*************************************************** The domain name news is supported by auDA *************************************************** 'Father of the internet': Why we must fight for its freedom by Vinton Cerf http://edition.cnn.com/2012/11/29/business/opinion-cerf-google-internet-freedom/index.html Keep the net beyond the autocrats? reach by John?Kampfner http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/b4df686e-3a17-11e2-baac-00144feabdc0.html System error: Governments squabble over new rules for the internet http://www.economist.com/news/21567340-governments-squabble-over-new-rules-internet-system-error Three little ICANN atrocities that make the ITU look good by comparison by Milton Mueller http://www.internetgovernance.org/2012/12/01/three-little-icann-atrocities-that-make-the-itu-look-good-by-comparison/ UN internet regulation treaty talks begin in Dubai http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20575844 A Budding War Over Internet Economics - Proposals for a ?sender pays? policy will roil UN talks in Dubai. http://www.technologyreview.com/news/507906/a-budding-war-over-internet-economics/ EU set to fight Internet tax and "spying" at global summit http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/11/30/uk-eu-internet-restrictions-idUKBRE8AT0ID20121130 au: Conroy joins fight to keep internet in US control http://www.afr.com/p/technology/conroy_joins_fight_to_keep_internet_hJtiz8VMv83iJ8b9DN42vM Department of Commerce Approves Verisign-ICANN .com Registry Renewal Agreement http://www.ntia.doc.gov/press-release/2012/department-commerce-approves-verisign-icann-com-registry-renewal-agreement auDA reviews .au Dispute Resolution Policy http://www.auda.org.au/news-archive/auda-27112012/ VeriSign Agrees to .Com Price Freeze as Agreement Renewal Condition by Philip Corwin http://internetcommerce.org/DotCom_Price_Freeze ICANN board committee gives green light to Red Cross and IOC second-level protections http://www.worldtrademarkreview.com/daily/detail.aspx?g=bb1b314d-eac1-4518-9d67-a2ff3c16421b What GAC?s ?Early Warning? Notices Really Mean http://isenbergondomains.com/2012/11/26/what-gacs-early-warning-notices-really-mean/ What's Your Country's Risk of Internet Blackout? http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/11/whats-your-countrys-risk-of-internet-blackout/265790/ PIR Survey Reveals That Most Americans Are Uninformed About DDoS Attacks http://pir.org/pr/2012/ddos Uniting European CERTs And Law Enforcement In Cybercrime Battle http://www.darkreading.com/threat-intelligence/167901121/security/news/240142935/uniting-european-certs-and-law-enforcement-in-cybercrime-battle.html ENISA promotes digital hacker traps http://www.h-online.com/open/news/item/ENISA-promotes-digital-hacker-traps-1759415.html ********************** GOVERNANCE ********************** 'Father of the internet': Why we must fight for its freedom by Vinton Cerf The internet empowers each one of us to speak, create, learn and share. Today, more than two billion people are online ? about a third of the planet. http://edition.cnn.com/2012/11/29/business/opinion-cerf-google-internet-freedom/index.html Keep the net beyond the autocrats? reach by John?Kampfner Next week, out of sight of all but the most obsessive geeks, the future of the internet will be determined. Any drama, however, will be hard to discern. Men in suits will gather in Dubai to pore over interminable clause provisions, talking in acronyms and jargon. http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/b4df686e-3a17-11e2-baac-00144feabdc0.html System error: Governments squabble over new rules for the internet The rules of the internet decide its speed, safety, accessibility, flexibility and unity. They therefore matter not just to computer enthusiasts, but to everyone with a stake in the modern world. On December 3rd officials from more than 150 countries, plus do-gooders, geeks and other interested parties, will meet in Dubai to argue about how to run the network?and fight over who should control it. http://www.economist.com/news/21567340-governments-squabble-over-new-rules-internet-system-error Who Should Govern the Internet? A Future Tense Event Recap. You may have heard that at a summit next week, the ITU, a U.N. agency, will attempt to wrest control of the Internet. At a Future Tense event on Internet governance this morning, held at the New America Foundation in Washington, the rumor was soundly spanked by a host of experts. In reality, they said, the upcoming World Conference on International Communications in Dubai will likely just lead to ? more conversation. http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2012/11/29/future_tense_event_recap_who_should_govern_the_internet.html Three little ICANN atrocities that make the ITU look good by comparison by Milton Mueller December 1st marks the beginning of the WCIT in Dubai. Fussing about the threat to the Internet posed by the ITU is reaching that state of critical mass where media outlets write about it mainly because other media outlets are writing about it. The tacit assumption behind much of this fussing is that the status quo, exemplified by ICANN and other ?multi-stakeholder institutions,? is doing a wonderful job and we should strive to preserve them. http://www.internetgovernance.org/2012/12/01/three-little-icann-atrocities-that-make-the-itu-look-good-by-comparison/ UN internet regulation treaty talks begin in Dubai A UN agency is trying to calm fears that the internet could be damaged by a conference it is hosting. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20575844 A Budding War Over Internet Economics - Proposals for a ?sender pays? policy will roil UN talks in Dubai. A United Nations agency opens debate on Monday over whether it should begin to regulate the Internet. The most hotly contested proposals come from European telecommunications providers and African and Arab countries that want big content providers to pay to send data across their networks. http://www.technologyreview.com/news/507906/a-budding-war-over-internet-economics/ Internet control is battleground for Dubai talks Talks in Dubai this December could bring radical changes to the Net and who controls it. Some want a body like the UN to rein in the Net's freewheeling nature. http://www.dw.de/internet-control-is-battleground-for-dubai-talks/a-16343551 ITU goes on the defensive ahead of WCIT meeting [IDG] Companies and organizations that are convinced the ITU will try to take over the Internet during next week's WCIT don't understand what the meeting can decide on, said representatives of the UN body. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2012/113012-itu-goes-on-the-defensive-264693.html EU set to fight Internet tax and "spying" at global summit European Union member states are preparing to fight as a bloc alongside the United States to prevent a move by Russia and countries in Africa to impose a levy on internet traffic and make it easier to track users' activities. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/11/30/uk-eu-internet-restrictions-idUKBRE8AT0ID20121130 EU digs trenches in 'real battle' over the future of the internet The EU has set out its common position on proposed changes to global telecoms rules, which may see a UN agency given control over the internet for the first time. http://www.zdnet.com/eu-digs-trenches-in-real-battle-over-the-future-of-the-internet-7000008142/ Big New Global Threat to the Internet or Paper Tiger?: the ITU and Global Internet Regulation, Part I Over the past few weeks, a mounting number of commentators in the U.S. have pushed a supposed new threat to an open internet into the spotlight: the ITU. http://news.dot-nxt.com/2012/11/28/big-new-global-threat-internet Rearview Mirrors & the Rule of Markets: The ITU's Supposed Big New Global Threat to the Internet, Part III by Dwayne Winseck There might also be victories for global internet governance to be had, if we take the ITU?s role seriously and that it, in turn, adopts only regulatory guiding principles that meet a minimum standard of liberal norms governing markets, human rights, a free press and freedom of expression. http://news.dot-nxt.com/2012/11/28/rearview-mirrors-rule-markets European Parliament joins WCIT opposition The European Parliament has joined the voices protesting against the upcoming WCIT conference by approving a resolution that some of the proposals under consideration "could seriously threaten the open and competitive nature of the internet". http://news.dot-nxt.com/2012/11/29/european-parliament-joins-wcit Full breakdown of ITR changes The WCIT conference will revise the existing International Telecommunication Regulations (ITRs). This whole exercise will comprise retaining, deleting or editing existing regulations or adding new regulations to the list. http://news.dot-nxt.com/itu/wcit/itr/all Sneak attacks and dinosaurs with pea-sized brains: the WCIT rhetoric keeps on coming Just when you thought the shouting over the WCIT meeting couldn't get any more shrill... http://news.dot-nxt.com/2012/11/29/sneak-attacks-and-dinosaurs-pe The ITU and the Real Threats to the Internet, Part IV: the Triumph of State Security and Proposed Changes to the ITRs by Dwayne Winseck As we assess these potential implications it is necessary to sort out charges that are, in my view, overblown and alarmist versus those that have merit based on a close reading of the relevant ITU texts. I want to be clear that while I think that many of the charges being leveled at the ITU