DOTZON presents the sixth edition of the Digital Company Brands study. After having introduced the study in 2018, DOTZON continued to expand and enhance the underlying data to display how companies successfully use their Digital Company Brands. The Digital Company Brand is the digital dimension of a company brand and mirrors the "digitalness "of a company. more
There was a somewhat unfortunate outage for a major communications service provider in Australia, Optus, in mid-November. It appears that one of their peer Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) networks mistakenly advertised a very large route collection to the Optus BGP network, which caused the routers to malfunction in some manner. more
Android users can choose from 3.718 million applications in the Google Play Store. When installing applications, the majority of consumers trust Google to keep their devices safe from hackers. However, the reality is different. Just back in May 2023, researchers discovered over 101 infected applications in the Android store. Many of these apps counted over 400 million downloads. more
I write a lot about the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), but I imagine a lot of folks don't realize the many functions the agency handles. Like any regulatory agency, the FCC staff and Commissioners have been tasked by Congress with a wide range of responsibilities. The public gets to hear from the FCC formally once each month ... more
I go back to the International Forum on the White Paper (IFWP). (Like Jeff, I was very young.) The Department of Commerce had just issued the White Paper, and there was a proposal that we pass control of the critical Internet identifiers to a new not-for-profit corporation with a bottom-up Multistakeholder way of making policy and an international board of directors. more
Are you (or someone you know) passionate about protecting the global, open Internet? And ensuring that it is available to everyone? Do you have leadership experience in business, government, philanthropy, and/or the nonprofit sector? If so, please consider submitting a nomination for a seat on the Internet Society Board of Trustees to help guide the future of the organization. more
You may recall a number of years ago when Google experimented with delivering broadband from balloons in an effort labeled Project Loon. The project was eventually dropped, but a remnant of the project has now resurfaced as Taara - broadband delivered terrestrially by lasers. more
On October 12, 2023, the 18th Internet Governance Forum (IGF) ended in Kyoto. It was, with more than 9000 registered participants, the largest IGF since its inception in 2006. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida opened the five-day meeting. The tangible output included 89 "IGF Messages from Kyoto," four substantial reports with recommendations from IGF Policy Networks (PN) for Artificial Intelligence... more
From the creation of DNSAI Compass ("Compass"), we knew that measuring DNS Abuse1 would be difficult and that it would be beneficial to anticipate the challenges we would encounter. With more than a year of published reports, we are sharing insights into one of the obstacles we have faced. One of our core principles is transparency and we've worked hard to provide this with our methodology. more
SpaceX is equipping its new satellites with inter-satellite laser links (ISLLs). They now have over 8,000 optical terminals in orbit (3 per satellite) and they communicate at up to 100 Gbps. The other low-Earth orbit Internet service providers will follow SpaceX's lead. more
For four days in Southern France, cybersecurity experts from a broad array of different countries and sectors gathered for the annual ETSI Security Conference. The event undertaken by one of the world's major industry information-communication (ICT) standards organisations was intended to take stock of the state of cybersecurity and trends. more
The internet is a beacon of global connectivity and information, but it has also become a battleground where malicious actors exploit vulnerabilities for various immoral purposes. Domain Name System (DNS) abuse stands has proven a constant in the internet threat landscape, posing risk to the overall digital trust. more
Here are the mid-year trends of the the .COM Top Level Domain. Our analysis is based on data transmitted by Verisign, the company tasked with the management of .COM, to ICANN, as of 30/06/23. To conduct our study, we will be using two performance indicators taken from the reports sent by Verisign to ICANN and published in its 'Registry transactions Reports'1: stocks at 30/06 and 31/12 of each year and monthly creations consolidated over a 12-month period. more
This year, the 25th anniversary of the creation of ICANN was celebrated. The date carries a commemorative meaning, highlighting the trajectory of this institution that has been fundamental in the coordination and administration of Internet resources. However, this milestone also highlights the growing challenges facing Internet Governance in the current global landscape. more
