Afilias Director of Security and Key Accounts, Greg Aaron, will present at the Anti-Phishing Working Group's Counter e-Crime Operations Summit in Tokyo, Japan.

Afilias is a Silver sponsor of NDSS(Network & Distributed System Security) 2008.

Global Phishing Survey results highlight .INFO anti-abuse success

DUBLIN, IRELAND - 6 November 2008 – Afilias, a global provider of Internet infrastructure services, today announced that a new Global Phishing Survey released by the Anti-Phishing Work Group (APWG) reveals that the .INFO domain, managed and operated by Afilias, is now safer from phishing attacks. Phishing is the criminally fraudulent process of attempting to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and financial information by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic transaction.

The Global Phishing Survey shows that, during the first half of 2008, .INFO has the lowest phishing rate and the lowest average attack duration among the Internet's generic top-level domains (gTLDs). The phishing rate is a standard measure of the number of detected phishing web sites for every 10,000 domains and indicates the level of use of a domain name for phishing. Attack duration measures the amount of time a fraudulent website remains online - the longer a phishing site stays online, the higher the ability to steal sensitive information from unsuspecting victims. .INFO's attack durations were near the average among all gTLDs in the second half of 2007, so INFO is now even safer than it was in the past.

This improvement began in January 2008, when Afilias implemented a vigorous anti-phishing program. The study results demonstrate the effectiveness of this program, with the average phishing attack durations in the .INFO domain reduced by almost 50%, ahead of all other gTLDs. Reduced attack durations provide greater protection to consumers and organizations that conduct online commerce, demonstrably reducing financial losses and the many other costs of identity theft.

"The results from the Afilias .INFO anti-phishing effort show that programs implemented by domain registries can effectively fight domain name abuses without outside regulation," said Ram Mohan, Executive Vice President and CTO of Afilias. "The recently implemented .INFO Anti-Abuse Policy further adds to our ability to take effective and measured action to prevent abuse in the .INFO domain."

The Global Phishing Survey analyzes the APWG phishing attack repository and other data sources comprising a comprehensive archive of phishing activity. It reports 47,324 phishing attacks in the first six months of 2008, hosted on 26,678 unique domain names. Phishing took place on domain names in 155 top-level domains (TLDs).

"The Global Phishing Survey demonstrates that criminals are targeting specific top-level domains and their registrars, and change their targets regularly," said Greg Aaron, Director of Key Account Management and Domain Security at Afilias, and a co-author of the study. "Identity theft and fraud are important issues for anyone who goes online, and criminals are using vulnerable top-level domains and registrars to steal identities and money. The .INFO experience indicates that active, self-regulated anti-abuse programs make a real difference in improving the safety of the Internet, and of the domain name space in particular."

You can read the full survey at: www.apwg.org/reports/APWG_GlobalPhishingSurvey1H2008.pdf

About .INFO

.INFO is the most intuitive path to information on the Internet. It was the first unrestricted generic top-level domain (TLD) launched since .COM and today contains over 5 million registered domains and millions of live Web sites. For more information on .INFO please visit www.info.info.

About Afilias

Afilias is a global provider of Internet infrastructure services that connect people to their data. Afilias' reliable, secure, scalable, and globally available technology supports a wide range of applications. Its Internet registry services support domains such as .INFO, .ORG, .aero, .mobi, .asia, as well as many country code domains such as .Me, .IN and others. Afilias also provides services in the RFID market with its Afilias Discovery Service, which enables real-time lookup of event histories across RFID networks.

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1H2008 APWG Study Global Phishing Survey released by the Anti-Phishing Work Group (APWG) in 2008 that studied the relationships between phishing attacks and top-level domains.	11/08/08 6:38 pm	575.48 KB

Internet domain name industry veteran and security expert to join ICANN Board as Security and Stability Advisory Committee liaison

DUBLIN, IRELAND - 3 November 2008 - Afilias, a global provider of Internet infrastructure services, today announced that Ram Mohan, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, has been selected by the ICANN Security and Stability Advisory Committee (SSAC) to serve as its non-voting liaison on the ICANN Board of Directors. Mr. Mohan will be seated at the conclusion of the ICANN 33^rd International Public Meeting in Cairo, Egypt.