are trumped up baloney, there are actually many reasons to be concerned. I?ll briefly reprise what I see as the over blown claims (OBCs), then set out the most important real areas of concern. http://news.dot-nxt.com/2012/11/28/itu-and-real-threats-internet Every ITR change at the click of a button Starting today and running through to the end of the WCIT conference on 14 December, .Nxt will be making every proposed change to the International Telecommunication Regulations accessible with a single mouse-click. http://news.dot-nxt.com/2012/11/29/every-itr-change-click-button ICANN CEO and Chair to attend WCIT opening ICANN's CEO and chair will attend the opening ceremony of the WCIT as the guest of the ITU and the government of the United Arab Emirates. http://news.dot-nxt.com/2012/11/29/icann-ceo-and-chair-attend-wci Canada opposes governments having broad control of Internet, documents show [Postmedia News] Canada will look to prevent governments from taking more power over the Internet when governments sit down for 12 days of negotiations on the future of the Internet next week, but the government didn?t say Thursday where it stands on a contentious proposal that could see users pay more for online content. http://www.montrealgazette.com/technology/internet/Canada+opposes+governments+having+broad+control/7630069/story.html http://www.canada.com/Canada+opposes+governments+having+broad+control+Internet+documents+show/7630069/story.html http://o.canada.com/2012/11/29/canada-opposes-governments-having-broad-control-of-internet-documents-show/ http://www.calgaryherald.com/technology/internet/Canada+opposes+governments+having+broad+control/7630069/story.html au: Conroy joins fight to keep internet in US control Communications Minister Stephen Conroy is joining the United States and technology giant Google in opposing changes to an international treaty that would give greater control over the internet to the United Nations and individual countries. http://www.afr.com/p/technology/conroy_joins_fight_to_keep_internet_hJtiz8VMv83iJ8b9DN42vM Australia fights net rules as threat to free speech Communications Minister Stephen Conroy arrives in Dubai on Monday to lobby against proposed changes to internet regulation that web giants such as Google warn "could permit governments to censor legitimate speech ? or even cut off internet access altogether". http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/australia-fights-net-rules-as-threat-to-free-speech-20121203-2apoq.html http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/australia-fights-net-rules-as-threat-to-free-speech-20121203-2apoq.html au: 1400 to decide future of global Internet, WCIT begins Monday Some 1400 delegates from across the world, including 10 from Australia and 5 from New Zealand, are on their way to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates to deliberate on the first revision of the International Telecommunications Regulations in 24 years?an action some fear will lead to the introduction of new regulation that will change the Internet as we know it. Major fissures between nations on the proposals could lead to balkanised Internet governance and regulation, effectively ending the global consensus that has underpinned international telecommunications to date. http://www.commsday.com/commsday-australasia/1400-to-decide-future-of-global-internet-wcit-begins-monday au: Internet rules don't need changing: Conroy [AAP] Global telecommunications rules don't need to be changed to give governments more power over the internet, Communications Minister Stephen Conroy says. http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1717141/Internet-rules-dont-need-changing-Conroy http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/national/no-changes-to-internet-rules-conroy/story-e6frfku9-1226528924979 au: Government opposes proposed changes to ITRs The Federal Government is opposing proposed amendments to International Telecommunications Regulations (ITRs). http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/443515/government_opposes_proposed_changes_itrs/ Australian govt fights against internet governance changes The Australian government has flagged that it will oppose proposed changes to the International Telecommunications Regulations that would expand government power over the internet. http://www.zdnet.com/australian-govt-fights-against-internet-governance-changes-7000008183/ au: Conroy fights Internet control in Dubai Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has revealed he is leading a team to a key telecommunications conference being held in Dubai this week at which the ITU is attempting to seek greater control over the operation of the Internet. http://delimiter.com.au/2012/12/03/conroy-fights-internet-control-in-dubai/ UN's ITU Should Be Dismantled, Former White House Official Says [IDG] The U.S. government should push for the United Nations' ITU to be dismantled in addition to playing defense against proposals for restrictive Internet regulations at an upcoming telecom conference, a former White House official said. http://www.cio.com/article/722614/UN_39_s_ITU_Should_Be_Dismantled_Former_White_House_Official_Says http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/443308/un_itu_should_dismantled_former_white_house_official_says/ Dubai Conference Unlikely to Change Internet Rules Although Russian proposals on Internet regulation ahead of Monday's opening of the ITU conference in Dubai have worried anti-censorship watchdogs around the globe, some local experts aren't expecting any significant changes to the U.S.-centric system that administers the technical aspects of the World Wide Web. http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/dubai-conference-unlikely-to-change-internet-rules/472318.html New World Order: is the UN about to take control of the internet? The future of the web will be decided in a dark room by UN politicians and authoritarian governments ? at least according to Google and some other opponents of the IITU?s plan to reform its 25-year-old guidelines. Leaked documents have shown that ITU members are interested in adding more internet regulations to the ITU?s mostly telecommunications-focused rules, something critics worry will let countries justify repressive filtering of the internet or upset the current balance of power by pushing more regulation. Supporters, meanwhile, hope it will help internationalize the internet, counterbalancing the more US-based ICANN. http://www.theverge.com/2012/11/29/3706352/un-itu-talks-dubai-guide The Necessity of an Inclusive, Transparent and Participatory Internet by Lawrence E. Strickling On the eve of the WCIT, we believe that it is the right time to reaffirm the U.S. Government?s commitment to the multistakeholder model as the appropriate process for addressing Internet policy and governance issues. The multistakeholder model has enabled the Internet to flourish. It has promoted freedom of expression, both online and off. It has ensured the Internet is a robust, open platform for innovation, investment, economic growth and the creation of wealth throughout the world, including in developing countries. http://www.ntia.doc.gov/blog/2012/necessity-inclusive-transparent-and-participatory-internet Internet Society Delegation to Attend World Conference on International Telecommunications in Dubai, 3-14 December 2012 An Internet Society delegation will attend the WCIT in Dubai, 3-14 December 2012. ... The Internet Society remains hopeful that the ITU Member State delegations to the WCIT will agree to a treaty that enhances rather than restricts international telecommunications. The Internet Society and its Board of Trustees believe that any revisions to the ITRs should: http://www.internetsociety.org/news/internet-society-delegation-attend-world-conference-international-telecommunications-dubai-3-14 ITU members resolve to end discriminatory access to Internet ITU?s membership has adopted a Resolution inviting ITU Member States to refrain from taking any unilateral and/or discriminatory actions that could impede another Member State from accessing public Internet sites and using resources, within the spirit of Article 1 of the Constitution and the WSIS principles. http://www.itu.int/net/pressoffice/press_releases/2012/87.aspx Dear ITU, please don't bill Internet use like phone calls "Operating agencies shall negotiate commercial agreements to achieve a sustainable system of fair compensation for telecommunications services and, where appropriate, respecting the principle of sending party network pays." That's the input that a number of former monopoly, European telecoms sent to the member states of the United Nation's ITU. Why? http://arstechnica.com/business/2012/12/dear-itu-please-dont-bill-internet-use-like-phone-calls/ Will thugs rule the web? Few Americans realize it, but the United Nations is driving to take control over the Internet. You remember, the folks who want a worldwide income tax and who put Syria and Iran on their Human Rights Committee. http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/will_thugs_rule_the_web_SqCcY5FRYuamr4kMZ9APWL 2012 Australian Internet Governance Forum On 11 & 12 October 2012, The Hotel Realm in Canberra played host to the inaugural Australian Internet Governance Forum (auIGF). auDA was one of the main supporters of the event along with other industry stakeholders such as ACCAN, APNIC, ISOC-AU and the IIA and corporate sponsors including Google, Facebook, Maddocks and