The State of California often leads the country in addressing regulatory issues. This makes sense since the State has a population of nearly 40 million and an economy that would be the fifth largest in the world if California were a separate country. A new law was enacted on the last day of the California Legislature that was signed by Governor Gavin Newson this month. more
China Launches World’s First Underwater Data Center
China has achieved a world first by starting the assembly of an underwater commercial data center off the coast of Sanya, on Hainan Island, according to China Daily. more
The European Union's Network and Information Security Directive (NIS1), introduced in 2016, aimed to strengthen cybersecurity among Member States. However, market fragmentation and growing digital threats led to the enactment of the NIS2 Directive. more
ICANN has introduced the Registration Data Request Service (RDRS), offering a standardized way to request access to nonpublic data for generic top-level domains (gTLDs). more
Australia is set to enhance its cybersecurity framework in response to recent widespread cyberattacks. The government has released its 2023 -- 2030 Cyber Security Strategy, aiming to position Australia among the top cyber-secure nations by 2030. more
Denmark Encounters Largest Cyber Attack on Its Critical Infrastructure to Date
Denmark experienced its largest-ever cyberattack in May, targeting the nation's critical infrastructure. SektorCERT, the Danish cybersecurity authority, reported breaches in 22 companies within days. Many resorted to 'island mode,' isolating themselves from the internet to contain the threat. more
China has announced the completion of a 3,000-kilometer (1,860-mile) internet network, claimed to be the world's fastest, with a bandwidth of 1.2 terabits per second. more
This follows a general meeting on November 14, 2023, and comes ahead of the 2024 EU elections. The initiative outlines strategies for protecting Europe's digital future in the coming decade, especially considering potential strategic shifts in the next legislative term. more
Rise in Cybercrime Exploiting Artificial Intelligence Hype Leads to Growing Threats Within the .ai Domain Space
Cybercriminals are leveraging the growing popularity of artificial intelligence to perpetrate attacks, capitalizing on the surge in interest following the release of chatbot technologies like ChatGPT. New research by Netcraft reports on the increasing use of .ai domain names where criminals use malicious websites around AI to draw in victims. more
Researchers Uncover Massive Underground Link-Shortening Service Used by Malicious Actors
New research indicates that the .US top-level domain contains numerous domains linked to a malicious link-shortening service dubbed 'Prolific Puma' promoting malware and phishing. Infoblox has been monitoring this three-year-old service, which uses short domains hosted on uncooperative providers to disguise harmful landing pages. more
Unstoppable Domains, a leading Web3 domain provider, has expanded its domain offerings by incorporating traditional ".com" addresses. The integration bridges the gap between traditional and decentralized web domains. more
Gaza Plunges into Near-Total Internet and Cellular Blackout Amid Intensified Israeli Strikes
The Gaza Strip is experiencing an almost complete blackout of internet and cellphone services. A communication blackout isolates Gaza's residents, impeding emergency responses and potentially escalating humanitarian crises. more
UK Online Safety Act Becomes Law Amid Controversy
The UK's Online Safety Bill has received Royal Assent and is now officially the Online Safety Act. This law mandates tech companies to incorporate new standards for the design, operation, and moderation of their platforms. more
In a significant move to advance IPv6 adoption, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has directed local router manufacturers to default to the IPv6 protocol from December 1, 2023 onwards. more
SpaceX Quietly Launches New Website for Cellular Starlink Service
SpaceX has unveiled its new "Starlink Direct to Cell" service, aimed at providing cellular connectivity globally via its Starlink satellite network. The newly launched website promotes the service with the promise of "Seamless access to text, voice, and data for LTE phones across the globe." more
Activist Hackers Target Government Websites Amid Escalating Israel-Hamas War
Hackers have intensified attacks on government websites and media outlets, both on the Israeli and Palestinian sides. more
Amazon Launched Its First Two Internet Satellites Into Orbit
Amazon launched its debut prototype satellites, Kuipersat-1 and Kuipersat-2, from Florida's Cape Canaveral on Friday. This marks the tech giant's initial foray into space, aiming to rival SpaceX's Starlink broadband network. more
Russia's communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, intends to block Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) starting March 1, 2024, according to Senator Artem Sheikin of the United Russia party. more
