Featured Blogs

Why Most People Haven’t Heard of the DNS Root Server System

At the ICANN 81 meeting in Istanbul on 10 November 2024, I gave a presentation about the DNS Root Server System, in an effort to increase understanding of the Root Server System (RSS) and Root Server Operators (RSOs). The talk was intended for the members of the ICANN Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC), but much of this explanation may be of interest to general audiences. more

Broadband Technology Improving - Faster, Smarter, and More Versatile Connectivity

Broadband infrastructure is advancing rapidly, from multi-gigabit cable and fiber networks to next-generation fixed wireless and satellite systems. With speeds reaching up to 25 Gbps for consumers and 1 Tbps in orbit, these developments mark a pivotal shift in connectivity, setting the stage for more scalable, flexible, and high-capacity networks. more

WSIS+20 and the Youth Dilemma: Rethinking Participation in Global Internet Governance

On Wednesday, 9 July, I attended the WSIS+20 HLE Overall Review multistakeholder consultation with co-facilitators H.E. Mr Ekitela Locale from the Republic of Kenya, and H.E. Ms Suela Janina from the Republic of Albania with my UNU-CRIS hat and had the opportunity to talk with them together with my fellow youth IGF colleagues Dana Cramer and Jasmine Ko. We discussed youth participation in Internet governance, and I raised my concerns about the future of youth IGFs. more

Time to Act as Apple Sets Wheels in Motion for Shorter Certificate Life Cycles

You may have read our previous blog about the pending reduction of digital certificate life cycles to just 90 days. This past weekend, the issue gained momentum at the Certification Authority Browser Forum when more detail was discussed following the proposed ballot to set a timeline for shorter lifetime certificates by Apple. This creates real urgency for organizations of all sizes to seriously consider and implement automation into their certificate life cycle management. more

International Law of Critical Internet Infrastructure [CII]: A Comparative Analysis

On Friday December 13, 2024 at 10:00–12:00 CET (09:00-11:00 AM UTC) the Lodz Cyber Hub at the University of Lodz Law School, an ICANN EURALO ALS, and the United Nations University – Comparative Regional Integration Studies (UNU-CRIS) hosts an online workshop 'International Law of Critical Internet Infrastructure: A Comparative Analysis of Europe and China'. more

DOTZON Study: Digital City Brands 2025

We have just released the 2025 edition of the DOTZON study "Digital City Brands." Since first presenting the study in early 2017, DOTZON has now analyzed for the ninth consecutive year how cities successfully use their Digital City Brands. The Digital City Brand represents the digital aspect of a city's brand and reflects how digitally advanced a city is. The emergence of the Internet was the reason Digital City Brands were created in the first place.  more

Breaking Ground: Historic Launch of UN Global Mechanism for Cyberspace Governance

The international community has long struggled with the challenge of translating international law into actionable norms and practices in cyberspace. The conclusion of the United Nations Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) on the security of and in the use of information and communications technologies 2021-2025 marks a vital milestone in that ongoing process.  more

‘Notorious Hosting Providers’: An Overview of the Highest-Threat Hosts From IP-address Blacklist Analysis

One major element of many brand-protection programmes is the use of an algorithm to sort the findings identified through monitoring, according to their relevance or level of potential threat. This prioritisation process offers a number of benefits, including the identification of priority targets for further analysis, content tracking, or enforcement. more

A Perfect Storm Brewing for European ccTLDs?

The European country code top-level domain (ccTLD) market is at a crossroads, facing a confluence of challenges that could reshape its trajectory in the coming years. From slowing growth and rising renewal prices to shifting user behaviour driven by AI, the market is undergoing profound changes. These trends suggest a potential decline in domain volumes and a shift in how domains are valued and used. Here's a closer look at the factors contributing to this "perfect storm" and what it means for the future of European ccTLDs. more

Tech Continuity in President Trump’s First 100 Days

Tech developments saw less drama than trade and environmental shifts during Trump's first 100 days. Continuity, not abrupt change, defined his approach to AI and digital regulation. Only 9 of 139 executive orders (EOs) focused on tech. Trump's tech policy emphasised reviews and incremental shifts. Public consultations on AI, cybersecurity, and cryptocurrencies signal steady evolution over upheaval. more

The Christmas Goat and IPv6 (Year 15)

The Christmas Goat attracted 809 unique AS numbers this year, with IPv6 usage led by the USA and Finland. Despite a rise to 39% IPv6 adoption, challenges like outdated routers persist. As this 15-year tradition concludes, the holiday Goat highlights the progress and hurdles of IPv6 integration. more

Ignorance of History

An international institutional battle of sorts has been playing out in a segment of the trade press over the past couple of weeks over the venue of the Oct 2027 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-27). The treaty conference held under the auspices of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Radiocommunication Sector is part of a continuum of intergovernmental activities that began in Berlin in 1903. more

ICANN CSG and NCSG Make Progress at ICANN81

The Commercial Stakeholder Group and Non-Commercial Stakeholder Group (together, the Non-Contracted Party House, or NCPH) met for a daylong Day 0 session on 8 November 2024, immediately prior to the opening of the ICANN81 meeting in Istanbul. This meeting follows one of a similar nature conducted prior to ICANN78 in Hamburg, which was the first joint NCPH meeting following the pandemic. more

The Golden Dome and the Scramble for Spectrum: How Missile Defense Could Reshape Wireless Policy

A recently passed American spending bill, known as H.R. 1, allocates $24.5 billion for fiscal year 2025 to fund a nationwide integrated air and missile defense system. Although the term isn't used in the legislation, the new system is referred to as the Golden Dome. There will be higher costs coming in later years. The Department of Defense has already set a target to be able to test the new system by the fall of 2027. more

Unregistered Gems Part 5: Using Groupings to Find Brandable Domains

The initial instalment of my recent series of articles on domain name discovery1 considered the use of phonotactic analysis - that is, the measure of the similarity of a string to the 'corpus' of other words in a language - to identify available unregistered candidate domains which may be of interest for potential brandability. more