[DNS] domain name news - August 15

From: David Goldstein <goldstein_david§yahoo.com.au> Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2008 18:49:19 -0700 (PDT) · This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.0 : Sat Sep 09 2017 - 22:00:09 UTC

Don't forget to check out www.auda.org.au/domain-news/ for the online archive for the last three month's editions of the news.

And see my website - http://technewsreview.com.au/ - for daily updates in between postings.

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The domain name news is supported by auDA

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India to Host UN Meet on Internet Governance Focus on Internet for All [news release]
http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=41364

ICANN: business should have more say in decisions
http://www.heise-online.co.uk/news/ICANN-business-should-have-more-say-in-decisions--/111322

.eu registrars are generally satisfied with EURid, but give some suggestions for improvements [news release]
http://www.eurid.eu/en/content/eu-registrars-are-generally-satisfied-eurid-give-some-suggestions-improvements

US Defense Department puts USAF cyber effort on hold [AP]
http://news.theage.com.au/technology/defense-department-puts-usaf-cyber-effort-on-hold-20080814-3v69.html

Online vandalism does not equal cyberwar
http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;291140590

Longtime Battle Lines Are Recast In Russia and Georgia's Cyberwar
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/13/AR2008081303623.html

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GOVERNANCE
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India to host UN meet on Internet governance
India will host the 3rd United Nation's Meet on Internet Governance. The global mega event, with the theme 'Internet for All', is scheduled to be held in Hyderabad from December 3 to 6, 2008, said an official press release.
http://www.ciol.com/News/News-Reports/India-to-host-UN-meet-on-Internet-governance/14808109105/0/

India to Host UN Meet on Internet Governance Focus on Internet for All [news release]
India will host the 3rd United Nation?s Meet on Internet Governance in Hyderabad. The global mega event is scheduled from 3rd to 6th December, 2008 with the theme, ?Internet for All?. This meeting of the Geneva based Internet Governance Forum (IGF) of the UN is being held in Asia for the first time. The earlier two meets were held in Athens in 2006 and in Rio-de-Janeiro in 2007.
http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=41364

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DOMAIN NAMES
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 - ICANN
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ICANN ALAC Review: Translations of Final Report by Independent Evaluator Released
The final report of the Independent Review of the ALAC submitted by Westlake Consulting has been posted today in Arabic, Chinese, French, German and Spanish.
http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-2-13aug08-en.htm

ICANN Posts Revised Community Travel Support Procedure for FY09
The work to create a community travel support procedure began with a specific call for travel support in late 2007 by some in the community (though this issue has been discussed for some time). There has been extensive consultation on community travel support. It began as a workshop in Delhi, with comments received and an analysis posted. Further, a draft was posted in June, discussed in budget meetings in Paris, and again with fairly extensive comment in person, via email and on the web. These second round of comments were summarized and analyzed.
http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-13aug08-en.htm

ICANN Draft Terms of Reference for the Upcoming SSAC Review Posted for Public Comment
As part of ICANN's commitment to its ongoing improvement, the Board approved a comprehensive plan for independent review of ICANN's structures, as well as of the Board itself. The reviews are intended to ensure an independent examination of the role and operation of key elements of ICANN.
http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-3-13aug08-en.htm

ICANN Bulk Transfer of gTLD Names Formerly Managed by De-Accredited Registrar DotForce Corp.
As a result of the de-accreditation of registrar DotForce Corp., ICANN initiated a process to identify a gaining registrar to receive the gTLD names that had been formerly managed by DotForce Corp. In accordance with ICANN?s Interim Terminated Registrar Transition Procedure, on 6 June 2008, ICANN initiated a Request for Statements of Interest (RFI) from registrars interested in receiving the names.
http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-14aug08-en.htm

ICANN: business should have more say in decisions
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has called for business to be given greater influence in ICANN. As part of the public consultation process on the future of a private-led internet domain name organisation, the ICC's Internet, Telecommunications Infrastructure and Services working group has issued a position paper (PDF) recommending greater "involvement of representatives from all business sectors".
http://www.heise-online.co.uk/news/ICANN-business-should-have-more-say-in-decisions--/111322

No certification for backend registries
ICANN has opted against requiring certification for backend registry operators for the forthcoming first round of new gTLDs.
http://domainesinfo.fr/english/218/no-certification-for-backend-registries.php

The Bid For Dubai's Cyber-Rights
Under the latest ICANN's policy who would like to bid the highest amount for the exclusive global rights to the new domain suffix .dubai? Such a suffix will create a powerful domain root that will corner some 180 services underneath it, like go.dubai, hotel.dubai, job.dubai, cars.dubai or fly.dubai.
http://www.axcessnews.com/index.php/articles/show/id/16602

