANN officer or attorney), and clarification of registrar on-boarding documentation.