"Expertise, objectivity, vision and personal integrity are character traits that are imperative for any member of the ICANN Board. Ram possesses all these traits and brings knowledge and energy on the complex issues that encompass Internet security, stability and resiliency, so as to allow the ICANN Board to act thoughtfully and make good decisions," said Dr. Stephen Crocker, Chair of ICANN's Security and Stability Advisory Committee.

Mr. Mohan is a domain name industry veteran, helping to lead the introductions of some of the most successful new top level domains and overseeing large registry migrations. Mr. Mohan is a founding member of the Security and Stability Advisory Committee and has contributed to key reports and recommendations from the SSAC. He has been active in the ICANN community for many years and has helped draft new policies and guidelines related to the administration and registration of domain names, such as the Redemption Grace Period and IDN implementation guidelines. Mr. Mohan serves on the Steering Committee of the Anti-Phishing Working Group, the Advisory Committee of the Internet Society and the W3C, is an Advisor to the Computer Emergency Response Team - India (CERT-IN), and a Board Member of the Registry Internet Security Group (RISG).

"Internet security, particularly securing the Internet's naming and addressing architecture and insulating it from vulnerabilities that can be exposed by criminals and terrorists, is one of the key challenges of our time. I am honored to have the confidence of my colleagues in the community to serve in this important position at ICANN," said Ram Mohan.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), a nonprofit corporation, was created in 1998 by the U.S. Department of Commerce to act as a technical coordination body to oversee the Internet naming system. The Security and Stability Advisory Committee was created in 2001 and engages in ongoing threat assessment and risk analysis of the Internet naming and address allocation services to assess where the principal threats to stability and security lie, and advises the ICANN community accordingly.

About Afilias

Afilias is a global provider of Internet infrastructure services that connect people to their data. Afilias' reliable, secure, scalable, and globally available technology supports a wide range of applications. Its Internet registry services support domains such as .INFO, .ORG, .aero, .mobi, .asia, as well as many country code domains such as .Me, .IN and others. Afilias also provides services in the RFID market with its Afilias Discovery Service, which enables real-time lookup of event histories across RFID networks.

Registry Internet Safety Group Formed to Develop Best Practices and Enhance Overall Internet User Security

RESTON, VA - October 17, 2008 - The Registry Internet Safety Group ("RISG") is a global group of responsible Internet related companies whose mission is to work collaboratively to combat Internet identity theft; even though RISG is uniquely Registry focused, it includes both gTLD (global Top Level Domain) and ccTLD (country code Top Level Domain) members. RISG is intended to complement and not duplicate existing Internet security efforts. Other RISG members include domain registrars, security vendors and law enforcement agencies. RISG members and invited experts work together towards improving Internet security, develop domain name industry best practices and share data to improve overall Internet user security.

".ORG, the Public Interest Registry, initiated RISG to encourage industry collaboration and proactively fight Internet identity theft," says Alexa Raad, CEO of .ORG, The Public Interest Registry and elected Board Chair of RISG.

Charter members include .ORG, The Public Interest Registry; SIDN; Afilias Limited; Nominet; NeuStar, Inc.; CNNIC; Cyveillance, Inc.; Symantec Corporation; Shinkuro; GoDaddy.com, Inc.; MarkMonitor; Network Solutions; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Members meet regularly to advance RISG goals and share best practices.

"With the vast and varied makeup of the group, we will be able to evaluate security efforts and best practices from many different aspects," says Roelof Meijer, CEO of SIDN and Vice-Chair of RISG. "I look forward to the benefit our mutual efforts can offer to the industry."

RISG membership is open to all companies that agree to the RISG goals of security and corporate responsibility, and are able to contribute positively to the effort. Any company interested in RISG membership should contact any RISG member organization.

New policy leads industry in the effective deterrence of abuses like phishing and spam

DUBLIN, IRELAND - 7 October 2008 - Afilias, a global provider of registry services, today announced a new registration policy that makes the nature of domain name abuses clear for registrants and registrars, and furthers the power of the registry to take quick and appropriate action regarding .INFO domains used for abusive behavior. This policy will go into effect on 6 November 2008.

"This policy is the result of over a year of dedicated work by Afilias to understand and curtail the abusive use of domain names, and to design effective deterrents," said Ram Mohan, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Afilias. ".INFO's tremendous overall popularity has attracted criminals online, as do many other domains, so we are taking further firm action to protect users by improving detection and enforcement actions."

