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  • Internet About to Get More Crowded

    Good or bad or just plain inevitable?



    Get Ready for New Domain Extensions

    The Internet is about to get more crowded -- and many people are unaware that it's coming. About three-quarters of U.S. Internet users don't know that thousands of new web addresses will flood the domain namespace in late 2013 or early 2014, according to recent research.

    How It Works

    More News from ICANN

    At a recent meeting, ICANN adopted a resolution affirming that "dotless domain names" are prohibited. Dotless domain names are those that consist of a single label (such as http://example or mail@ example).

    Today, there are currently 22 generic top-level domains (TLDs). These are the short string of letters to the right of the "dot" in web addresses, such as .com, .net, .org and .gov. But the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) -- a not-for-profit organization that oversees public domain systems -- has accepted nearly 2,000 applications from prospective registries that would like to manage their own unique TLDs.

    Examples of new TLDs that will soon be introduced include .sports, .music, .store, .nyc, .casino, .coffee and .tennis. Some brands -- such as Nike, Amazon, and Apple -- have also applied for their own TLDs. Many of the proposed TLDs will use foreign symbols, such as Chinese and Arabic letters.

    The content of each TLD will be different. Organizations will display content using a unique combination of top-level and second-level names. For example, using the name "Target.shop," Target could post information about its sales, discounts and new products while still maintaining its .com website.

    Confused yet? That's one of the criticisms of ICANN's new naming conventions -- that Internet users will default to the .com or .org suffix, rather than try out the new TLDs. But, like it or not, the new TLDs are coming soon, providing new ways for Internet-savvy consumers to interact, as well as new marketing opportunities and threats for businesses and not-for-profit organizations.

    Are you ready?

    Marketing Opportunities

    The new TLDs allow organizations, such as companies, charitable causes or industries, to manage and name their own domain name extension -- and to be as inclusive or exclusive as they want.

    For example, ".pharmacy" is a top-level domain applied for by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. It's intended to provide safe and legitimate sites to purchase medications online. Only accredited pharmacies will be allowed to buy second-level domains, so you might have "Rexall.pharmacy" or "CVS.pharmacy."

    Organizations can use the new TLDs to create a sense of community, promote and control brands, demonstrate Internet-savvy, and engender buyer confidence. It's also an opportunity for small businesses that couldn't find a memorable web address using the old TLDs to manage their own TLD -- or buy an address from an industry-specific registry.

    But managing your own TLD is a big responsibility. After all, you'll be "running a piece of visible Internet infrastructure," according to ICANN. The application process takes a year or longer if another organization contests your application. It also costs $185,000 per TLD. And the application guide is a whopping 352 pages long. So, it's no surprise that most applicants are large organizations with significant resources.

    It's a mixed bag in terms of who is applying for new TLDs. Amazon has applied for 76 TLDs and Google has applied for over 100 names. Some companies are even "pre-reserving" addresses with the new TLDs from domain registries.

    Applicants are heavily concentrated in North America (911 applications), Europe (675 applications) and the Asia-Pacific region (303 applications). There are only 17 applications from Africa, which raised questions at a recent ICANN event about whether the cost of an application was too high to be equitable.

    Trademark and Brand Infringements

    Once Internet users are taught about the features and benefits of the new TLDs, most will likely be willing to navigate and trust the new web addresses. It's possible that brand name extensions may carry more weight among Internet users than generic sites.

    But what if someone attaches your company's name to one of the new TLDs and then steals business from you -- or publishes inaccurate information about your company? Trademark and brand infringement is one of the biggest concerns people have about the expansion of the Internet domain namespace.

    The Association of National Advertisers, which represents more than 500 major companies, issued a letter in March saying, "The potential for malicious abuse is extraordinary, [and] the incidental damage will be large even in the absence of malicious intent."

    ICANN's answer is the Trademark Clearinghouse. This system alerts registrants if the URL they're applying for uses another company's trademark or brand name. If the registrant continues to apply with a questionable name, the clearinghouse notifies the company that registered the trademark or brand name, providing an opportunity to contest the registrant's TLD application.

    Security Risks

    Critics say ICANN hasn't done enough study about the impact of the new TLDs and doesn't have a backup plan if its systems derail. Defenders of ICANN's plan have called such fears overblown, arguing that the potential problems have been long understood and will be resolved before new domains are approved.

    But, to be on the safe side, security experts advise consumers not to hand over their credit card or personal information just because a website has a legitimate-looking TLD, such as .ibm or .law.

    Another issue is name collusion. This occurs when names used on a company's intranet sites -- using extensions such as .mail, .home or .corp -- inadvertently crossover into the public domain space through misconfiguration or the use of outdated software systems.