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 - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS
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.eu registrars are generally satisfied with EURid, but give some suggestions for improvements [news release]
More than 90 percent of EURid?s registrars who responded to a recent survey are satisfied or more than satisfied with the support they receive from EURid via email and telephone and rate EURid?s responsiveness as satisfactory or very satisfactory. Also the registration system functions well according to the survey, and the vast majority, 86 percent, see no need for improvement.
http://www.eurid.eu/en/content/eu-registrars-are-generally-satisfied-eurid-give-some-suggestions-improvements

Eurid registrars generally satisfied with service - study [sub req'd]
http://telecompaper.com/news/article.aspx?cid=631511
http://telecom.paper.nl/news/article.aspx?id=226001

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 - DNS SECURITY
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Air Force Suspends 'Cyber Command' Program
Putting on hold a major cyberwarfare initiative less than two months before it was scheduled to become operational, the Pentagon this week said it is delaying and reviewing the future of the Air Force's controversial "Cyber Command" program.
http://www.informationweek.com/news/security/government/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=210003721

US Defense Department puts USAF cyber effort on hold [AP]
The U.S. Defense Department this week delayed the Air Force's nascent Cyberspace Command and may kill the idea altogether, according to a memo obtained by The Associated Press. This comes as Russia used a major computer network attack to begin its assault on Georgia.
http://news.theage.com.au/technology/defense-department-puts-usaf-cyber-effort-on-hold-20080814-3v69.html
http://news.smh.com.au/technology/defense-department-puts-usaf-cyber-effort-on-hold-20080814-3v69.html

OpenID at risk due to DNS flaw, warns researcher
A fundamental issue affects the OpenID authentication system, due to its reliance on the Domain Name System, a Sun identity-technology specialist has warned.
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39461045,00.htm

Online vandalism does not equal cyberwar
Despite the hype and excited breathlessness of the reports, there is no cyberwar going on between Russia and Georgia.
http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;291140590

Longtime Battle Lines Are Recast In Russia and Georgia's Cyberwar
As the violence unfolded between Russia and Georgia during the past week, hackers waged war on another front: the Internet. The Georgian government accused Russia of engaging in cyberwarfare by disabling many government Web sites, making it difficult to inform citizens quickly of important updates.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/13/AR2008081303623.html

Kids may be behind Georgian cyberattacks
Initial information suggests that Internet attacks on Georgian Web sites over the last two weeks are the work of kids, according to one researcher, while another says the intensity of these attacks is short-lived when compared with attacks in Estonia last year.
http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/security/0,39044215,62044841,00.htm

Russian and Georgian websites fall victim to a war being fought online as well as in the field [news release]
Reporters Without Borders condemns the many violations of online freedom of information since the outbreak of fighting in the Georgian province of South Ossetia on 8 August, including the Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks on many Georgian websites, in which the servers they use are overloaded and crashed by millions of connection requests.
http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=28167

Russians may not be responsible for cyberattacks on Georgia
New evidence suggests that politically active hackers, rather than the Russian government, may be behind attacks on Georgia's web assets. It's not the first time we've heard this sort of story change, but it's of little comfort to anyone relying on Georgia's Internet infrastructure.
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080813-georgian-attacks-might-not-be-russians-after-all.html

Cyber attacks on Georgia launched from Russia: US firm [AP]
Intense cyber attacks on Georgian government websites were launched from computers in Russia while Moscow's military struck in the former Soviet state, a US Internet firm said Wednesday.
http://news.smh.com.au/technology/cyber-attacks-on-georgia-launched-from-russia-us-firm-20080814-3v6k.html
http://news.theage.com.au/technology/cyber-attacks-on-georgia-launched-from-russia-us-firm-20080814-3v6k.html

Another side to the DNS problem for Web site owners
The discussion to date about the latest DNS problem has been from the point of view of an end user, someone browsing Web sites. But there is another aspect to the DNS problem, one that concerns owners of Web sites.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13554_3-10016220-33.html

Experts Accuse Bush Administration of Foot-Dragging on DNS Security Hole
Despite a recent high-profile vulnerability that showed the net could be hacked in minutes, the domain name system -- a key internet infrastructure -- continues to suffer from a serious security weakness, thanks to bureaucratic inertia at the U.S. government agency in charge, security experts say.
http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/08/experts-accuse.html

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 - DOMAIN DISPUTES
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au: Cybersquatter causes headaches for LNP [AAP]
A "cybersquatter" who set up a fake website in the name of Queensland's new political party has taunted staffers trying to shut it down. ... It prompted Mr Smith to taunt the party on the website yesterday. "If you are unhappy about my buying those domain names then I'm afraid it's a case of tough luck," he wrote.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24180838-12377,00.html
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/articles/2008/08/14/1218307108062.html
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,24180838-5006505,00.html
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/Qld-cybersquatter-causes-mayhem/0,130061791,339291291,00.htm