Under the policy, abusive use has been more clearly defined and includes, but is not limited to: phishing, e-mail spam and other types of spam, the willful distribution of malware, the use of botnets and fast-flux hosting, distribution of child pornography, illegal access to other computers or networks, and other illegal or fraudulent actions. Domains that are being abused will be reported to the sponsoring registrar, and Afilias has the option of removing them from the DNS and reporting the abuser to law enforcement. Afilias is committed to working closely with its registrars, legal authorities, security professionals, and others to rid the Internet of the scourge of domain abuse."

"This is a positive step forward demonstrating how registries can take positive actions to increase protection against security threats such as spam, phishing and malware," said Steven Crocker, Chair of ICANN's Security and Stability Advisory Committee. "We applaud Afilias' efforts to deter such abusive practices."

The full details of the .INFO Anti-Abuse Policy can be found at: http://www.info.info/info/abusive_use_policy.

About .INFO

.INFO is the most intuitive path to information on the Internet. It was the first unrestricted generic top-level domain (TLD) launched since .COM and today contains over 5 million registered domains and millions of live Web sites. For more information on .INFO please visit www.info.info.

About Afilias

Afilias provides global registry services that leverage proven technology to deliver fast, reliable and secure service. Afilias' technology supports a wide range of applications, including Internet domain registries such as .INFO, .ORG, .aero, .mobi, .asia, .me, and many country code domains. Afilias also provides services in the RFID market with its Afilias Discovery Service, which enables real-time lookup of event histories across RFID networks. Afilias maintains international headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, sales offices in London, England, sales and operational facilities in Toronto, administrative offices in the U.S. near Philadelphia, PA, and operational offices in New Delhi, India.

Decentralized, local ONS and Discovery Services model highlighted in new white paper

NICE, FRANCE - 6 October 2008 - Today, at the Internet des Objets, Internet du Futur Conference, Afilias released a white paper that details a decentralized and interoperable model for implementation of Object Naming Services (ONS) and supporting Discovery Services. This model is intended as one solution to an international debate on the potential problems associated with a single, authoritative ONS system and to promote the widespread adoption of Internet of Things technology for track-and-trace and supply chain management.

"Questions are currently being asked as to whether an Internet of Things architecture can be implemented without a unique, single point of control, or ONS, at the root level," said Brian Cute, Vice President of Discovery Services at Afilias. "Afilias believes that a decentralized, interoperable ONS architecture, combined with Discovery Services, is the ultimate model that will provide success for the evolution of the Internet of Things."

The white paper details how the DNS system used to route Internet domains (Web addresses) today can serve as a model for the initiatives focused on the future of an "Internet of Things" for tracking objects. It also describes how decentralized ONS systems can be implemented in a similar fashion to the DNS to serve the needs of businesses, governments and the public alike.

Afilias also advocates for the use of Discovery Services in conjunction with a decentralized ONS architecture. Afilias has helped lead the effort in the IETF to build a standard for Discovery Services called the Extensible Supply-chain Discovery Service (ESDS) open protocol. This protocol provides a unique, interoperable method for businesses implementing RFID networks, ONS systems or applications that track and trace objects to share and store information.

About Afilias Discovery Services

Afilias offers commercial Discovery Services which provide a common journal to store thin data about key events for products using any type of identifier, whether RFID, bar codes, UPC codes, or proprietary identification. This allows a business to have a complete record of who handled their products and when. Afilias Discovery Services provide secure and selective visibility based on various security parameters, customizable by the owner of the information, thus enabling access but preserving competitive and sensitive data. For more information on Afilias Discovery Services please click here.

About Afilias

Afilias provides global registry services that leverage proven technology to deliver fast, reliable and secure service. Afilias' technology supports a wide range of applications, including Internet domain registries such as .INFO, .ORG, .aero, .mobi, .asia, .me, and many country code domains. Afilias also provides services in the RFID market with its Afilias Discovery Service, which enables real-time lookup of event histories across RFID networks. Afilias maintains international headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, sales offices in London, England, sales and operational facilities in Toronto, administrative offices in the U.S. near Philadelphia, PA, and operational offices in New Delhi, India.