    How to Prepare

    Now that you're aware of the planned expansion of the Internet domain namespace -- and its potential opportunities and threats -- here are three things you can do to prepare your organization:

    1. Perform a cost-benefit study to determine whether you should apply for your own TLD, pre-register a desirable web address that uses a new TLD owned by another registry, or simply wait and see. If you create a new web address using one of the new TLDs, devise a plan to create public awareness about your new site.

    2. Monitor other companies -- for two reasons. First, you never want to be the last to adopt technology. If all of your competitors apply for their own TLD or join an industry-sponsored TLD, you might follow their lead. Second, if you're concerned about trademark and brand infringement, consider registering with ICANN for a fee – and contest anyone who breaches your intellectual property rights.

    3. Watch for security breaches. It remains uncertain whether the expanded domain namespace will be stable and secure, especially as the Internet expands globally and international laws can be untested, unclear and difficult to enforce. Also discuss the issue of name collusion with your in-house IT staff. Make sure your systems are up-to-date to prevent public users from accessing internal data.

    Effectively navigating the evolving Internet domain namespace will require information technology, marketing and legal expertise. Contact your legal and management consulting advisers for more information about the latest developments about emerging TLDs.
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    To be Truly ignorant, Man requires an Education - Plato

  • #2
    I read about this development a few months ago.

    With desktops, laptops, tablets, mobile devices, cable television, and social networks all synched, everything is becoming integrated and a bit complex.
    sigpic

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    • #3
      Originally posted by Minskaya View Post
      I read about this development a few months ago.

      With desktops, laptops, tablets, mobile devices, cable television, and social networks all synched, everything is becoming integrated and a bit complex.
      Do you think this will be a scammers' dream?
      To be Truly ignorant, Man requires an Education - Plato

      Comment


      • #4
        I don't see any prolific use of the new domain extensions, other than webhosts earning more money.

        Also, with IT security so uncommon and or undesirable in young people (rather lack of knowledge), this is sure to raise the profits of cyber security companies. Imagine a cracker hacking just a cellphone or an iPad and getting access to all synced machines.
        Last edited by Oracle; 17 Oct 13,, 15:38.
        Politicians are elected to serve...far too many don't see it that way - Albany Rifles! || Loyalty to country always. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it - Mark Twain! || I am a far left millennial!

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        • #5
          Originally posted by Oracle View Post
          Imagine a cracker hacking just a cellphone or an iPad and getting access to all synced machines.
          This is why I keep personal, military, and academic interests on separate dedicated devices and never commingle them.
          sigpic

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          • #6
            Originally posted by Minskaya View Post
            This is why I keep personal, military, and academic interests on separate dedicated devices and never commingle them.
            Same here, and use different passwords for different accounts.

            I also use encryption applications, so that if I lose any device, no one can access the data.

            Lately, I have developed this interest in surfing the internet anonymously, so I am trying out some applications for the same. One of them is being used by the US Navy.
            Politicians are elected to serve...far too many don't see it that way - Albany Rifles! || Loyalty to country always. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it - Mark Twain! || I am a far left millennial!

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            • #7
              Originally posted by Oracle View Post
              Same here, and use different passwords for different accounts.

              I also use encryption applications, so that if I lose any device, no one can access the data.

              Lately, I have developed this interest in surfing the internet anonymously, so I am trying out some applications for the same. One of them is being used by the US Navy.

              Is it really possible to surf the web with complete anonymity? Isn't there a 'middleman' in the mix that knows who you are?
              To be Truly ignorant, Man requires an Education - Plato

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              • #8
                Originally posted by JAD_333 View Post
                Is it really possible to surf the web with complete anonymity?
                I believe so, yes.

                That is why security experts & researchers believe Stuxnet was created by US and Israel, however they could not identify the source that uploaded the virus (popular theories suggest the initial spread was through flash drives, then P2P network). So, whoever did it, did it with complete anonymity. A sophisticated marksman's job, Stuxnet was a 500 kb (unusually large size for a virus) piece of code and also contained a PLC rootkit (the first IIRC) and targeted only SCADA systems.

                Btw, don't assume that proxy servers provide anonymity. They don't. They just bypass the DNS of our local ISP to allow us to visit sites of our interest blocked by the ISP.

                Originally posted by JAD_333 View Post
                Isn't there a 'middleman' in the mix that knows who you are?
                The middleman here would be our ISPs. They know our IPs. The trick is to fake it. The intruding middleman would be NSA, CIA, MOSSAD, PLA, R&AW etc who I'm 100% certain has sophisticated tools and backdoors to get inside any secure network and even inside our personal computers. R&AW, I'm not too sure of.

