The .sk domain zone is the country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Slovakia. It is primarily intended for entities associated with Slovakia, including individuals, businesses, and organizations. The .sk domain serves to promote the online presence of Slovak entities and to foster a sense of national identity in the digital space.
The .sk domain was officially introduced on March 1, 1993, shortly after Slovakia became an independent nation following the dissolution of Czechoslovakia. The initiative for establishing the .sk domain was led by the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, which recognized the need for a national domain to represent Slovakia on the internet.
Today, the .sk domain is managed by the SK-NIC, a.s., which is responsible for the registration and administration of .sk domains. The organization operates under the oversight of the Slovak government and complies with international standards set forth by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA).
Registration of .sk domains is open to a wide range of applicants. Both individuals and organizations can register a .sk domain, with no specific restrictions on citizenship or location. However, applicants must provide valid identification and comply with the registration procedures outlined by SK-NIC.
The .sk domain supports Internationalized Domain Names (IDN), allowing for the use of Slovak characters in domain names. The technical specifications for .sk domains are as follows:
Like many domain zones, .sk has faced issues with abuse, including spam and phishing attempts. To combat these threats, SK-NIC has implemented several security measures:
The .sk domain has seen a steady increase in registrations over the years. As of October 2023, there are approximately 100,000 registered .sk domains. The registration and renewal costs for .sk domains are competitive, typically ranging from €10 to €20 per year, depending on the registrar.