Typosquatting for Corporate Espionage
It seems that security wonks are finally catching up to the dangers of ?typo? domains.
http://domainnamewire.com/2008/08/13/itworld-typosquatting-for-corporate-espionage/

in: Punjab, Pak police resolve domain row
Our very own Punjab police, facing an identity crisis on the Net for years, has now decided to change its official website address by adding India to it. The new domain name would be www.punjabpoliceindia.org, instead of www.punjabpolice.org, thus weeding out all doubts in the minds of internet users.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Chandigarh/Punjab_Pak_police_resolve_domain_row/articleshow/3362529.cms

Guest Article: How Do I Become a UDRP Arbitration Panelist?
Domain name disputes are important matters for both trademark holders and domainers. Trademark holders want to protect their marks in the on-line world. Domainers are sometimes forced to respond to allegations of cybersquatting, even when they register high-value generic or descriptive domain names. The Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) was designed to resolve disputes between trademark holders and domain registrants. UDRP disputes are submitted to arbitration before the National Arbitration Forum (NAF) or World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) who assign one or more expert panelists to decide whether the domain will be transferred from the domain registrant to the complaining trademark holder.
http://domainnamewire.com/2008/08/14/guest-article-how-do-i-become-a-udrp-arbitration-panelist/

Dmitry Grinberg Gets C&D'd by Palm
Well known independent Palm OS developer Dmitry Grinberg, has received what purports to be a 'cease and desist' letter from Fenwick & West, LLP, a Bay Area law firm that represents Palm Inc. The letter demands that Grinberg: (1) rename his website (formerly PalmPowerups.com) and (2) rename PalmSDHC in order to avoid "consumer confusion."
http://www.palminfocenter.com/news/7458/dmitry-grinberg-gets-cdd-by-palm/

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 - MISCELLANEOUS
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Amid Controversy, Outed Steroid Sites Still Online
Remember those Websites sponsored by U.S. Internet domain registrars that were recently exposed for illegally selling steroids? These sites are still pushing the drugs online, according to the anti-fraud watchdog groups that first discovered them. The domain registrars hosting these sites as well as ICANN, say their hands are tied when it comes to shutting down the steroid-selling sites, which KnujOn and LegitScript.com outed and reported to the registrars and ICANN last month.
http://www.darkreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=161511

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 - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET
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Moniker.com Offers Premium Search-focused Domains for Its Live Auction at Search Engine Strategies [news release]
Moniker revealed today the premium domain names available at for its exclusive live and extended online auction at the Search Engine Strategies (SES), the high-tech and internet company event of the year. Held at the San Jose Convention Center , the exclusive Moniker live auction is scheduled to start on Wednesday, August 20 at 5:45 p.m. PDT (8:45 p.m. EDT).
http://www.domainpulse.com/2008/08/13/monikercom-offers-premium-search-focused-domains-for-its-live-auction-at-search-engine-strategies/
http://www.domainnews.com/en/general/moniker.com-offers-premium-search-focused-domains-at-search-engine-strategies-domain-auction.html

"Low Value" Domain Parking Pages Results In Another Lawsuit Against Google By Advertisers
Parking pages remain under attack from advertisers as another lawsuit is filed against Google by one of its AdWords advertisers. It is unclear why this particular advertiser did not simply change their campaign settings to exclude the content network. In a previous post, it was suggested that Google may black list many parking pages from its AdSense program. Google previously stopped placing ads on its parked pages.
http://tcattorney.typepad.com/anticybersquatting_consum/2008/08/low-value-domai.html

Tucows: Domain Parking May Have Hit Bottom
Tucows? says domain parking revenue is down, but it may be on the rebound.
http://domainnamewire.com/2008/08/13/tucows-domain-parking-may-have-hit-bottom/

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INTERNET USE
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How the British watch now: tune in, log on, call up
The traditional picture of the British family spending its evenings slumped in front of the TV has changed dramatically, according to a new report from the watchdog Ofcom, published today. The box is still on, but the people on the sofa are talking on the phone, texting furiously or surfing the internet - increasingly using a laptop with a mobile broadband connection - while they keep one eye on the screen.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/aug/14/ofcom.digitaltvradio

Communication Nation: UK consumers paying less but getting more [news release]
People in the UK are spending more time using communications services than ever before ? but paying less for them, according to Ofcom?s latest annual report into the UK?s ?51 billion communications industry. The 365 page report shows that in 2007 we spent an average of 7 hours and 9 minutes a day using an array of communications services - up by 6 minutes from 2002. This includes watching television, surfing the net, using our mobiles, talking on a landline phone and listening to the radio.
http://ofcom.org.uk/media/news/2008/08/nr_20080814

UK spending on communications falls
Britons are spending more time using communications services but paying less for them, says an Ofcom report. Every day in 2007, the average consumer spent 7 hours and 9 minutes watching TV, on the phone, using the internet or using other services, it says.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7559557.stm

