RDRS: Calling All Registrars!

Calling all registrars! ICANN is set to launch the Registration Data Request Service (RDRS), and the Registrar Stakeholder Group encourages ICANN registrars to participate. For those who haven't been closely following ICANN policy, the RDRS is a step on the path of policy development working to bring our registration data processing requirements into line with data protection laws. more

2.5 Billion New Broadband Subscribers By 2013

When it comes to broadband subscriptions, the current global recession is merely a short-term phenomenon according to new research released by TeleGeography. The research group reports that "by the end of 2013 the number of broadband subscribers across the world will have grown by 72% to over 700 million, while wireless subscriptions will have grown by well over two billion, an increase of 60%." TeleGeography's GlobalComms Insight predicts that the Asia-Pacific region will continue to dominate the global market but only in terms of total subscription numbers -- the market value will have a different story. "In 2013 the region's 50% share of global subscribers will account for only 28% of global market value. Conversely, while the relative size and importance of the North American market continues to diminish, in 2013 its 7% of subscribers will still account for 23% of global market value." more

FCC Aiming for 100 Million Households at 100 Megabits Per Second

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission unveiled a plan on Tuesday proposing minimum broadband speeds of 100Mbps. In his remarks, FCC's chief Julius Genachowski said: "To meet the imperatives of global competitiveness and enduring job creation, we must have broadband networks of such unsurpassed excellence that they will empower American entrepreneurs and innovators to build and expand businesses here in the United States. Our plan will set goals for the U.S. to have the world's largest market of very high-speed broadband users. A '100 Squared' initiative -- 100 million households at 100 megabits per second -- to unleash American ingenuity and ensure that businesses, large and small, are created here, move here, and stay here." more

Intel to buy McAfee for $7.68 Billion, Biggest Acquisition in 42-Year History

Intel plans to buy security company McAfee for $7.68 billion -- the biggest acquisition in its 42-year history. The chipmaker said Thursday it has entered into a definitive agreement to buy all of McAfee's common stock at $48 per share in cash. McAfee's stock closed Wednesday at $29.93, making Intel's offer a 60 percent premium. The boards of both companies have approved the deal. more

Would You Fly an Airplane That Had a Pre-flight Checkout That Was Only 40 Percent Complete?

In the aviation world safety is paramount. Commercial airlines go to major lengths to make sure that their planes are fully up to code and can fly safely in the air. The risks - loss of human lives - are far too extreme to take any chances. One result of this diligence is the fact that travel by plane is far safer than any other method - nearly 40 times safer per mile than travel by car. While application security risks are not as dire, research shows CSOs fail to use the same stringent level of safety to secure their Internet-facing applications. more

Why the IGF Now Sits at the Fault Line

The UN's move to grant permanence to the Internet Governance Forum reframes legitimacy in digital policy. As states accelerate action, multistakeholder processes risk becoming ceremonial, with speed replacing consent as the arbiter of influence. more

ICANN Submits Transition Plan to US Government

Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) Board Chair Dr. Stephen D. Crocker today submitted to the U.S. Government a plan developed by the international Internet community that, if approved, will lead to global stewardship of some key technical Internet functions. The news was confirmed today at a press conference finalizing the ICANN 55 meetings in Morocco. more

China Seeking to Construct Its Own Uncrackable Smartphones

Beijing and leading Chinese tech firms are collaborating to build a secure smartphone for government officials that rely on domestically built operating system and processor chip, according to reports. more

DCA’s Sophia Bekele Blocked from ITU Event by AUC Over dotAfrica Dispute

Michael Ouma reporting in AllAfrica: Even after ICANN recently moved a step closer to controversially delegate the dotAfrica domain to South Africa's ZA Central Registry NPC - which is supported by the African Union (AU) - last month, another storm has erupted... Sophia Bekele had been invited to Addis Ababa by the ITU's Regional Office for Africa to deliver a speech during this year's "Girls in ICT" day event held on Thursday April 24 at the AU headquarters but later blocked due to disputes with the organization. more

Understanding the Long-Term Value of the IGF

This year's Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Istanbul comes at a critical moment in the Internet's history and is the latest in a series of pivotal meetings that will have far-reaching consequences for its future. One of those central questions posed recently was how the IGF, founded nine years ago in Tunis as part of the two founding phases of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), could be improved to increase its relevance and inclusiveness in meeting the new challenges facing our open Internet. more

Global Commission on Internet Governance Meets in Ottawa

The group named Global Commission on Internet Governance (CIGI) is meeting in Ottawa, Canada this week with a mandate to deliver policy recommendations for the future of Internet governance by early 2016. The meetings on Monday and Tuesday are the third in a series of international gatherings since the group formed in January. more

Nuclear Command and Control Structures Vulnerable to Cyber Terrorism

A research paper commissioned by the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (ICNND) suggests that nuclear command and control systems are vulnerable to cyber terrorism. "Despite claims that nuclear launch orders can only come from the highest authorities, numerous examples point towards an ability to sidestep the chain of command and insert orders at lower levels," says the report. more

NIST Issues Smart Grid Cybersecurity Guidelines

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) issued today its first Guidelines for Smart Grid Cyber Security, which includes high-level security requirements, a framework for assessing risks, an evaluation of privacy issues at personal residences, and additional information for businesses and organizations to use as they craft strategies to protect the modernizing power grid from attacks, malicious code, cascading errors, and other threats. more

The Legal Enforceability of PIR’s Public Interest Commitment

Since Ethos announced its investment in PIR last fall, Ethos has welcomed the opportunity to engage with .ORG registrants and users to hear their ideas and answer their questions. We listened to concerns expressed in the community, and we worked to address them. We announced a number of voluntary commitments that Ethos is prepared to make, and then we listened to feedback from the community on the scope of those commitments, as well as on the enforceability of those commitments. more

Human Rights and the Digital Domain Primer - Part 1

The digital domain encompasses the different spaces and spheres we use to relate and interact with the people and things that surround us using digital technologies. The digital domain is not limited to the technologies itself, but it has an important ethical dimension that encompasses the values, principles and instruments that inform and govern it. Created by humans for humans, our beliefs, cultural backgrounds, and biases are reflected in the codes we write and the algorithms we create. more