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Afilias Internet of Things White Paper The Internet of Things (IoT) has evolved using standards that are based in part on DNS design and utilize the Internet to support aspects of IoT services. The new IoT architecture currently consists of ONS (root service), EPCIS (standardized interface for data exchange) and Discovery Service (secure and selective visibility of event data). This paper puts forward an architectural approach to ONS that addresses these questions and could serve as a model for a decentralized and interoperable IoT root system. It provides a model for localized ONS that could support a multiplicity of IoT networks and further clarifies the respective functions of Discovery Services.	11/08/08 3:36 pm	829.44 KB

Cooperation and knowledge sharing will help emergency response to cyber-security threats

New Delhi, India–February 12, 2008 –Afilias, a global provider of registry services, today announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) to share critical information and resources to enhance cyber-security in India and world-wide, increase awareness of important security issues, and to cooperate in emergency response to critical threats.

"The Internet is a global network, security threats are best addressed through cooperation between organizations and across borders. Afilias' global expertise will help us improve our ability to report on and respond to threats that affect India, and the sharing of data will help in protecting core Internet infrastructure and the domains that Afilias supports in India." said Dr. Gulshan Rai, Director of CERT-In.

Afilias has already been an industry leader in advancing anti-phishing and anti-spam initiatives for Internet domains through its work with the Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) and various ICANN working groups. As part of the agreement between Cert-In and Afilias, the two organizations will form a joint committee and agree to share best practices related to security threats to improve security of the infrastructure of the Internet. In addition, both organizations have agreed to collaborate on emergency response initiatives to tackle emerging cyber-security problems, to take proactive measures that can help protect consumers, and to participate in joint education and outreach initiatives on key security issues.

"Our partnership will enhance the security of the Internet domains that Afilias powers, including .IN, India's sovereign space on the Internet, as well as some of the world's largest domains like .INFO and .ORG," said Afilias' Chief Technology Officer Ram Mohan. "Afilias is also committed to improving the security of the Internet for all users and looks forward to collaborating with CERT-In to enhance the protection provided for Indian consumers in particular."

About CERT-In

CERT-In (Indian Computer Emergency Response Team) is the National Incident Response Centre for major computer security incidents in its constituency i.e. the Indian cyber community. CERT-In's primary role is to raise security awareness in Indian cyber community and to provide technical assistance and advice them to help them recover from computer security incidents. CERT-In also provides technical advice to system administrators and users to respond to computer security incidents. It also identifies trends in intruder activity, works with other similar institutions and organizations to resolve major security issues, and disseminates information to the Indian cyber community. CERT-In also enlightens its constituents about security awareness and best practices for various systems and networks by publishing advisories, guidelines and other technical documents. Learn more: www.cert-in.org.in

About Afilias

Afilias provides global registry services that leverage proven technology to deliver fast, reliable and secure service. Afilias' technology supports a wide range of applications, including Internet domain registries such as .INFO, .ORG, .MOBI, .ASIA, .AERO, and many country code domains. Afilias also provides services in the RFID market with its Afilias Discovery Service, which enables real-time lookup of event histories across RFID networks. Afilias maintains international headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, sales offices in London, England, sales and operational facilities in Toronto, administrative offices in the U.S. near Philadelphia, PA, and operational offices in New Delhi, India.

 

 

 

Internet domain name registry focuses on enhancing security, protecting against spam, and building anti-phishing practices for Internet domain names

DUBLIN, IRELAND – 28 January 2008 – Afilias, a global provider of registry services, today announced that it has been elected to serve on the Steering Committee of the Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG), the global industry and law enforcement association focused on eliminating identity theft and fraud perpetrated online through phishing, spamming, and crimeware.

"Afilias provides critical Internet infrastructure, and is committed to enhancing the security of the Internet domains we support," said Greg Aaron, Director of Domain Security for Afilias and APWG Steering Committee member. "We are pursuing an aggressive strategy to protect Internet users. In conjunction with the APWG, domain name registrars, and responsible members of the Internet community, Afilias is deploying advanced registry systems and procedures to proactively combat phishing, spam, and malware. We look forward to contributing operational intelligence and expertise to cybercrime fighters worldwide."

"Afilias has had a meaningful impact in the work of the APWG in combating online fraud, phishing, scams and identity theft," said David Jevans, chairman, Anti-Phishing Working Group. "We look forward to tapping into Afilias' ability to perform deep analysis into the abuse of domain names and applaud their collaborative, pro-active, open standards approach to fighting cybercrime."