Ofcom profiles the modern multi-tasking family
The days when families huddled in silence round the TV are a thing of the past. A typical scene today would be children shouting excitedly over their games consoles while mothers look for bargains on the internet and fathers struggle to catch a few words on the radio - with a TV contributing in the background.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/media/article4526635.ece

Television revolution sees 1 in 9 view online
According to Ofcom, the industry regulator, the number of homes logging on to view soap operas, sport, documentaries and other programmes has almost doubled in the past year from 1.57?million to 2.96?million ? more than 11 per cent of the total.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2555167/TV-revolution-sees-1-in-9-view-online.html

Study shows U.S. broadband speeds continue to lag
The average download and upload speeds for broadband services across the U.S. have remained relatively unchanged over the past year as the U.S. continues to lag behind other countries in terms of broadband speeds, according to a report published by the Communications Workers of America labor union.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10016514-93.html

Woman to Woman, Online
Heather Armstrong?s wickedly funny blog about motherhood, Dooce, is more than just an outlet for the creativity and frustrations of a modern mother. The site, chock full of advertising, is a moneymaking machine ? so much so that Ms. Armstrong and her husband have both quit their regular jobs.
http://nytimes.com/2008/08/14/technology/14women.html
http://iht.com/articles/2008/08/13/technology/women.php

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SOCIAL NETWORKING
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Facebook dominates worldwide social networking, study finds
Facebook Inc. has grown 153% during the past year, propelled by the soaring growth of new in virtually every market outside North America, according to a report on social networking released Tuesday by ComScore Inc.
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9112547

Social Networking Explodes Worldwide as Sites Increase their Focus on Cultural Relevance [news release]
comScore, Inc. released a study of worldwide usage of social networking sites, indicating that while the growth in new users in North America is beginning to level off, it is burgeoning in other regions around the world. During the past year, the total North American audience of social networkers has grown 9 percent compared to a much larger 25 percent growth for the world at large. The Middle East-Africa region (up 66 percent), Europe (up 35 percent), and Latin America (up 33 percent) have each grown at well-above average rates.
http://www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=2396

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NEW TECHNOLOGIES
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'Slow' light to speed up the internet
A huge increase in the speed of the internet could be produced by slowing parts of it down, say researchers. Recently reported "metamaterials" touted as bringing closer cloaking devices could soon provide the brakes.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7557280.stm

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SPAM
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nz: Hackers send 1.5m spam emails from Otago Uni
Hackers gained access to the University of Otago staff email server recently and used it to send out an estimated 1.55 million spam emails in 60 hours, after tricking four staff members into revealing their login details.
http://www.odt.co.nz/on-campus/university-otago/17905/hackers-send-15m-spam-emails-otago-uni

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ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL
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How cyber crime went professional
A huge increase in internet crime is only part of the picture. The bigger worry for many organisations is that they are now being individually targeted by criminals using sophisticated technology.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/how-cyber-crime-went-professional-892882.html

Google Searches Sought In Defamation Suit Against Cisco
Attorney Eric M. Albritton has filed a subpoena demanding that Google reveal information associated with blog postings, Internet searches, and financial data related to a libel lawsuit he filed last year against Cisco.
http://www.informationweek.com/news/management/legal/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=210003653

US Ruling Is a Victory for Supporters of Free Software
A legal dispute involving model railroad hobbyists has resulted in a major courtroom victory for the free software movement also known as open-source software. In a ruling Wednesday, the federal appeals court in Washington said that just because a software programmer gave his work away did not mean it could not be protected.
http://nytimes.com/2008/08/14/technology/14commons.html
http://iht.com/articles/2008/08/14/technology/14commons.php

Open-source advocates praise appeals court ruling [IDG]
Free software advocates are hailing a federal appeals court ruling that allows greater protection for open-source software against copyright infringement.
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9112626
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/081408-open-source-advocates-hail-appeals.html

Dutch police, FBI rein in large botnet [IDG]
The botnet created by a teenager who was arrested by Dutch police in a sting operation is most notable for its total reliance on social engineering to spread, computer security experts said Thursday.
http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;383152578
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/081408-dutch-police-fbi-rein-in.html
http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/08/14/Dutch_police_FBI_rein_in_large_botnet_1.html

Dutch police smash Shadow botnet
The Dutch High Tech Crime Unit has arrested two people and shut down the Shadow botnet, which is thought to contain over 100,000 compromised computers.
http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2223909/dutch-police-smash-shadow-botnet

Air Force Suspends 'Cyber Command' Program
Putting on hold a major cyberwarfare initiative less than two months before it was scheduled to become operational, the Pentagon this week said it is delaying and reviewing the future of the Air Force's controversial "Cyber Command" program.
http://www.informationweek.com/news/security/government/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=210003721