U.S. National Security Agency Announces AI Security Center
U.S. National Security Agency Director, Army Gen. Paul M. Nakasone, has announced the formation of the AI Security Center, a new entity designed to oversee the development and integration of artificial intelligence within the nation's security systems. more
European Domain Growth Shows Positive Signs Amid Challenges in 2023
CENTR, the association which represents European country code top-level domain name registries (ccTLDs), such as .de for Germany or .no for Norway, has published the latest edition of its quarterly CENTRstats TLD Market Report, covering the global status and registration trends in all top-level domains (legacy gTLDs, new gTLDs and ccTLDs), with a specific focus on the European ccTLD market. more
ICANN Celebrates Its Quarter-Century Milestone
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) commemorates 25 years of fostering international cooperation in managing the Internet's naming system. Originally established by the U.S. Department of Commerce in 1998, ICANN's primary objective has been to ensure a stable and secure operation of the Internet's unique identifiers, most notably the Domain Name System (DNS). more
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Rogue bulletproof hosts are part and parcel of the cybercriminal market that is hidden deep underground. Without means to easily evade detection, attribution, and incarceration, many of today's cybercriminals would not be able to continue their malicious operations. more
Earlier this month, an independent 12-month SEO study conducted by an eCommerce marketing agency revealed that the eCommerce businesses using .Store domains got 87% more traffic and a 12% lower cost per conversion. more
Carding has been around since the 1980s but has evolved to the point that even less experienced cybercriminals can now launch campaigns. How? Via the carding forums that riddle the Web these days. more
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) shut down BreachForums, a forum for English-speaking black hat hackers, on 21 March 2023, following the arrest of its owner Conor Brian Fitzpatrick. more
APT29, believed to be an espionage group from Russia, became known for launching targeted attacks against organizations in Ukraine. But over the course of investigating the threat group, Mandiant discovered that it may have a hand in cybercriminal operations, specifically phishing, as well. more
BlackNet RAT, first discovered during the COVID -- 19 pandemic and being distributed via spam messages offering an effective cure for the virus, seems to have outlived the global crisis. more
Phishing campaigns almost always require a massive volume of domains in order to succeed. Phishers, after all, need to have readily weaponizable vectors at their disposal in case the ones they're currently employing get detected and consequently blocked. more
Threat researcher Dancho Danchev recently discovered a phishing operation that seemed to be abusing .top domains for which he collated 89 email addresses that served as indicators of compromise (IoCs). more
Threat actors have been seen yet again abusing a technology meant to make things easy for all of us -- QR codes -- in one of the most commonly utilized cybercriminal activities - phishing. The rise in QR code phishing isn't surprising given that according to several studies, as much as 86% of the entire global population use their mobile phones for all kinds of transactions, including financial ones. more
A phishing campaign is currently targeting Facebook business accounts with password-stealing malware. The attackers have been using a massive network of fake and compromised Facebook accounts to send out millions of Messenger phishing messages. more
Rhysida, a new ransomware currently plaguing users may not be novel, but it's proving to be just as effective. Fortra published an in-depth analysis of the malware currently holding the data of healthcare organizations primarily based in the U.S. hostage. more
It's not uncommon for cybercriminals to tweak an existing piece of malware and then call it a new creation. We've seen that happen even in malware's earliest days. It's actually happening more and more these days, especially with the rise of the malware-as-a-service (MaaS) business model. more
Radix announced the sale of the domain betting.online for $400,000. The sale was directly done via the registry and was facilitated by escrow.com. This is the highest* sale in the last 5 years for any new gTLD and ties the spot for the 5th highest* domain sale YTD among all TLDs in 2023, as per DNJournal. more
As the voice of the Internet's infrastructure, the Internet Infrastructure Coalition (i2Coalition) advocates for companies working for the benefit of the Internet as a whole. Since our formation more than ten years ago, the i2Coalition has found that when we engage with policymakers, they are usually focused on solving particular problems they see online. more
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