The new .bank generic top-level domain will launch into general availability next week, promising to offer financial institutions and their customers better online security.
The domain is managed by fTLD Registry Services, a private company specifically set up for the task, and owned, operated and governed by banks, insurance companies and their respective trade associations.
Having seen more than 700 applications for the new domains during an initial registration period, general availability will arrive in the US on 24 June and Europe on 26 June.
The body says that all .bank domains will meet security requirements that are not mandated in other top-level domains. Vendor Symantec has been brought in to provide verification services, while Architelos will provide security monitoring.
Craig Schwartz, MD, fTLD, says: "An increasing number of banks recognize that a '.bank' domain will signify that their institution has been verified as legitimate and committed to implementing security requirements that go beyond existing standards to protect customers' sensitive information."
Not all banks are taking up the option, though: Barclays has decided to ditch dot com domains in favour of proprietary URLs ending in .barclays and .barclaycard.