AusRegistry. http://blog.auda.org.au/2012/11/30/2012-australian-internet-governance-forum/ ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** Department of Commerce Approves Verisign-ICANN .com Registry Renewal Agreement The U.S. Department of Commerce on November 29, 2012, approved renewal of the .com Registry Agreement between Verisign, Inc., and ICANN. Through this agreement, Verisign will manage the registry for the .com TLD for six more years. http://www.ntia.doc.gov/press-release/2012/department-commerce-approves-verisign-icann-com-registry-renewal-agreement Prioritization Draw Frequently Asked Questions What is the Prioritization Draw? The Prioritization Draw is an equitable and fair way to order the release of initial evaluation results for all new gTLD applications. The Draw will determine the order by which applications move through the remaining stages of the program. https://www.myicann.org/news/topics/2/page/1/articles/17874 Trademark Clearinghouse "Strawman Solution" Purpose (Brief): The Trademark Clearinghouse facilitates the protection of trademark rights during the initial allocation and registration periods for domain names in new gTLDs. All new gTLD registries will be required to use Clearinghouse data to ensure that a set of mandatory trademark rights protection mechanisms are applied to all new domain registrations occurring in at least the first 90 days of domain registration. http://www.icann.org/en/news/public-comment/tmch-strawman-30nov12-en.htm Fadi Chehad? Explains the Decision to Attend the WCIT Opening Ceremony in Dubai | 28 Nov 2012 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16sC6-e8hk4 Letter from Jian Zhang, Asia Pacific Top Level Domain Association, to ICANN Comments on Transliterated TLDs https://www.myicann.org/news/topics/2/page/1/articles/17863 http://aptld.org/system/files/aptld_ad_hoc_working_group_on_transliterated_tlds_-_final.pdf ICANN still haunted by antitrust claims ICANN has been confronted with a new set of lawsuits invoking antitrust law. One such lawsuit, from Youporn.com operator Manwin Licensing, targets the XXX domain. It claims that ICANN and ICM registry conspired to force it to pay too much for defensive registrations under .XXX and that ICM has monopolized the market for TLDs connoting pornography. http://www.internetgovernance.org/2012/11/28/icann-still-haunted-by-antitrust-claims/ ICANN bypasses second AoC report Raising further questions about its accountability, ICANN's Board bypassed the second of four independent reviews and this month gave its new CEO carte blanche to try a new approach to the decade-long policy problem of Whois data. http://news.dot-nxt.com/2012/11/29/icann-bypasses-second-aoc-repo ICANN Board and staff anger community with unilateral action ICANN staff and Board has upset large parts of its own organization and again raised concerns about its suitability to manage the domain name system with a series of decisions and "forecasts" regarding its trademark new gTLD program. http://news.dot-nxt.com/2012/11/29/icann-board-and-staff-anger-co If the GNSO is irrelevant, ICANN itself is at risk by St?phane Van Gelder The weeks since October?s Toronto ICANN meeting have seen some extraordinary (and, if you care about the multi-stakeholder model, rather worrying), activity. http://domainincite.com/11193-if-the-gnso-is-irrelevant-icann-itself-is-at-risk-guest-post ICANN 45: A (Re)new(ed) Multi-Stakeholder Era? It was a conference of new beginnings at ICANN 45 in Toronto. The usually sturdy stewardship of ICANN in all matters domain names was rocked about by new challenges in the previous months. gTLD implementation had proved unwieldy for ICANN and gave its detractors ample fodder for criticism. Attendees were eager for the unveiling of an Africa Strategy and the GNSO was roundly charged with simply ?not working? (though opponents argued otherwise.) http://blog.auda.org.au/2012/11/26/icann-45-a-renewed-multi-stakeholder-era/ Fijian appointed VP on world internet body Fiji and the Australasia/Pacific region have gained further recognition on the world internet body with the appointment of Savenaca Vocea as one of its four Vice Presidents. http://www.fbc.com.fj/fiji/6426/fijian-appointed-vp-on-world-internet-body- Fijian takes up global internet job A PACIFIC Information, Communication Technology (ICT) specialist has been appointed to a vice president position of the world internet body, ICANN. http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=218747 ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** CENTR Domainwire Stat Report Available Twice a year, CENTR produces its Domainwire Stat report which is a broad level publication covering statistics on ccTLDs and gTLDs globally with a focus on European ccTLDs. The second edition for 2012 is now available with the following key statistics; http://centr.org/news/statistics/12-03-2012/2462/domainwire-stat-report-available auDA reviews .au Dispute Resolution Policy The purpose of the .au Dispute Resolution Policy (auDRP) is to provide a cheaper, speedier alternative to litigation for the resolution of disputes between the registrant of a .au domain name and a party with competing rights in the domain name. http://www.auda.org.au/news-archive/auda-27112012/ Canada reaches two million .CA Internet addresses The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) has reached the two million mark for registered .CA Internet domain names. http://www.cnsmagazine.com/news/canada-reaches-two-million-ca-internet-addresses/1001894200/ VeriSign Agrees to .Com Price Freeze as Agreement Renewal Condition by Philip Corwin VeriSign and the Department of Commerce (DOC) announced this morning that the Agreement allowing VeriSign to remain in place as the .Com registry operator had been approved with one major alteration -- .Com wholesale prices will be frozen at $7.85 for the six-year length of the Agreement absent extraordinary circumstances. http://internetcommerce.org/DotCom_Price_Freeze Verisign Announces US Department of Commerce Approval of Newly Revised .com Registry Agreement VeriSign, Inc. announced the U.S. Department of Commerce approved the renewal of Verisign's agreement with ICANN to serve as the authoritative registry operator for the .com registry (the "2012 .com Registry Agreement") for the term commencing on Dec. 1, 2012 through Nov. 30, 2018 with certain new terms and conditions. http://www.verisigninc.com/en_US/news-events/press-room/articles/index.xhtml?artLink=aHR0cDovL2ZlZWRzLm13bmV3c3Jvb20uY29tL2FydGljbGUvcnNzP2lkPTE2NjMwOTg%3D Winners and losers in the new .com pricing regime Today?s shock news that Verisign will be subject to a .com price freeze for the next six years will have broad implications. http://domainincite.com/11176-winners-and-losers-in-the-new-com-pricing-regime Verisign loses right to increase .com prices Verisign has sensationally lost the right to increase .com prices under a new deal struck with the US Department of Commerce. http://domainincite.com/11156-breaking-verisign-loses-right-to-increase-com-prices New .COM Registry Agreement Says No More Price Rises For Six Years The US Department of Commerce has finally renewed Verisign's contract to run the .COM registry for the next six years, but surprisingly they have denied the registry's ability to raise prices as part of the approval. http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=19353 http://www.domainpulse.com/2012/12/01/new-com-registry-agreement/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/new-com-registry-agreement-says-no-more-price-rises-for-six-years.html Behind-the-Scenes Operators on the Web and in Wireless Investors slammed VeriSign Friday on news of a long-awaited contract extension?which is actually a positive for the stock. And why Neustar's vast wireless database is a cash cow. http://online.barrons.com/article/SB50001424052748704526104578116891029736104.html VeriSign Falls as Dot-Com Registry Contract Limits Prices VeriSign Inc. plunged the most in a month after a new contract letting the company continue to control Web sites ending in .com limited price increases. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-11-30/verisign-falls-as-com-registry-contract-bars-price-hikes.html New Verisign deal blocks .com price hikes Verisign, the operator of the .com domain name registry for the World Wide Web, will be forbidden from regularly raising registration prices over the next six years. http://money.cnn.com/2012/11/30/technology/verisign/index.html What Verisign's New Contract With ICANN Means For Domain Name Rates Verisign, the operator for .com domain registry, has renewed its six-year contract with ICANN with the U.S. Commerce Department's blessing. Under the terms of the new contract, Verisign is not allowed to raise its current price of $7.85 per domain name for the length of the agreement. Unless, of course, it can convince the Commerce Department it's OK. http://readwrite.com/2012/11/30/what-verisigns-new-contract-with-icann-means-for-domain-name-rates VeriSign wins contract renewal for .com names, but restricted on price increases [AP] The federal government has cleared VeriSign Inc. to manage the databases that house ?.com? domain names for another six years, but the company won?t be allowed to raise prices without approval. http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/verisign-wins-contract-renewal-for-com-names-but-restricted-on-price-increases/2012/11/30/57b0718a-3b05-11e2-9258-ac7c78d5c680_story.