                Anonymity breeds criminals. Say for e.g., someone is planning to hack a site (cause - industrial espionage), so the first thing would be to minimize his/her digital footprint and cover their tracks. Starting with IP Spoofing (I'd suggest this before reconnaissance, scanning, etcetera ) by determining the TCP sequence number generator/ session hijacking, deleting log files or corrupting the master boot record, after the hack is completed. Frankly, I am not too worried about NSA reading my e-mails, as they would gain nothing substantial from it. However, if one has his own business which is connected to the internet he should be very worried about industrial espionage, and should do all he can to protect his network. We should have a dedicated computer & network security related thread in WAB. It is fascinating, the mind of a criminal.

                N.B.: The best criminal minds when it comes to cyber security exploitation are from Ukraine/ Russia, China, US and Israel, of which China is notoriously famous for industrial espionage. There is no perfect hack, but a good hack is a person sitting in US, hacking a server/system in China and is traced back to Nigeria, even if the administrator of the compromised system sets up a honey-pot.
                Last edited by Oracle; 18 Oct 13,, 05:34.
                Politicians are elected to serve...far too many don't see it that way - Albany Rifles! || Loyalty to country always. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it - Mark Twain! || I am a far left millennial!

                Comment


                • #9
                  Oracle:

                  Very interesting. I recognize the terminology and grasp the basics of what you're saying, but I am one of those people who uses a computer as a tool to communicate, do research, shop, and so on. The technical side is fascinating and I admire anyone who understands what is going on under the hood.
                  To be Truly ignorant, Man requires an Education - Plato

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by JAD_333 View Post
                    Oracle:

                    Very interesting. I recognize the terminology and grasp the basics of what you're saying, but I am one of those people who uses a computer as a tool to communicate, do research, shop, and so on. The technical side is fascinating and I admire anyone who understands what is going on under the hood.
                    Sir, you shop, so I guess you have the right internet security software installed on your system, and also desist from visiting <ahem> popular sites.
                    Politicians are elected to serve...far too many don't see it that way - Albany Rifles! || Loyalty to country always. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it - Mark Twain! || I am a far left millennial!

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by JAD_333 View Post
                      Is it really possible to surf the web with complete anonymity? Isn't there a 'middleman' in the mix that knows who you are?
                      Yes. Anonymous web surfing works by putting a proxy server between the user and the web site. Your web browser talks to the anonymous proxy server and the anonymous proxy server talks to the web site. The web site does not know who you are, it only knows who the anonymous proxy server is. The anonymous proxy server does know who you are so it is a good practice to choose a proxy provider/program with a good trustworthy reputation.

                      My proxy service offers anonymous servers from ~100 different countries. I can select the country, designate the port(s), select the protocol(s), designate the speed and connect times, and set the anonymity level from low to invisible. For example, I could select the Russian Federation with all ports available, all protocols, high speed/connectivity, and invisible mode. This yields the server at 94.198.34.230. No host is associated with this server. The most anyone could determine from this IP (with some digging) is that this server resides in the Russian Federation. Nor could it be definitively determined (connection family header strings) that I have connected via a proxy.
                      sigpic

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Oracle View Post
                        The best criminal minds when it comes to cyber security exploitation are from Ukraine/ Russia, China, US and Israel
                        True enough. The best of the best are located in these five countries.
                        sigpic

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Minskaya View Post
                          Yes. Anonymous web surfing works by putting a proxy server between the user and the web site. Your web browser talks to the anonymous proxy server and the anonymous proxy server talks to the web site. The web site does not know who you are, it only knows who the anonymous proxy server is. The anonymous proxy server does know who you are so it is a good practice to choose a proxy provider/program with a good trustworthy reputation.

                          My proxy service offers anonymous servers from ~100 different countries. I can select the country, designate the port(s), select the protocol(s), designate the speed and connect times, and set the anonymity level from low to invisible. For example, I could select the Russian Federation with all ports available, all protocols, high speed/connectivity, and invisible mode. This yields the server at 94.198.34.230. No host is associated with this server. The most anyone could determine from this IP (with some digging) is that this server resides in the Russian Federation. Nor could it be definitively determined (connection family header strings) that I have connected via a proxy.
                          Minskaya, as far as I know public proxy servers such as (click link) are no good for anonymity. You must be using an application other than a web based free proxy. Hidemyip?
                          Politicians are elected to serve...far too many don't see it that way - Albany Rifles! || Loyalty to country always. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it - Mark Twain! || I am a far left millennial!

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                          • #14
                            Another fascinating aspect are the military nets and the military iRCX chatrooms.
                            sigpic

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Minskaya View Post
                              Another fascinating aspect are the military nets and the military iRCX chatrooms.
                              I am an old school kinda' guy. Still use IRC from time to time. Over the years I have met some very interesting and intelligent people.

                              Btw, I had a feeling you know a lot more than you post. Confirmed now. I think I need to be scared.
                              Politicians are elected to serve...far too many don't see it that way - Albany Rifles! || Loyalty to country always. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it - Mark Twain! || I am a far left millennial!

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