Afilias is a Premium Member of the APWG. The company's executives work closely with the APWG's DNS Policy Working Group (DNSPWG), contributing data analysis, policy development research, and global coordination of initiatives aimed at thwarting online fraud and identity theft. "Afilias' savvy in registry management policies as well as operational logistics has been an important source of insight for a number of the research initiatives at the DNSPWG," said APWG Secretary General Peter Cassidy.

About the APWG

About the APWG: The Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) is an industry association focused on eliminating the identity theft and fraud that result from the growing problem of phishing, email spoofing and crimeware. Membership is open to qualified financial institutions, online retailers, ISPs, the law enforcement community and solutions providers. There are more than 1,700 companies and government agencies participating in the APWG and more than 3,000 members. The APWG's Web site (www.antiphishing.org) offers the public and industry information about phishing and email fraud, including identification and promotion of pragmatic technical solutions that provide immediate protection.

About Afilias

Afilias provides global registry services that leverage proven technology to deliver fast, reliable and secure service. Afilias' technology supports a wide range of applications, including Internet domain registries such as .INFO, .ORG, .AERO, .MOBI, .ASIA, and many country code domains such as .IN (India). Afilias also provides services in the RFID market with its Afilias Discovery Service, which enables real-time lookup of event histories across RFID networks. Afilias maintains international headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, sales offices in London, England, sales and operational facilities in Toronto, administrative offices in the U.S. near Philadelphia, PA, and operational offices in New Delhi, India.

Afilias Global Registry Services adds its support as corporate sponsor of the program.

RESTON, VA and GENEVA, SWITZERLAND - 8 August 2007 - Continuing its longstanding commitment to build technical capacity in less developed countries, the Internet Society (ISOC) today announced that it is seeking applications for the next round of the ISOC Fellowship to the IETF program The program offers engineers from developing countries fellowships that fund the cost of attending an Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) meeting.

The IETF is the Internet's premier standards-making body, responsible for the development of protocols used in IP-based networks. IETF participants represent an international community of network designers, operators, vendors, and researchers involved in the technical operation of the Internet and the continuing evolution of Internet architecture.

Fellowships will be awarded through a competitive application process. The Internet Society is currently accepting fellowship applications for two IETF meetings:

• IETF 70 being held in Vancouver, Canada on December 2-7 2007, and
• IETF 71 being held in Philadelphia, USA on March 9-14, 2008

Up to five fellowships will be awarded for each IETF meeting.

The Internet Society is also pleased to announce that Afilias Global Registry Services has lent its support as a corporate sponsor of the program.

"The IETF is an important resource where members of the technical community come together to develop standards that support the core infrastructure of the Internet. The Internet infrastructure protocols developed in the IETF make technology interoperable and lead it into the future. Afilias is pleased to contribute to assisting individuals from developing countries be a part of this global forum," said Ram Mohan, Chief Technology Officer of Afilias. Afilias is also a Platinum member of the Internet Society.

"The ISOC Fellowship to the IETF has attracted interest from many talented individuals from around the world. Afilias' support will help ensure that engineers from developing countries have an opportunity to participate first-hand in the work of the IETF," said Lynn St. Amour, ISOC's President and CEO.

Internet Society is welcoming multiple corporate sponsorships for the ISOC Fellowship to the IETF. In January of this year, Google, Inc became the program's first corporate sponsor.

The Internet Society formally launched the ISOC Fellowship to the IETF program in January 2007 after successfully piloting the program during 2006 at IETF 66 in Montreal and IETF 67 in San Diego. Fifteen individuals from 12 countries have participated in the program since its inception. Full details on the ISOC Fellowship to the IETF, including how to apply, are located on the ISOC website at www.isoc.org/educpillar/fellowship. Fellowship applications for both IETF meetings are due by 7 September 2007.

About ISOC

The Internet Society (www.isoc.org) is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1992 to provide leadership in Internet related standards, education, and policy. With offices in Washington, DC, and Geneva, Switzerland, it is dedicated to ensuring the open development, evolution and use of the Internet for the benefit of people throughout the world.

About the IETF

The IETF (www.ietf.org) is a large open international community of network designers, operators, vendors, and researchers concerned with the evolution of the Internet architecture and the smooth operation of the Internet.