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/verisign-wins-com-renewal-but-cant-hike-prices-20121201-2an3m.html http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/verisign-wins-com-renewal-but-cant-hike-prices-20121201-2an3m.html U.S. goverment just gave .com domain owners a $10.78 tax break Hey, don?t say the U.S. government never did anything for you. They just gave domain name owners a $10.78 price reduction over the term of the next .com contract by eliminating price increases. http://domainnamewire.com/2012/11/30/u-s-goverment-just-gave-com-domain-owners-a-10-78-tax-break/ Verisign shares drop 15% on contract change Shares of Verisign are down 15% in early trading after the company announced that its contract to run .com had been renewed without price increases. http://domainnamewire.com/2012/11/30/verisign-drops-15-on-contract-change/ cz: New registration rules New version of .cz Registration Rules is in effect as of 1 December 2012. http://www.nic.cz/ de: Successful Database Migration The announced migration of the database for .de domains to another database management system was successfully completed during scheduled maintenance on 18 and 19 November 2012. http://www.denic.de/en/denic-in-dialogue/news/3593.html dk: Notice regarding new General Conditions as of January 1st, 2013 DK Hostmaster hereby gives notice regarding new General Conditions for the Assignment, Registration and Administration of .dk Domain Names, effective as of January 1st, 2013. https://www.dk-hostmaster.dk/english/news/news-single/artikel/notice-regarding-new-general-conditions-as-of-january-1st-2013/ fr: Afnic supports the Annual Internet Law Meetings 2012 For the fourth year running, Afnic is working with Cyberlex on promoting the Digital Economy in France, and on the legal and technical issues involved. http://www.afnic.fr/en/about-afnic/news/general-news/6455/show/afnic-supports-the-annual-internet-law-meetings-2012.html `.hk' may lose edge as firms go for initials The number of websites registered as ".hk" is expected to drop as more globally tuned companies replace the suffix with their own initials. http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=4&art_id=128836&sid=38361068&con_type=1&d_str=20121130&fc=7 ISOC Norway Chapter to be rebuilt Due to lack of activity, Internet Society (ISOC) closed down the Norwegian chapter. Some members have taken the step to restart the Norwegian chapter, and hereby invite you to a formal meeting on November 28 2012 at 17:00. http://www.norid.no/nytt/nystart-isoc.en.html .nz news A roundup of .nz news from November 2012 is now available, including .nz domain name statistics as at 31 October 2012. Among the highlights, there is a summary of the Anti Phishing Working Group?s global phishing report. Also, in October, the number of active .NZ domain names increased from 508,547 to 512,922, a net increase of 4,375. https://internetnz.net.nz/news/the-browser/2012/November-2012/nz-news ********************** - NEW TLDS ********************** ICANN board committee gives green light to Red Cross and IOC second-level protections The ICANN board?s New gTLD Program Committee has approved two resolutions designed to provide additional trademark protections to certain non-governmental organisations and intergovernmental organisations. The new measures would afford the International Red Cross & Red Crescent Movement and the International Olympic Committee with the second-level protections they have been striving for. http://www.worldtrademarkreview.com/daily/detail.aspx?g=bb1b314d-eac1-4518-9d67-a2ff3c16421b Calculators at the ready? ICANN talks Trademark Clearinghouse fees At last month?s ICANN meeting in Toronto, discussion of the likely costs associated with the Trademark Clearinghouse was limited, with concern expressed by corporates about their ability to budget for 2013. However, ICANN president and CEO Fadi Chehad? has now revealed that trademark submission fees will be capped at $150 per mark. http://www.worldtrademarkreview.com/daily/detail.aspx?g=b4426eed-7101-4db5-ab9f-c7459f9272a8 Verisign?s IDN gTLDs ?could increase phishing? say Asian registries It?s a bad day for Verisign. As the company pins its growth hopes partially on its applications for IDN gTLDs ? in the wake of losing its price-raising powers over .com ? ccTLD registries from Asia-Pacific have raised serious concerns about its bids. http://domainincite.com/11185-verisigns-idn-gtlds-could-increase-phishing-say-asian-registries What GAC?s ?Early Warning? Notices Really Mean ICANN?s Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) has just issued ?Early Warning? notices on nearly 250 gTLD applications, from .accountant to .zulu. Although the notices do not prevent the applications from moving forward, they could have a significant impact on the gTLD program. http://isenbergondomains.com/2012/11/26/what-gacs-early-warning-notices-really-mean/ Namibia supports ZACR .africa bid The Republic of Namibia has become the 40th African country to formally endorse the ZA Central Registry (ZACR) bid for the rights to administer the proposed .africa gTLD. http://www.itnewsafrica.com/2012/11/namibia-supports-zacr-africa-bid/ New gTLDs, Last-Minute End-Arounds, and Fundamental Fairness by Jon Nevett The ICANN community is ever closer to realization of its goal to bring long-overdue consumer choice and competition to Internet naming. Regrettably, but perhaps predictably, reliance on the Final Applicant Guidebook (AGB) is being challenged at the last minute by recent proposals from the Business and Intellectual Property Constituencies (BC/IPC), which demand "improvements" to the already extensive trademark protections that will be part of the new gTLD landscape. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20121129_new_gtlds_last_minute_end_arounds_and_fundamental_fairness/ InternetNZ files submission with ICANN on gTLDs In November, InternetNZ filed a submission with ICANN on the somewhat technical subject of 'Drawing for Prioritising new gTLD Applications'. https://internetnz.net.nz/news/the-browser/2012/November-2012/InternetNZ-files-submission-ICANN-gTLDs Domain registry failures ahead (and Verisign would like a patent on recovering them) ... Many of these TLDs will be backed by large registry providers that will takeover in the case of insolvency. But that doesn?t mean a registry (or even one of those large registry service providers) won?t suddenly go dark. But .com registry Verisign has a plan. It has filed a patent application for a registry recovery service. Here?s how it describes it: http://domainnamewire.com/2012/11/29/domain-registry-failures-ahead-and-verisign-would-like-a-patent-on-recovering-them/ Will .website domains give .ws a boost? The government of the State of Somoa submitted early warnings on TLD applications for the .website string. http://domainnamewire.com/2012/11/29/will-website-domains-give-ws-a-boost/ Frank Schilling on gTLDs ... Recently, Frank announced the creation of Uniregistry, a company that has applied for a number of gTLD extensions. Clearly, Frank is bullish on the market for gTLDs. Earlier today, I posted an interview with Mike Mann, who has a differing opinion on gTLDs. I reached out to Frank with the same questions I asked Mike, and I want to share some of his thoughts on gTLDs. My questions are bolded below. http://www.elliotsblog.com/frank-schilling-on-gtlds-7163 Mike Mann on gTLDs ... Mike has been ?vocal? with his bearish feelings about new gTLD domain names on various blogs and in personal meetings with him. I reached out to him with a bunch of questions and want to share some of his thoughts on gTLDs and if he believes there?s money to be made by domain investors. http://www.elliotsblog.com/mike-mann-on-gtlds-9737 ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** What's Your Country's Risk of Internet Blackout? What happened in Syria this week -- a wholesale disconnection from the Internet -- could happen anywhere. But it's more likely to happen in some countries than others. http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/11/whats-your-countrys-risk-of-internet-blackout/265790/ Syria throws 'kill switch' on internet Opposition activists and monitoring firms say Syria has cut internet and phone services for the first time since the civil war started more than 18 months ago. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-11-30/internet-access-cut-in-syria/4400140 Syrian Internet Connections Cut for Second Day Activists in Syria reported on Friday that Internet connections were cut for a second successive day, fanning speculation among opponents of President Bashar al-Assad about the government?s intentions in coming days. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/01/world/middleeast/syria.html Monitor the Syrian Blackout with RIPEstat The RIPE NCC developed a RIPEstat widget that provides a near real-time feed of what BGP updates and withdrawals we see from Syrian IP address space. https://labs.ripe.net/Members/emileaben/monitor-syrian-blackout-with-ripestat Global hacking network declares Internet war on Syria Global hacking network Anonymous said it will shut down Syrian government websites around the world in response to a countrywide Internet blackout believe aimed at silencing the opposition to President Bashar al-Assad. http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/11/30/syria-crisis-internet-anynymous-idINDEE8AT0C320121130 PIR Survey Reveals That Most Americans Are Uninformed About DDoS Attacks Whether motivated by an extreme form of free expression or criminal intent, distributed denial-of-service attacks (DDoS attacks) are increasingly commonplace worldwide. http://pir.org/pr/2012/ddos Uniting European CERTs And Law Enforcement In Cybercrime Battle Europe increasingly faces major challenges bridging gaps among its various national Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) and law enforcement agencies in the fight against cybercrime. The European Union's European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA) warned today that cooperation among European CERTs and law enforcement is crucial, and issued recommendations for how to forge closer ties. http://www.darkreading.com/threat-intelligence/167901121/security/news/240142935/uniting-european-certs-and-law-enforcement-in-cybercrime-battle.html Hostile states using cyberwarfare to attack UK infrastructure Hostile foreign states have used cyberwarfare to attack and map the networks that are part of the country's critical national infrastructure, the government has admitted. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/dec/03/hostile-states-cyberwarfare-uk-infrastructure Saudi Arabia keen on securing virtual borders [news release] >From the Aramco Shamoon hacks to the most recent activities from international hacking group Anonymous, there has never been a more pressing case made for the Saudi government to focus on developing its digital security. ... The two days will comprise of a variety of strategic keynote addresses, workshops and panel discussions featuring Eng Abdulrahman A AlFriah, GM, CERT-SA, CITC; Robert Schischka, Managing Director, Austrian National CERT; and Dr Walter Fumy, Chair of IT Security Standards, International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Solution providers in attendance include Huawei, Northrop Grumman, Websense and Cyberia. http://www.ameinfo.com/saudi-arabia-keen-securing-virtual-borders-320609 ENISA promotes digital hacker traps The European Network and Information Security Agency has tested 30 free honeypots and recommended some for corporate use. The study is intended to increase the use of honeypots http://www.h-online.com/open/news/item/ENISA-promotes-digital-hacker-traps-1759415.html Spear Phishing Remains Preferred Point of Entry in Targeted, Persistent Attacks Persistent targeted attacks against the government, financial services, manufacturing and critical infrastructure take on many characteristics. Attackers can have different backgrounds and motivations, and the tools they use can range from commodity malware to zero-day exploits. http://threatpost.com/en_us/blogs/spear-phishing-remains-preferred-point-entry-targeted-persistent-attacks-113012 ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** UDRP complainants only required to demonstrate rights, not necessarily prior rights [registration] Mariline Fiori, a well-known fashion blogger professionally known as Garance Dor?, has obtained the transfer of the domain name ?garancedore.com? under the UDRP. The decision highlights that UDRP complainants with trademark rights that postdate the domain name in question do not have to prove that they had unregistered rights at the time the domain name was registered, which appears to be a common misconception. http://www.worldtrademarkreview.com/daily/detail.aspx?g=ec81b8d6-6046-47c1-8dd0-2230f108af1b Cybersquatting Lawyer wins UDRP Case Against Cybersquatter. Marc Randazza (Complainant) of The Randazza Legal Group wins UDRP action against Cybersquatter Crystal Cox (Respondnent) for the bad faith registration and use of domain names incorporating the Complainant?s personal name. http://tcattorney.typepad.com/anticybersquatting_consum/2012/11/cybersquatting-lawyer-wins-udrp-case-against-cybersquatter. au: Terra Plana International Ltd. v. The Summer House Australia Pty Ltd / Tanya Greenwood - Case No. DAU2012-0025 1. The Parties: The Complainant is Terra Plana International Ltd. of London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, represented by Bleyer Lawyers Pty Ltd, Australia. The Respondent is The Summer House Australia Pty Ltd / Tanya Greenwood of New South Wales, Australia, represented by Omond & Co, Australia. http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/search/text.jsp?case=DAU2012-0025 ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** Top 10 Biggest Domain Stories of 2012 and Predictions for 2013 So my prediction from last year that ?ICANN will open the new gTLD application period without any glitches? could not have been more wrong. And yes ? I actually used the word ?glitches?. https://www.markmonitor.com/mmblog/top-10-biggest-domain-stories-of-2012-and-predictions-for-2013/ ITU packet inspection standard raises privacy concerns, says CDT [IDG] The UN's telecommunications standards organization has approved a standard for deep packet inspection (DPI) that raises serious concerns about privacy, the Center for Democracy and Technology said. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/443312/itu_packet_inspection_standard_raises_privacy_concerns_says_cdt/ DomainTools updates Reverse Whois, making it (potentially) cheaper Updated functionality lets users request details on a subset of domains owned by a business or person. http://domainnamewire.com/2012/11/29/domaintools-updates-reverse-whois-making-it-potentially-cheaper/ Superstorm Sandy and the Global Internet by Geoff Huston & George Michaelson The Internet has managed to collect its fair share of mythology, and one of the more persistent myths is that from its genesis in a cold war US think tank in the 1960's the Internet was designed with remarkable ability to "route around damage." http://www.potaroo.net/ispcol/2012-11/sandy.html APNIC Draft document for review APNIC requests editorial comments on the following draft document: APNIC-126: APNIC and NIR Member Relationship Agreement http://www.apnic.net/publications/news/2012/review-nir Top BitTorrent Sites Have Domains Put On Hold Pending Legal Action Several BitTorrent sites including Torrentz and Fenopy have had their .EU domains put on hold by EURid, the European Registry of Internet Domain Names. The new status for the domains, forcibly applied by EURid within seconds of each other yesterday afternoon, suggests that legal action against them might be pending and prevents the owners from making changes. http://torrentfreak.com/top-bittorrent-sites-have-domains-put-on-hold-pending-legal-action-121201/ ********************** - WEBHOSTING ********************** Official Syrian Web Sites Hosted in U.S. Even as Syrians lost access to the Internet on Thursday, people outside the country could still browse the Syrian government?s many Web sites for much of the day because they are hosted in foreign countries, including the United States. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/30/world/middleeast/official-syrian-web-sites-hosted-in-us.html ********************** - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET ********************** Four 6-Figure Sales Totaling Nearly $1 Million Top This Week's Domain Sales Chart We're three weeks into November and all three have been very strong ones for the domain aftermarket. The past week was the month's best yet for the high end of the market with a quartet of six-figure sales totaling just under $1 million setting the pace. http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2012/20121128.htm One of Europe's Top Conferences - Domaining Spain - Opens Registration for April 2013 Show in Valencia Domaining 2013 (the fifth show in a popular conference series that has also been known as Domaining Spain and Domaining Europe) has opened registration for the next annual event, coming up April 25-27 in Valencia, Spain. http://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2012/dailyposts/20121129.htm ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** Technology giants at war: Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon are at each other?s throats in all sorts of ways It is an epic story of warring factions in a strange and changing landscape, a tale of incursions and sieges, of plots and betrayals, of battlefield brilliance and of cunning with coin. http://www.economist.com/news/21567361-google-apple-facebook-and-amazon-are-each-others-throats-all-sorts-ways-another-game Microsoft and Google race for online shopping Just in time for the holiday season, Microsoft and Google are engaged in a bitter dispute over who is the fairest search engine for online shopping - the latest battle in the war between the two tech giants. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/americas/2012/12/201212258566569.html Global Internet User Survey Reveals Attitudes, Usage, and Behavior [news release] A worldwide survey of more than 10,000 Internet users in 20 countries conducted by the Internet Society revealed attitudes towards the Internet and user behavior online. The Global Internet User Survey is one of the broadest surveys of Internet user attitudes on key issues facing the Internet. This year's survey covered areas such as how users manage personal information online, attitudes toward the Internet and human rights, censorship, and the potential for the Internet to address issues such as economic development and education. https://www.internetsociety.org/news/global-internet-user-survey-reveals-attitudes-usage-and-behavior The pro-anorexia sites that offer deadly 'thinspiration' ... 