Project 2025: The Internet and Cybersecurity

As the saying goes, elections have consequences. The consequences are underscored in the recent U.S. Presidential election and the potential impact on the Internet, infrastructure and cybersecurity. In the context of the CircleID global community, it seems worth asking where things are headed? It does beg for an analysis of what is actually proposed in Presidential Transition Project 2025 related to things internet and cybersecurity.

The Internet’s Two Bodies: Understanding the Multistakeholder Reign

The reports of multistakeholder Internet governance's demise are greatly exaggerated. This article explores the dual nature of multistakeholderism: its evolving, sometimes contentious practice as the "First Body," and its enduring principle of actor plurality as the "Second Body." Despite criticism and challenges, multistakeholderism remains crucial for a resilient, non-state-led Internet, underscoring the need to adapt and uphold its foundational pluralism.

The Role of Cloud Resource Provisioning in Web App CICD Pipelines

Thanks to wide adoption of the Infrastructure as Code (IaC) approach, programmatic provisioning of cloud resources is slowly transforming almost every aspect of computing, with administration of web apps having emerged as a key use case. With IaC, it's possible to streamline resource management tasks, shorten time-to-market, control costs, and scale at will. The adoption of continuous integration and continuous delivery (CICD) pipelines is already making a huge difference in web app deployment and cloud resource management.

Want to Help Ensure the Internet Remains Open? Internet Society Seeks Nominations for 2025 Board of Trustees

Do you (or someone you know) believe that people everywhere should have access to affordable, reliable, and resilient Internet connectivity? Are you passionate about ensuring that people everywhere have an Internet experience that is safe, secure, and protects them online? Do you have leadership experience in business, government, philanthropy, and/or the nonprofit sector?

Attacking DNS Abuse: The Next Amendments Needed

Abusive behavior that leverages the domain name system (DNS) continues to be a problem, with a reach that has been widely and credibly documented. There is little doubt that bad actors continue to use the DNS for nefarious and costly purposes. While the amendments made in 2024 to ICANN's Registry Agreement (RA) and Registrar Accreditation Agreement (RAA) were a step in the right direction, more advanced tools are needed to bring abuse rates down.

How Dormant Domains Can Be Weaponized During Events Like the 2024 U.S. Election

As with any high-stakes event, elections have become a prime target for cybercriminals seeking to exploit public trust through impersonation, misinformation, and scams. CSC's comprehensive research about the 2024 U.S. Election reveals the alarming role of dormant domains, which have the potential to be exploited for launching cyber attacks against political campaigns, organizations, and constituents.

DNS: The Proven, Eco-Friendly Alternative to Blockchain and NFTs

As the world races towards digital transformation, the technologies we choose will have a lasting impact on our planet. Blockchain, NFTs, and other crypto assets have garnered much attention for their ability to securely and immutably store records. However, the environmental cost of maintaining these technologies is often overlooked. The energy consumption required to sustain blockchains, particularly those using Proof of Work (PoW), is enormous...

NIS2 Article 28 Guidance: A Positive Step Toward Reducing DNS Abuse Across Europe

The European Union (EU) has set a high bar by tackling domain name system (DNS) abuse head on via government regulation and seems to have successfully resisted attempts to water down DNS stewardship obligations. Recent guidance from a key European Commission cooperation group (the NIS Cooperation Group) handling sections of the Network and Information Security Directive (NIS2) intends for a robust implementation of Article 28, which will go a long way toward helping to mitigate some of the longstanding problems that persist in the DNS.

UN’s Global Digital Compact: A Fork in the Road for Internet Governance?

As the United Nations' Global Digital Compact (GDC) approaches its expected adoption, a growing chorus of critics warns that it threatens the very foundations of multistakeholderism in Internet governance. While the GDC aims to foster global cooperation and advance shared objectives for digital transformation, it not only centralizes power within the UN but also sidelines the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) - a platform that has, for years, been instrumental in amplifying diverse voices, especially from marginalized communities and the private sector.

Verisign and ICANN Renew Root Zone Maintainer Service Agreement

On October 20th, ICANN and Verisign renewed the agreement under which Verisign will continue to act as Root Zone Maintainer for the Domain Name System (DNS) for another 8-year term. The Root Zone sits atop the hierarchical architecture of the DNS and is essential to virtually all internet navigation, acting as the dynamic, cryptographically secure, global directory of all top-level domains that exist in the DNS.