On 8 April 2025, Cameroon achieved a major milestone in its digital journey!
ANTIC, the institution that administers our national Internet extension “.cm” successfully activated Domain Name System Security (DNSSEC), a global security technology that protects Internet users from fake or malicious websites.
As a result, websites registered under the “.cm” domain are now more secure and trustworthy. Consequently, users can now be confident that all “.cm” websites they visit are genuine and not fake copies attempting to steal their data.
This achievement places Cameroon among the few African countries whose national domain is fully protected with DNSSEC and represents a big step for the country’s digital sovereignty.
However, having a DNSSEC-enabled country code top-level domain (ccTLD) such as “.cm” is only the first step in the DNS security journey. Internet experts affirm that these security measures are effective only when the entire chain of trust functions properly. This requires local Internet Access Providers, such as CAMTEL, MTN, Orange, Creolink, and others, to activate DNSSEC validation to ensure that all Internet users can fully benefit from these protections.
Incidentally, in Cameroon, the DNSSEC validation rate currently stands at 56.60%, a situation that continues to expose Internet users to significant risks.
In a bid to address this challenge, Cameroon’s Internet stakeholders are currently exploring ways to promote and strengthen the DNS validation process during the fifth edition of the National DNS Forum, organized by ANTIC with technical support from the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and the African Network Information Centre (AFRINIC), in Douala, 8 – 10 December 2025.
Speaking at the forum’s opening session today, ANTIC’s Director General, Prof. Ebot Ebot Enaw, emphasized that the main goal of this hands-on gathering is to lay the groundwork for Cameroon to achieve 98% DNSSEC validation across all active telecommunications operators and Internet Access Providers in the country by the first half of 2026.
Prof. Ebot highlighted that achieving these targets will strengthen Cameroon’s digital sovereignty, align the country with global standards, and enhance the security of Internet users. Effective DNSSEC validation will help protect Internet users against threats such as DNS and Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) hijacking, which can result in traffic interception, eavesdropping, denial-of-service attacks, or website and service impersonation.
Forum’s Main Takeaway!
? Cameroon’s Ambitious Goals
By mid-2026, ANTIC aims for:
- 98% DNSSEC validation across all operators ;
- 100% Resource Public Key Infrastructure (RPKI) implementation nationwide.
This will position Cameroon among the most secure Internet ecosystems in Africa.
? Why Does This Matter?
A safer Internet means:
- Students accessing online resources without risk;
- Business owners managing e-commerce with confidence;
- Citizens browsing without fear of being redirected to fake sites.
Thus, the joint effort of all stakeholders is vital to ensure DNS configurations that strengthen Cameroon’s secure and resilient digital future.