'Pro-ana' websites, however, are often blamed for the continuous increase in cases of anorexia and bulimia, especially in young girls. Research published this week found 400 to 500 websites which promote anorexia and bulimia, each receiving thousands of hits every day. http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/the-proanorexia-sites-that-offer-deadly-thinspiration-8371885.html nz: Tech addiction ups intake of sleeping pills [ANI] Experts have blamed tablet computers, smartphones and other mobile devices for a 50 per cent jump in the number of young people scoffing sleeping pills. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health/Tech-addiction-ups-intake-of-sleeping-pills/articleshow/17428522.cms http://post.jagran.com/tech-addiction-ups-sleeping-pills-intake-1354350412 ********************** SOCIAL MEDIA ********************** us: Twitter in legal spat over data clampdown Twitter Inc's steadily tightening grip over the 140-character messages on its network has set off a spirited debate in Silicon Valley over whether a social media company should or should not lay claim over its user-generated content. That debate has now landed in court. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/11/29/uk-twitter-lawsuit-idUKBRE8AS14K20121129 http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/11/29/twitter-lawsuit-idINDEE8AS0GV20121129 Convicted paedophile wins Facebook injunction to shut down 'keeping our kids safe from predators' page as judge rules it infringes sex offender's human rights - and yet within hours a second page appears Just hours after a judge ordered a Facebook page set up to monitor paedophiles to be taken down, a page with an almost identical name has appeared on the social networking site. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/convicted-paedophile-wins-facebook-injunction-to-shut-down-keeping-our-kids-safe-from-predators-page-as-judge-rules-it-infringes-sex-offenders-human-rights--and-yet-within-hours-a-second-page-appears-8372078.html Facebook ordered to remove page exposing paedophiles A convicted sex offender has won a high court order in Northern Ireland for the removal of a Facebook page monitoring paedophiles. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/nov/30/facebook-remove-paedophile-page us: For Children, a Lie on Facebook Has Consequences, Study Finds A federal law intended to protect children?s privacy may unwittingly lead them to reveal too much on Facebook, a provocative new academic study shows, in the latest example of how difficult it is to regulate the digital lives of minors. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/28/for-children-a-lie-on-facebook-has-consequences-study-finds/ After a billion, what's next for Facebook? Not complacent at a billion users, Facebook is parachuting into markets all over the globe. But overseas growth that once seemed to come so easily is slower now. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-facebook-next-billion-20121202,0,6358184.story ********************************* CHILD PROTECTION & ONLINE SAFETY ********************************* Arch enemies Facebook and Google should team up against cyberbullying Hardly a day goes by that I don't hear of some child being bullied on Facebook. It makes me sick. Facebook and Google need to beat their swords into plowshares and stop the bullying. http://www.zdnet.com/arch-enemies-facebook-and-google-should-team-up-against-cyberbullying-7000008157/ uk: Politicians ?pledge? support to child sexual abuse Hotline [news release] More than 50 Politicians from England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Europe have signed up to fight online child sexual abuse with the Internet Watch Foundation. http://www.iwf.org.uk/about-iwf/news/post/337-politicians-pledge-support-to-child-sexual-abuse-hotline au: Students posting videos of violent schoolyard confrontations on a Facebook page have been warned they risk expulsion A SCHOOLYARD fightclub - in which students post videos of violent bashings on Facebook - has gone viral with more than 2 million followers in days. http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/national/students-posting-videos-of-violent-schoolyard-confrontations-on-a-facebook-page-have-been-warned-they-risk-expulsion/story-fndo2iwh-1226526979348 ********************** ONLINE TV, MUSIC & PIRACY ********************** uk: Music industry group BPI demands pirate proxy closure The UK's music industry body is demanding that a service offering a workaround to access banned site The Pirate Bay is shut down by its owner. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20546306 us: 'Six-strike' anti-piracy campaign postponed until 2013 The "six strikes" copyright enforcement plan that aims to curb illegal downloads and peer-to-peer file-sharing has been postponed until 2013. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57556102-93/six-strike-anti-piracy-campaign-postponed-until-2013/ Why 'Six Strikes' could be a nightmare for anyone with shared Internet No, "six strikes" isn't a phrase from some esoteric version of baseball played on Mars ? it's a colloquialism for a new anti-piracy warning system designed to track copyright infringers and help internet service providers (ISPs) take progressively punitive measures to discourage or prevent said infringers from engaging in further copyright-violating activities. http://techland.time.com/2012/11/30/why-six-strikes-could-be-a-nightmare-for-anyone-with-shared-internet/ http://edition.cnn.com/2012/11/30/tech/web/six-strikes-internet/index.html us: Debut of 'Six Strikes' Anti-piracy Program Pushed Back to 2013 After yet another delay, the "six strikes" anti-piracy program is set to be enforced from early 2013 in the U.S., the Center for Copyright Information announced. http://www.cio.com/article/722632/Debut_of_Six_Strikes_Anti_piracy_Program_Pushed_Back_to_2013 BitTorrent's Plan for 2013? Go Legit BitTorrent, the start-up behind the popular peer-to-peer file-sharing system of the same name, has an unusual resolution for 2013: to align itself with the entertainment industry and legally distribute movies, music and books online. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/30/bittorrents-plan-for-2013-go-legit/ ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** Text messaging turns 20 ? but is it past its peak? It has saved lives and ruined marriages, created a whole new dialect and made billions in profits for phone companies. But as the humble text message celebrates its 20th birthday, some wonder how much longer it will survive in a world of smartphones and all-you-can-eat data. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/dec/02/text-messaging-turns-20 ********************** SPAM ********************** Share of spam in mails dips According to Kaspersky Lab data, the percentage of spam in email traffic was down 4.5 percentage points from September and averaged 68% - the lowest level it has been all year. The danger posed by spam, however, remains high, said a statement issued by the lab. Malicious files were found in 3.25% of all emails, a mere 0.15 percentage points less compared to the previous month, it said. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/Share-of-spam-in-mails-dips/articleshow/17414338.cms Spam in October 2012: the Share of Spam in Mail Traffic Reaches a Minimum for the Year [news release] According to Kaspersky Lab data, the percentage of spam in email traffic was down 4.5 percentage points from September and averaged 68% - the lowest level it has been all year. The danger posed by spam, however, remains high: malicious files were found in 3.25% of all emails, a mere 0.15 percentage points less compared to the previous month. http://www.kaspersky.com/about/news/spam/2012/Spam_in_October_2012_the_Share_of_Spam_in_Mail_Traffic_Reaches_a_Minimum_for_the_Year ********************** ONLINE CRIME & LEGAL ********************** Austrian police raid privacy network over child porn Austrian police have seized servers that were part of a global anonymous browsing system, after images showing child sex abuse were found passing through them. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20554788 Tor Operator Faces Child Porn Charges After Illegal Images on Exit Node Found A 20-year-old Austrian operator of Tor servers has been charged with distributing child pornography after police found that one of his Tor Project exit nodes transported illegal images, according to several reports on Wednesday. http://www.thewhir.com/web-hosting-news/tor-operator-faces-child-porn-charges-after-illegal-images-on-exit-node-found at: Tor operator charged for child porn transmitted over his servers An Austrian operator of Tor servers?that were used to anonymously route huge amounts of traffic over the Internet?has been charged with distributing child pornography. This comes after police detected illegal images traversing one of the nodes he maintains. http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2012/11/tor-operator-charged-for-child-porn-transmitted-over-his-servers/ us: Porn trolling case thrown out for "attempted fraud on the court" Porn trolling has never been a glamorous business. But as judges, bar associations, and others have gotten wind of just how sleazy the porn-trolling business model is, trolling law firms have faced more and more obstacles. One trolling firm hit a new low on Tuesday, when an exasperated federal judge in Tampa, FL, threw out its copyright infringement case. http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2012/11/porn-trolling-case-thrown-out-for-attempted-fraud-on-the-court/ ********************** SECURITY ********************** PIR Survey Reveals That Most Americans Are Uninformed About DDoS Attacks Whether motivated by an extreme form of free expression or criminal intent, distributed denial-of-service attacks (DDoS attacks) are increasingly commonplace worldwide. http://pir.org/pr/2012/ddos Uniting European CERTs And Law Enforcement In Cybercrime Battle Europe increasingly faces major challenges bridging gaps among its various national Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) and law enforcement agencies in the fight against cybercrime. The European Union's European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA) warned today that cooperation among European CERTs and law enforcement is crucial, and issued recommendations for how to forge closer ties. http://www.darkreading.com/threat-intelligence/167901121/security/news/240142935/uniting-european-certs-and-law-enforcement-in-cybercrime-battle.html Hostile states using cyberwarfare to attack UK infrastructure Hostile foreign states have used cyberwarfare to attack and map the networks that are part of the country's critical national infrastructure, the government has admitted. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/dec/03/hostile-states-cyberwarfare-uk-infrastructure Saudi Arabia keen on securing virtual borders [news release] >From the Aramco Shamoon hacks to the most recent activities from international hacking group Anonymous, there has never been a more pressing case made for the Saudi government to focus on developing its digital security. ... The two days will comprise of a variety of strategic keynote addresses, workshops and panel discussions featuring Eng Abdulrahman A AlFriah, GM, CERT-SA, CITC; Robert Schischka, Managing Director, Austrian National CERT; and Dr Walter Fumy, Chair of IT Security Standards, International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Solution providers in attendance include Huawei, Northrop Grumman, Websense and Cyberia. http://www.ameinfo.com/saudi-arabia-keen-securing-virtual-borders-320609 ENISA promotes digital hacker traps The European Network and Information Security Agency has tested 30 free honeypots and recommended some for corporate use. The study is intended to increase the use of honeypots http://www.h-online.com/open/news/item/ENISA-promotes-digital-hacker-traps-1759415.html Spear Phishing Remains Preferred Point of Entry in Targeted, Persistent Attacks Persistent targeted attacks against the government, financial services, manufacturing and critical infrastructure take on many characteristics. Attackers can have different backgrounds and motivations, and the tools they use can range from commodity malware to zero-day exploits. http://threatpost.com/en_us/blogs/spear-phishing-remains-preferred-point-entry-targeted-persistent-attacks-113012 ********************** PRIVACY ********************** ITU packet inspection standard raises privacy concerns, says CDT [IDG] The UN's telecommunications standards organization has approved a standard for deep packet inspection (DPI) that raises serious concerns about privacy, the Center for Democracy and Technology said. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/443312/itu_packet_inspection_standard_raises_privacy_concerns_says_cdt/ http://www.networkworld.com/news/2012/112912-itu-packet-inspection-standard-raises-264654.html us: Senate Committee Moves Forward with Internet Privacy Bill The Senate Judiciary Committee moved forward Thursday to update a privacy law that would require law enforcement and regulatory agencies to obtain search warrants before getting content of emails and other electronic communications. http://legaltimes.typepad.com/blt/2012/11/senate-committee-moves-forward-with-internet-privacy-bill.html ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** What's Your Country's Risk of Internet Blackout? What happened in Syria this week -- a wholesale disconnection from the Internet -- could happen anywhere. But it's more likely to happen in some countries than others. http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/11/whats-your-countrys-risk-of-internet-blackout/265790/ Internet returns across much of Syria Syrian authorities have restored internet and telephone services following a two-day, nationwide communications blackout that came during some of the worst fighting to hit Damascus, the capital, since July. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/12/2012121153734176191.html Internet, phone access restored in Syria capital Internet and telephone service were restored to the Syrian capital Saturday, two days after a nationwide communications blackout spurred fear of new attacks and left anxious Syrians in and outside the country unable to contact loved ones and friends. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-syria-fighting-20121202,0,4223175.story Syria internet access restored after two-day blackout Internet and telephone services have been restored in most parts of Syria following a two-day, nationwide communications blackout. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/dec/01/syria-internet-access-restored-blackout Syria throws 'kill switch' on internet Opposition activists and monitoring firms say Syria has cut internet and phone services for the first time since the civil war started more than 18 months ago. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-11-30/internet-access-cut-in-syria/4400140 Syrian Internet Connections Cut for Second Day Activists in Syria reported on Friday that Internet connections were cut for a second successive day, fanning speculation among opponents of President Bashar al-Assad about the government?s intentions in coming days. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/01/world/middleeast/syria.html Syrians Use Old and New Tools to Stay Online During Internet Shutdown Information coming out of Syria has slowed to a trickle in the wake of Thursday?s country-wide communications shutdown, which included nearly all Internet traffic and intermittent cellular network and landline outages. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/11/day-2-syrias-internet-shutdown Monitor the Syrian Blackout with RIPEstat The RIPE NCC developed a RIPEstat widget that provides a near real-time feed of what BGP updates and withdrawals we see from Syrian IP address space. https://labs.ripe.net/Members/emileaben/monitor-syrian-blackout-with-ripestat Global hacking network declares Internet war on Syria Global hacking network Anonymous said it will shut down Syrian government websites around the world in response to a countrywide Internet blackout believe aimed at silencing the opposition to President Bashar al-Assad. http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/11/30/syria-crisis-internet-anynymous-idINDEE8AT0C320121130 Official Syrian Web Sites Hosted in U.S. Even as Syrians lost access to the Internet on Thursday, people outside the country could still browse the Syrian government?s many Web sites for much of the day because they are hosted in foreign countries, including the United States. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/30/world/middleeast/official-syrian-web-sites-hosted-in-us.html US providers host Syrian government websites [IDG] Web hosting providers from the U.S., Canada and other Western nations have been hosting official Syrian government websites, in violation of sanction orders from the U.S. and other governments, according to a Canadian Web research organization. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2012/113012-us-providers-host-syrian-government-264695.html Syria: Internet and mobile communication 'cut off' The internet has been cut off and mobile phones have been disrupted in Syria, monitoring firms have said. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20546302 Syria's internet cutoff easy to spot Arbor Networks has been able to pinpoint - rather easily - the point at which Syria's government cut off its internet connection with the outside world. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/nov/29/syria-internet-cutoff-arbor-renesys Syria Internet Cut as Battle Rages Near Damascus Airport Syria?s communications to the outside world were cut across large parts of the country as battles raged close to Damascus airport and foreign airlines canceled flights. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-11-29/syria-internet-cut-as-battle-rages-near-damascus-airport.html Five Ways Indian Internet Users Are Fighting for Free Speech The two young women who were arrested for their Facebook activity last week have found an unlikely champion for their cause: another young woman, Shreya Singhal, who filed public interest litigation with the Supreme Court to challenge one of the controversial laws used to justify the arrests. http://india.