EU cybersecurity organisations agree on 2019 roadmap

On 6 November 2018, following a meeting at working level, the four Principals of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the European Union Agency for Network and Information Security (ENISA), the European Defence Agency (EDA), Europol and the Computer Emergency Response Team for the EU Institutions, Agencies and Bodies (CERT-EU), met at CERT-EU’s premises.

On 6 November 2018, following a meeting at working level, the four Principals of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the European Union Agency for Network and Information Security (ENISA), the European Defence Agency (EDA), Europol and the Computer Emergency Response Team for the EU Institutions, Agencies and Bodies (CERT-EU), met at CERT-EU's premises.

The purpose of the meeting was to update each other on relevant developments and assess the progress made under the MoU, which provides a cooperation framework aiming at leveraging synergies between the four organisations to achieve a safe and open cyberspace.
https://www.enisa.europa.eu/news/enisa-news/eu-cybersecurity-organisations-agree-on-2019-roadmap
https://www.europol.europa.eu/newsroom/news/eu-cybersecurity-organisations-agree-2019-roadmap

.ONLINE Becomes 5th New gTLD To Pass 1 Million Registrations, and Radix’s First

Three years and 3 months after entering general availability, Radix’s .online has become their first new gTLD to hit the one million registrations mark, and the fifth overall. Today there are 1.012 million .online registrations according to nTLDStats, 604,00 of which are parked, the highest proportion of the top 5 new gTLDs by registration numbers.

Three years and 3 months after entering general availability, Radix’s .online has become their first new gTLD to hit the one million registrations mark, and the fifth overall. Today there are 1.012 million .online registrations according to nTLDStats, 604,00 of which are parked, the highest proportion of the top 5 new gTLDs by registration numbers. Continue reading “.ONLINE Becomes 5th New gTLD To Pass 1 Million Registrations, and Radix’s First”

Internet Governance Forum Set to Explore Harnessing New Technologies for Broader Prosperity, 12-14 November

More than 3,000 participants — including high-level Government officials, civil society leaders, private sector and Internet policy experts — will gather in Paris, France, from 12-14 November to discuss international cooperation on such issues as “fake news”, the spread of disinformation, cybersecurity and privacy, big data, the Internet of Things, and their effects on society.

More than 3,000 participants — including high-level Government officials, civil society leaders, private sector and Internet policy experts — will gather in Paris, France, from 12-14 November to discuss international cooperation on such issues as “fake news”, the spread of disinformation, cybersecurity and privacy, big data, the Internet of Things, and their effects on society.

Having taken on a higher profile as digital technology has become an integral part of daily life, the Forum will explore means by which to promote positive impacts of new technologies and how they can realize their full social and economic potential while also looking at curbing the more insidious uses of the Internet.

Convened by the United Nations Secretary-General, the Forum facilitates such dialogues to promote better Internet governance and a safe and trustworthy environment.  United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and President Emmanuel Macron of France will address the Forum, in addition to representatives of intergovernmental organizations, Governments, the private sector, the technical community and civil society, who will exchange ideas on a range of actions that can be taken to ensure an “Internet of Trust”.

With almost half the world’s population connected to the Internet, including the world’s poorest countries — striving to keep on track in their pursuit of universal and affordable access to the Internet by 2020 — access to information has never been easier.  Faster, more affordable Internet and mobile technology has opened up a world of opportunities that in turn present a host of global challenges.  Hate speech, polarization, terrorist recruitment, data manipulation and hacking undermine fundamental human rights and cause exposure to risks and security gaps.  The Internet Governance Forum is the foremost global platform addressing those challenges in an ever-evolving digital landscape.

The Secretary-General, who has called for raising awareness about the transformative impact of digital technologies in securing a safe and inclusive digital future, says in the UN Strategy on New Technologies:  “Without a stepped up, smart and responsible use of technology, we will fail to reach the SDGs [Sustainable Development Goals] and we will miss opportunities to prevent conflict and sustain peace.”

The World Economic and Social Survey 2018:  Frontier Technologies for Sustainable Development, released earlier this year, presents data showing the considerable disparity in Internet use between developed and developing countries, between men and women, urban and rural areas, and young and old.  Efforts to increase access to frontier technologies in those countries, artificial intelligence in particular, present tremendous potential to improve people’s lives, but lack of access could also drive greater inequality.

Women, who are almost equal in using the Internet in developed countries, according to the International Telecommunication Union, lag behind in Internet use in developing and least developed countries.  Digital inclusion, a key goal of the United Nations permeating all facets of sustainable development, is a pathway to empowerment and self-sufficiency in countries where women face a lack of employment opportunities.  In those countries, access to mobile technology has enabled them to take charge of their own lives via digital financing, online trading and information-sharing apps.  The Forum will address the digital divide and ways to harness technology in support of sustainable development.

Workshops and Events

The three-day meeting will feature interactive dialogues and debates, while addressing a broad range of themes and issues under eight themes:  Cybersecurity, Trust and Privacy; Development, Innovation and Economic Issues; Digital Inclusion and Accessibility; Emerging Technologies; Evolution of Internet Governance; Human Rights, Gender and Youth; Media and Content; and Technical and Operational Topics.  These workshops and panel discussions aim to encourage comprehensive debates among global stakeholders and to set policy recommendations on how to address Internet governance.  More than 160 different types of sessions will be convened.

About the Internet Governance Forum

The Internet Governance Forum, convened annually by the Secretary-General and supported by Department of Economic and Social Affairs, is a platform for multi-stakeholder dialogue on public policy issues related to key elements of Internet governance, such as its sustainability, robustness, security, stability and development.  The Forum’s purpose is to maximize opportunities for open and inclusive dialogue and the exchange of ideas on Internet governance-related matters, to create opportunities for sharing best practices and experiences, to identify emerging issues and bring them to the attention of the relevant bodies and the general public, and to contribute in building capacity for Internet governance.  Marking the thirteenth Forum, the 2018 event will be held under the theme “Internet of Trust”.

For additional information, live webcast and schedule, please visit www.intgovforum.org.

Online participation:  Media and other stakeholders not present in Paris are encouraged to participate and engage remotely in all sessions.  Anyone can access the events at www.intgovforum.org/multilingual/content/igf-2018-remote-hubs.

https://www.un.org/press/en/2018/pi2242.doc.htm

https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2018/11/internet-governance-forum-set-to-explore-pathways-to-harness-new-technologies-for-broader-prosperity/

Sundar Pichai of Google: ‘Technology Doesn’t Solve Humanity’s Problems’

Growing up in India, he slept on the floor of a house without a refrigerator. Today, the chief executive is steering Google through the most turbulent period in its history.

Growing up in India, he slept on the floor of a house without a refrigerator. Today, the chief executive is steering Google through the most turbulent period in its history.

Google is facing more challenges today than at any time in its 20-year history. Employees are outraged over sexual harassment. Executives are under scrutiny for an effort to secretly make a censored version of its search product for China. Google will shut down its social network next year after a data breach was discovered. Political and social debates, including one over building military-grade artificial intelligence, are roiling the work force.

Yet the man responsible for leading Google through this minefield is not one of the company’s founders — Larry Page and Sergey Brin — or even Eric Schmidt, the company’s former chief executive and chairman, who was ushered aside last year. Instead, the man in charge of arguably the most influential company in the world is Sundar Pichai, a soft-spoken engineer who grew up in Chennai, India.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/08/business/sundar-pichai-google-corner-office.html

Google in China: When ‘Don’t Be Evil’ Met the Great Firewall

If you’re planning on moving to China anytime soon, here’s a piece of advice: Get yourself a WeChat account. Open up the “super app,” as it’s known in China, and you can do almost anything: Pay your cab fare, order from a five-star restaurant, buy fruit from a street vendor, or even give alms to a panhandler—they often wear QR codes slung around their necks. It’s possible to spend long stretches in China without so much as touching a banknote.

If you’re planning on moving to China anytime soon, here’s a piece of advice: Get yourself a WeChat account. Open up the “super app,” as it’s known in China, and you can do almost anything: Pay your cab fare, order from a five-star restaurant, buy fruit from a street vendor, or even give alms to a panhandler—they often wear QR codes slung around their necks. It’s possible to spend long stretches in China without so much as touching a banknote.

This makes the world’s second-largest economy an internet-enabled paradise, albeit with an important caveat. Much of the internet isn’t available. Facebook, Twitter, and parts of Wikipedia are all blocked by the “Great Firewall,” the program of government censorship that keeps anything even vaguely subversive offline. You can read the BBC, but only if you speak English. China blocks the broadcaster’s Mandarin news service, along with Bloomberg.com, the New York Times, and pretty much any news that contradicts the Communist Party line about Tibet, Falun Gong, Taiwan, or the country’s slowing economy.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2018-11-08/google-never-stopped-trying-to-go-to-china

At China’s Internet Conference, a Darker Side of Tech Emerges

Every year at the World Internet Conference, held since 2014 in the photogenic canal town of Wuzhen near Shanghai, companies and government officials have convened to send a message: China is a high-tech force to be reckoned with.