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/30/a-crackdown-on-internetfree-speech-in-india-has-sparked-a-new-kind-of-activism/ HTTP Strict Transport Security becomes Internet standard [IDG] The technology to prevent some types of attacks against HTTPS connections is now mature, but adoption is low http://www.infoworld.com/d/security/http-strict-transport-security-becomes-internet-standard-207667 Hacktivist Hints at New DDoS Attacks The hacktivists are now letting their words speak for their actions. For the third time in one month, a source claiming to be part of the self-proclaimed hacktivist group known as Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Cyber Fighters has granted an interview to discuss the wave of high-profile distributed denial of service attacks on U.S. banks. http://www.bankinfosecurity.com/hacktivist-hints-at-new-ddos-attacks-a-5325 Can Banks Prevent the Next Cyber Attack? Banks knew this past September's DDoS attack was coming, but were powerless to stop it. What can be done to prevent the next attack from succeeding? http://www.wallstreetandtech.com/data-security/can-banks-prevent-the-next-cyber-terrori/240142926/ Government official: "DDoS attack does not affect the business a company makes" A senior government official has claimed that distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks "do not lose companies any business". http://www.computing.co.uk/ctg/news/2228834/government-official-ddos-attack-does-not-affect-the-business-a-company-makes ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** uk: Leveson's distinction between web and print news 'will undermine regulation' Online journalists and academics have warned that the Leveson report's attempts to draw a distinction between the traditional press and online news, blogs and social media in formulating its proposals threatens to undermine any system of press regulation that may arise in its wake. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/nov/29/leveson-web-print-undermine-regulation Leveson's regulator ignores 'appalling abuse' on internet, MPs warn Lord Justice Leveson has designed a regulator for the press of "20 years ago" and ignored the impact of the internet, senior MPs have warned. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9713949/Levesons-regulator-ignores-appalling-abuse-on-internet-MPs-warn.html uk: Investigate eBay over tax payments, says Margaret Hodge The online auction site eBay should face an investigation into possible unpaid VAT owing to its complex tax arrangements, according to the chair of the parliamentary public accounts committee. http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/nov/30/ebay-investigation-tax-payments-margaret-hodge Google's future on the line as antitrust regulators meet The antitrust regulators for Europe and the US, Joaqu?n Almunia and Jonathan Leibowitz, will meet on Monday for a discussion that could be crucial for Google's future as they deliberate on whether to settle with the technology company or take it to court over its dominance of internet search. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/nov/30/google-future-antitrust-regulators-meet EU, U.S. antitrust officials to meet about Google investigations The U.S. and European officials leading separate antitrust investigations into Google are expected to meet next week in Europe, The Wall Street Journal reports. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57556361-93/eu-u.s-antitrust-officials-to-meet-about-google-investigations/ Google Fires a Rare Public Salvo Over Aggregators Google?s imprint on daily life is hard to ignore in Europe, where it reportedly has 93 percent of the Internet search market, more than in the United States. Yet when it comes to its lobbying of lawmakers, Google prefers a low profile. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/29/technology/google-fires-a-rare-public-salvo-over-aggregators.html Views of legal professors add weight to Google campaign against German publisher levy plans, says expert Google's opposition to proposed changes to copyright law in Germany is backed by the views of German legal professors in the areas of IT and copyright, an expert has said. http://www.out-law.com/en/articles/2012/november/views-of-legal-professors-add-weight-to-google-campaign-against-german-publisher-levy-plans-says-expert/ Mozilla and German lawmakers spar in increasingly furious 'link tax' row Mozilla has weighed into the rapidly heating war between Google and German lawmakers, pointing out that the imposition of copyright charges on news headlines and snippets could actually make it impossible for any search rivals to take Google on. http://www.zdnet.com/mozilla-and-german-lawmakers-spar-in-increasingly-furious-link-tax-row-7000008076/ us: Panel Approves a Bill to Safeguard E-Mail The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday approved a bill that would strengthen privacy protection for e-mails by requiring law enforcement officials to obtain a warrant from a judge in most cases before gaining access to messages in individual accounts stored electronically. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/30/technology/senate-committee-approves-stricter-privacy-for-e-mail.html us: House Dems hit Verizon?s net neutrality stand Top Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee are holding a briefing Wednesday to discuss Verizon?s ?troubling? legal challenge to the Federal Communications Commission?s net neutrality rules. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1112/84289.html ITU members resolve to end discriminatory access to Internet - WTSA-12 affirms commitment to an inclusive Information Society [news release] ITU?s membership has adopted a Resolution inviting ITU Member States to refrain from taking any unilateral and/or discriminatory actions that could impede another Member State from accessing public Internet sites and using resources, within the spirit of Article 1 of the Constitution and the WSIS principles. http://www.itu.int/net/pressoffice/press_releases/2012/87.aspx ITU members define a new era for ITU?s standards sector [news release] ITU?s membership has called on ITU?s Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) to expand its work on e-health, software-defined networking (SDN) and e-waste. In addition, members have called for the establishment of a Review Committee to ensure that ITU-T?s structure continues to meet the needs of the continually evolving and convergent ICT landscape, particularly as collaboration with vertical markets increases. This will help to enable such innovations as e-health, intelligent transport systems, smart grid, mobile money and e-learning. http://www.itu.int/net/pressoffice/press_releases/2012/88.aspx Digital Rights Activists Gather in Auckland, New Zealand Next Week for the 15th Round of TPP Negotiations Next week, the 15th round of Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement (TPP) negotiations will begin in Auckland, New Zealand. Hundreds of delegates and private representatives from the now 11 participating nations will gather at a luxury casino to discuss this multi-faceted trade agreement. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/11/digital-rights-activists-gather-auckland-new-zealand Australia crackdown on Google taxes seen holding investment risks Australia faces an uphill battle to capture a greater share of tax revenue from multinationals such as Google and needs to work with its trading partners to avoid scaring away investors with an image as a high tax nation, tax lawyers and specialists say. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/12/03/uk-australia-google-tax-idUKBRE8B203I20121203 au: Sharp increase in authorities accessing private data Australian law enforcement and government agencies have sharply increased their access without warrant to vast quantities of private telephone and internet data, prompting new calls for tighter controls on surveillance powers. http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/sharp-increase-in-authorities-accessing-private-data-20121130-2amsm.html http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/sharp-increase-in-authorities-accessing-private-data-20121130-2amsm.html ********************** MISCELLANEOUS ********************** Head of Tehran's Cybercrimes Unit Is Fired Over Death of Blogger Iranian?s national police chief fired the commander of Tehran?s cybercrimes police unit on Saturday for negligence in the death of a blogger in prison. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/02/world/middleeast/after-death-of-sattar-beheshti-iranian-blogger-head-of-tehrans-cybercrimes-unit-is-fired.html ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** Sandy Blew Away Illusions About U.S. Digital Infrastructure Every company that does business across the country and around the world needs to figure out a way to keep functioning when their people are not able to get to their normal work locations because of a natural disaster like Sandy, a public health crisis, a terrorist attack or some other event that significantly disrupts a city for an extended period of time. http://blogs.wsj.com/cio/2012/12/02/sandy-blew-away-illusions-about-u-s-digital-infrastructure/ us: The rest of the Internet is too slow for Google Fiber I can summarize my whirlwind 36 hours in Kansas City in two words: bandwidth and barbecue. http://arstechnica.com/business/2012/11/the-rest-of-the-internet-is-too-slow-for-google-fiber/ ********************************** ONLINE CHILD ABUSE ARRESTS/COURT CASES ********************************** nz: Child-porn docs still work in medicine An Auckland GP convicted of possessing images of child abuse is among the criminal medical professionals allowed to keep working. http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/8024860/Child-porn-docs-still-work-in-medicine ------ David Goldstein email: david at goldsteinreport.com web: http://goldsteinreport.com/ http://davidgoldstein.tel/ phone: +61 418 228 605 - mobile; +61 2 9665 5773 - office/home "Every time you use fossil fuels, you're adding to the problem. Every time you forgo fossil fuels, you're being part of the solution" - Dr Tim FlanneryReceived on Mon Dec 03 2012 - 04:52:27 UTC
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