Every year at the World Internet Conference, held since 2014 in the photogenic canal town of Wuzhen near Shanghai, companies and government officials have convened to send a message: China is a high-tech force to be reckoned with.

With that message now settled beyond much doubt, this year’s conference showcased something different. China’s tech industry is becoming more serious about grappling with its products’ unintended consequences — and about helping the government.

Discussions of technology’s promise were leavened with contemplation of its darker side effects, such as fraud and data breaches. A forum on protecting personal information featured representatives from China’s highest prosecutor and its powerful internet regulator. And several tech companies pledged their support for Beijing’s counterterrorism efforts, even as China faces international criticism for detaining and indoctrinating Muslims in the name of fighting terrorism in the western region of Xinjiang.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/08/technology/china-world-internet-conference.html

OECD: Bridging the digital gender divide

While digital technologies offer leapfrog opportunities and help empower women, gender-based digital exclusion remains widespread and has many causes. The report Bridging the Digital Divide: Include, Upskill, Innovate is an effort by the OECD, working with the G20, that aims to provide policy directions for consideration by all governments. It analyses a range of drivers at the root of the digital gender divide in order to draw attention to critical areas for policy action.

While digital technologies offer leapfrog opportunities and help empower women, gender-based digital exclusion remains widespread and has many causes. The report Bridging the Digital Divide: Include, Upskill, Innovate is an effort by the OECD, working with the G20, that aims to provide policy directions for consideration by all governments. It analyses a range of drivers at the root of the digital gender divide in order to draw attention to critical areas for policy action.
<http://www.oecd.org/going-digital/bridging-the-digital-gender-divide-key-messages.pdf> – key messages
<http://www.oecd.org/going-digital/bridging-the-digital-gender-divide.pdf> – full report

ICANN Reaffirms gTLD Registration Data Temporary Specification in Defiance of German Courts

Although ICANN isn’t technically American, there’s a growing difference of opinion between Europe and “America” over how to deal with the collection of domain name registrant’s registration, or Whois, data. Despite going down 4-0 to German courts in a dispute where EPAG is refusing to abide by ICANN’s requirement to collect registration data, ICANN has continued to insist registrars and registries collect the data they require for gTLDs.

Although ICANN isn’t technically American, there’s a growing difference of opinion between Europe and “America” over how to deal with the collection of domain name registrant’s registration, or Whois, data. Despite going down 4-0 to German courts in a dispute where EPAG is refusing to abide by ICANN’s requirement to collect registration data, ICANN has continued to insist registrars and registries collect the data they require for gTLDs. Continue reading “ICANN Reaffirms gTLD Registration Data Temporary Specification in Defiance of German Courts”

Over Half European Domain Names Are ccTLDs, But .COM Has Higher Visibility

Globally domain name registrations have grown 2.0% in the 12 months to the end of June, the latest CENTRstats Global TLD Report Q2/2018 reports, but growth rates vary markedly among top level domains. For example, in the 12 months .com grew 5.2% while their Verisign stablemate .net declined 6.0%.

Globally domain name registrations have grown 2.0% in the 12 months to the end of June, the latest CENTRstats Global TLD Report Q2/2018 reports, but growth rates vary markedly among top level domains. For example, in the 12 months .com grew 5.2% while their Verisign stablemate .net declined 6.0%. Continue reading “Over Half European Domain Names Are ccTLDs, But .COM Has Higher Visibility”

DomainTools Webinar: The Beginner’s Guide to Mitigating Phishing Attacks

According to the FBI, U.S. businesses alone suffer from nearly $343k in damages every hour from phishing – and this number has been going up year over year for the last five years. Phishing by definition is a fraudulent attempt to gain access to sensitive data and leverage such data for malicious purposes. Most commonly this is done by disguising malicious links to distributed malware

According to the FBI, U.S. businesses alone suffer from nearly $343k in damages every hour from phishing – and this number has been going up year over year for the last five years. Phishing by definition is a fraudulent attempt to gain access to sensitive data and leverage such data for malicious purposes. Most commonly this is done by disguising malicious links to distributed malware.

In this webinar, Corin Imai, Senior Security Advisor at DomainTools will take a look at the steps to executing a phishing attack and the potential ways to help mitigate the risk.

November 14, 2018 at 10 AM PT/1 PM ET

In this webinar, you will learn:

  • Real world examples of attacks leveraging phishing vectors
  • 5 steps of executing a phishing attack – if I can do it, surely anyone can
  • 5 ways to mitigate your risk of a phishing attack

To register for this webinar, click here.